11-13-2014, 10:27 AM
Sad to have to write this in the past tense, but I think what always amused me was how the others reacted to Sheldon's quirks, foibles and obliviousness. The bafflement and exasperation, from Howard's aggressive "You're insane!" to Leonard's weary "No, I don't have a sarcasm sign," was what I found relatable. Back then it didn't have that edge of meanspiritedness. He annoyed them, they let off a little steam, we moved on. Or he was the cipher that they struggled to decode, Leonard often acting as translator at large.
The original five played off each other so well. It was ensemble acting at its finest, not splintered by forced pairings and characters being pitted against each other.
Now, despite the contrived saccharine moments, you get the feeling they're always churning with rage and bitterness. And it's not funny. "It's a magic potion that makes me like you." "Sweetie, every night you don't kill him in his sleep he wins." "Sheldon, I swear to God, I'm gonna kill you." Of course I'd probably want to kill Sheldumb too, so...
And there were subtle little sight gags too. Eyepatch!Howard walking into the couch, Leonard strutting away from Penny's door but then colliding into his own, that flatulent thud from the dancing corn starch when Penny rushed in to talk to Sheldon. Little things that sort of gently poked at the nerdiness. These were vulnerable people, metaphorically bumping into their surroundings. And I didn't feel then that I was laughing AT them. I felt for them, I understood them.
There's no subtlety anymore, alas. It's so gaudy, vicious and over the top now, straining so hard to be funny. Sheldon in a French maid's outfit, Amy in a Catholic girl's school uniform, etc. I'm no longer charmed by these characters. They're ugly caricatures being moved around in a bawdy pantomime. It also doesn't help that there are generally 3 or 4 stories being told simultaneously now. There's no flow anymore - just a succession of micro scenes that don't have time or momentum to build up any comic steam.
Um sorry, WPP, that I spent as much time talking about what I DON'T like now. Hope you get something useful out of this.
The original five played off each other so well. It was ensemble acting at its finest, not splintered by forced pairings and characters being pitted against each other.
Now, despite the contrived saccharine moments, you get the feeling they're always churning with rage and bitterness. And it's not funny. "It's a magic potion that makes me like you." "Sweetie, every night you don't kill him in his sleep he wins." "Sheldon, I swear to God, I'm gonna kill you." Of course I'd probably want to kill Sheldumb too, so...
And there were subtle little sight gags too. Eyepatch!Howard walking into the couch, Leonard strutting away from Penny's door but then colliding into his own, that flatulent thud from the dancing corn starch when Penny rushed in to talk to Sheldon. Little things that sort of gently poked at the nerdiness. These were vulnerable people, metaphorically bumping into their surroundings. And I didn't feel then that I was laughing AT them. I felt for them, I understood them.
There's no subtlety anymore, alas. It's so gaudy, vicious and over the top now, straining so hard to be funny. Sheldon in a French maid's outfit, Amy in a Catholic girl's school uniform, etc. I'm no longer charmed by these characters. They're ugly caricatures being moved around in a bawdy pantomime. It also doesn't help that there are generally 3 or 4 stories being told simultaneously now. There's no flow anymore - just a succession of micro scenes that don't have time or momentum to build up any comic steam.
Um sorry, WPP, that I spent as much time talking about what I DON'T like now. Hope you get something useful out of this.
OH PLEASE...