09-30-2015, 11:00 AM
KIM'S REVIEW, PART UNE: ('Cos a lot frickin' happened!)
Okay..this review is a bit late in coming 'cos time has been mercilessly against me in the last twenty-four hours. And yes, it's been twenty-four hours now since life as we know it has changed, pigs have flown, and hell has indeed, finally frozen over.
I'm not going to say much about the Shenny kiss, 'cos it's already been expressed beautifully-enough from others writing on this thread. Just want to say, though, I've known their chemistry all along. And the nine-year wait to see it confirmed..is truly a gift. TPTB let it be shown in it's entirety, which many of us had doubted they'd have the guts. It was beautiful. Jim Parsons has finally gotten the opportunity to show himself as leading-man material. And Kaley, who with he shares such great chemistry, seems to possess just the right qualities--the dual strength, paired with femininity--to bring this out in him. I'm nothing but thankful that the show gave us this gift. It was not half-hearted. It was passionate and exciting!
The thing I want to focus on here..well, things..are those that stood out to me apart from the kiss. First off, I have to say, after recovering from the opening scene, I had just enough marbles left to notice the following:
Vintage Howard?:
In his first scene, in the kitchen with Bernadette. I was pretty much expecting more of what we've been subjected to over the last few years: henpecked, boring, subordinate, blah blah blah. Instead, I saw a gleam in his eye, mischief, charm, lighthearted humor. It started out, as usual, with Bernadette being mad/frustrated with him (for whatever reason). And yup, I fully expected him to grovel/take his punishment. Instead, though, things took a different turn. Bernadette wasn't mad at him for making an expensive impulse purchase (as he'd apparently feared), but because she was upset that he'd told her about Leonard's secret kiss with Mandy, and she felt like a bad friend because she knew and didn't tell Penny: "I wish you'd never told me." Howard, appreciating the fact that he's not in trouble for what he thought he'd be, impishly replies, "And I wish Leonard had never told me. HE'S the bad guy here!" Then goes further (slyly): "You let Penny marry him. Compared to that (more slying!) who CARES if I bought a George Clooney Limited Edition Manscaping Kit"? And with that, satisfied, he saunters out the kitchen door. Leaving Bernadette to mull over her own guilt.
First off, I LOVE that that was Howard's focus throughout the whole exchange. He didn't give a fig about the Lenny drama. He just saw it as his opportunity to get away with something that Bernadette would normally ride him about. (Howard? Opportunistic? Why does that seem so familiar??)
Secondly, yeah, the fact he didn't get nagged. Bernadette was on her way with that, trying to shift blame on him about the Mandy thing. But he skillfully sidestepped it. Skillfully side-stepping..fancy footwork.. Can anyone say, "Wolowizard"? Or "Wealthy Big Penis"?
Thirdly, I love that they eventually got around to revealing his big secret purchase (they had Howard leading up to this gag the entire scene): "Look, I know it cost a lot of money, but the guy at the store says in 5 to 7 years it'll pay for itself!" And it was great that it was such a smarmy thing. The next best thing for a guy who once had a love-on with a robotic arm he himself engineered. This is IC Vintage Howard. With a wife and a credit card.
Grrl's Night:
The next scene was the downer of the evening. Well, right next to the final Lenny make-up scene. Funny how these things seem to take place in Penny's apartment. Is that place cursed or something? The scene I'm speaking of, guh/brrr..."Girl's Night". Might as well be called Fright Night, as far as I'm concerned. My thoughts:
1. I was gratified to see Bernadette closer to the version of her old self, as well. That being scared and unsure, worried that someone will be mad at her. Every time Penny called on her for an opinion about the Leonard/Mandy kiss, she froze up, terrified Penny would find out that she knew about the kiss all along. It was nice to see Bernadette shake in her shoes for once. She's been such a harsh, insensitive shrew, it was nice to see her a little insecure.
2. It was weird that both chicks (Bernie and Amy) were trying to justify Leonard's cheating by telling Penny that her giving him confidence explains it. So like, they're giving Penny credit (blame) for 'improving Leonard'. As if having confidence enough to cheat is an improvement. Based on Leonard's self-examination/revelation later in the episode, they're dead-wrong. Thankfully. But keep in mind, this half-assed perspective was offered by a) Bernadette, who was just grasping-at-straws-desperate to keep attention away from 'her secret', and b) Amy, who really doesn't have enough experience with men or relationships to have anything credible herself to offer.
I should explain that I had to go back and re-watch the episode to review this scene. I didn't really pay attention to it last night while it aired, as I generally try to tune these chicks out. All I can go away with on this scene is that:
1. (Again, 'cos I think it's worth reiterating) I was glad that Bernadette was nervous/pleasing/insecure. Instead of the shrewy, know-it-all bully she's become the last few years. AND, that this otherwise 'saint', actually is human and had done something to feel guilty about.
2. Felt bad that Penny/Kaley still has to do these 'girl nights', which are just such a drag. Particularly this one. (In contrast to all the joviality displayed in this episode by the guys--Howard and Raj). But that comes later.
Okay..this review is a bit late in coming 'cos time has been mercilessly against me in the last twenty-four hours. And yes, it's been twenty-four hours now since life as we know it has changed, pigs have flown, and hell has indeed, finally frozen over.
I'm not going to say much about the Shenny kiss, 'cos it's already been expressed beautifully-enough from others writing on this thread. Just want to say, though, I've known their chemistry all along. And the nine-year wait to see it confirmed..is truly a gift. TPTB let it be shown in it's entirety, which many of us had doubted they'd have the guts. It was beautiful. Jim Parsons has finally gotten the opportunity to show himself as leading-man material. And Kaley, who with he shares such great chemistry, seems to possess just the right qualities--the dual strength, paired with femininity--to bring this out in him. I'm nothing but thankful that the show gave us this gift. It was not half-hearted. It was passionate and exciting!
The thing I want to focus on here..well, things..are those that stood out to me apart from the kiss. First off, I have to say, after recovering from the opening scene, I had just enough marbles left to notice the following:
Vintage Howard?:
In his first scene, in the kitchen with Bernadette. I was pretty much expecting more of what we've been subjected to over the last few years: henpecked, boring, subordinate, blah blah blah. Instead, I saw a gleam in his eye, mischief, charm, lighthearted humor. It started out, as usual, with Bernadette being mad/frustrated with him (for whatever reason). And yup, I fully expected him to grovel/take his punishment. Instead, though, things took a different turn. Bernadette wasn't mad at him for making an expensive impulse purchase (as he'd apparently feared), but because she was upset that he'd told her about Leonard's secret kiss with Mandy, and she felt like a bad friend because she knew and didn't tell Penny: "I wish you'd never told me." Howard, appreciating the fact that he's not in trouble for what he thought he'd be, impishly replies, "And I wish Leonard had never told me. HE'S the bad guy here!" Then goes further (slyly): "You let Penny marry him. Compared to that (more slying!) who CARES if I bought a George Clooney Limited Edition Manscaping Kit"? And with that, satisfied, he saunters out the kitchen door. Leaving Bernadette to mull over her own guilt.
First off, I LOVE that that was Howard's focus throughout the whole exchange. He didn't give a fig about the Lenny drama. He just saw it as his opportunity to get away with something that Bernadette would normally ride him about. (Howard? Opportunistic? Why does that seem so familiar??)
Secondly, yeah, the fact he didn't get nagged. Bernadette was on her way with that, trying to shift blame on him about the Mandy thing. But he skillfully sidestepped it. Skillfully side-stepping..fancy footwork.. Can anyone say, "Wolowizard"? Or "Wealthy Big Penis"?
Thirdly, I love that they eventually got around to revealing his big secret purchase (they had Howard leading up to this gag the entire scene): "Look, I know it cost a lot of money, but the guy at the store says in 5 to 7 years it'll pay for itself!" And it was great that it was such a smarmy thing. The next best thing for a guy who once had a love-on with a robotic arm he himself engineered. This is IC Vintage Howard. With a wife and a credit card.
Grrl's Night:
The next scene was the downer of the evening. Well, right next to the final Lenny make-up scene. Funny how these things seem to take place in Penny's apartment. Is that place cursed or something? The scene I'm speaking of, guh/brrr..."Girl's Night". Might as well be called Fright Night, as far as I'm concerned. My thoughts:
1. I was gratified to see Bernadette closer to the version of her old self, as well. That being scared and unsure, worried that someone will be mad at her. Every time Penny called on her for an opinion about the Leonard/Mandy kiss, she froze up, terrified Penny would find out that she knew about the kiss all along. It was nice to see Bernadette shake in her shoes for once. She's been such a harsh, insensitive shrew, it was nice to see her a little insecure.
2. It was weird that both chicks (Bernie and Amy) were trying to justify Leonard's cheating by telling Penny that her giving him confidence explains it. So like, they're giving Penny credit (blame) for 'improving Leonard'. As if having confidence enough to cheat is an improvement. Based on Leonard's self-examination/revelation later in the episode, they're dead-wrong. Thankfully. But keep in mind, this half-assed perspective was offered by a) Bernadette, who was just grasping-at-straws-desperate to keep attention away from 'her secret', and b) Amy, who really doesn't have enough experience with men or relationships to have anything credible herself to offer.
I should explain that I had to go back and re-watch the episode to review this scene. I didn't really pay attention to it last night while it aired, as I generally try to tune these chicks out. All I can go away with on this scene is that:
1. (Again, 'cos I think it's worth reiterating) I was glad that Bernadette was nervous/pleasing/insecure. Instead of the shrewy, know-it-all bully she's become the last few years. AND, that this otherwise 'saint', actually is human and had done something to feel guilty about.
2. Felt bad that Penny/Kaley still has to do these 'girl nights', which are just such a drag. Particularly this one. (In contrast to all the joviality displayed in this episode by the guys--Howard and Raj). But that comes later.
"The mark of mediocrity is to look for precedent." Norman Mailer