For research, Pinky!
#11
Quote:Like this exchange in Dead Hooker:

That's another perfect example of a conversation that doesn't really go anywhere or mean anything, and yet it's fabulous. This is what I mean when I talk about absurdist verbal humor. And it also serves to showcase the personalities of the characters and how they interact/react to each other.

I could watch these "pointless" conversations all day...

Quote:Eyepatch!Howard walking into the couch

Eyepatch!Howard is a thing of beauty and a joy forever Big Grin
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#12
Thank you all so very much for your comments (no, I'm not closing this off--just an interlude expressing my appreciation!). It's been interesting seeing the scenes we like/dislike and the similarities/differences. This weekend I'll begin sorting out my notes and your comments to see what I've got in terms of themes/articles. Once I'm clearer in topic(s) I'll post little synopses of what I'm doing for you to peruse and perhaps add to if you wish.

Thank you again for indulging me. You've all been terrific! Blossom
Let's go exploring!
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  • Louise
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#13
You mentioned looking for later-seasons scenes that work, and while I avoid the later seasons like the plague, I think there *are* a few:

I think the whole thing with Raj's phone and Siri was pretty funny in S5.

Don't shoot me, but I kinda like the Sheldon-Kripke basketball match, even though it's kinda OOC for both of them. It's funny in and of itself, but it's maybe not a very representative TBBT scene, if you understand what I mean...

The kissing machine is also S5, and it's funny, but sometimes I can't help but wonder if these scenes would've played-out a bit differently if they'd been done in S1 or S2. When Howard is describing the kissing machine to Leonard, I can't help but think that his delivery and his manner would be a bit more salacious if this was S1/S2 Howard we were dealing with. It might be my imagination, but I feel like there's something missing, like SH could've been a bit more energetic. IMO it *is* a rather typical Howard trait for him to talk about bizarre things in a straightforward, practical manner and act like it's no big deal, but I can't help feeling that his character has already gotten a bit lukewarm by that point in time...

What do all these scenes have in common? It's just the guys, with no Bernadette or Amy and little or no "relationship" content. I find that very, very telling. When the guys are left alone, the old chemistry falls back into place, to some degree.

Like I said, some scenes are funny and work well if they're viewed discretely, but if you examine them more closely, you start to realize that they're OOC or just "off" in some sense.

Gripe has mentioned hating that Settlers of Cataan scene with a passion, and I understand why, now, but I liked it because R&H were giggling and being silly in a cute way. Your entire perspective on a scene can change, depending on which character you're focused on.

H&R touching each other's chests is funny, but the reason behind it was sooo stupid, stupid to the point of being offensive. I would've accepted any other explanation for that scene, including "they were just curious and they wanted to." Plus, that's Wimpy Howard, at that point in time, and his whole manner is too soft.

So, to put it in clearer terms, I think there are some later-seasons scenes where it's like "That was funny, BUT..." There's always a catch. It's funny if you view it out of context, like just a piece of sketch comedy with no connection to anything else, but if you're actually familiar with the show and the characters, then you see the flaws.
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#14
All my "worst of" moments are related to the dismantling, dumbing-down, and diminishing of Howard's character. (and the Howard/Raj friendship.) I could maybe live without the flirty/sexual stuff, but this portrayal of him as a lazy and irresponsible man-child who lives off Bernadette is really the last straw. That's in direct contradiction to the resourceful, problem-solving, practical guy he was before.

Oh, and that Letter ep: I've mostly tried to wipe it from memory, but even the visual presentation is *so* soap opera-ish: the lighting is dim and the colors are over-saturated. It gives a claustrophobic, enclosed, airless feel. It looks so '80s. It's very theatrical, like you *know* you're looking at a TV stage. SH looks like he's about to deliver Hamlet's soliloquy, or something. The whole thing is just a steaming heap.

But Stag Night is my personal "white whale", as everyone already knows....
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  • wellplayedpenny
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