9.16 The Positive Negative Reaction

[Toad]

'The Positive Negative Reaction' - Season 9, Episode 16 
Airs Thursday, February 18 at 8/7c on CBS.

When the gang finds out about Bernadette's pregnancy, they celebrate by singing karaoke. Also, Bernadette is concerned when Wolowitz freaks out over her pregnancy announcement, and Wolowitz is convinced he must make more money to provide for the baby.

[SpaceAnJL]

No, I still want to punch Leonard's gormless, smug smirk off his gormless, smug face...

[A.D.A.]

Pretty average group episode of the boy/girl plot variation. Despite the gender segragation that seems so forced, I tend to find these funnier than the couple ones, so it was alright to watch.

Bernadette tells Howard she's pregnant and while I was a bit apprehensive about this scene after the TR (wouldn't be the first time that they forgot something about Howard, like how he used to have doubts about Bernie, so I thought they'd also forget he's the one who wanted children), I do have to say, Simon did sell it. You could see him going from a sort of happy shock to the panic of if he could raise a child and that's fine. Of course, I still would have prefered it a little if it was Bernadette who freaked out, not only because it was established that she didn't want kids, but also because it would shake that imbalance between them where she's always the sensible mummy and he's the unreasonable one. I also don't understand how money is an issue for these two when raising a child because that did come up for Howard. Bernadette seems to make the most money out of all of the group and they don't even pay rent?

Anyway, after that scene the group split up into girls vs. boys. After Howard tells the boys, Leonard thinks they should go celebrate to put Howard in a better mood. Aside from drunk Sheldon (oh boy, here comes the silliness), I did quite like this scene because it develops into Howard searching for ideas to make money and then actually hitting on something that could help Sheldon and Leonard with their liquid helium theory. Sheldon then proves he can still outsmart them drunk by joining in on the conversation. I'll always be a fangirl for those science plots that I couldn't find in every other sitcom (read: relationship drama), so that worked for me.

The girls were funny, in great parts because Melissa Rauch is a good actress who made some middle-of-the-road jokes about her doctor forbidding her everything work quite well. Bernadette reveals the baby was conceived on Sheldon's bed. Eventually, they get texts from their boyfriends who are at karaoke bar and join them for a scene that runs on too long where all characters get on stage and sing songs with the word "baby" in them to Bernadette, aside from Sheldon, who's still whacky drunk and singing something unfitting. Penny's and Amy's Justin Bieber duet was actually sort of cute, but I didn't much like the others. Then again, I'm not into cringe comedy and I think if I were, I might have found it funny.

Last scene is Lenny talking about kids in the future. Penny notes that sure, at some point, but they might lack a certain maturity, and it showes sleeping Sheldon's face, on which they (or she?) have drawn with a sharpie.

And, because the writers hate me personally, there was of course one of my favourite combos in the show: the Sheldon had sex (Amy: "I know what it's like when your man is passionate") line in close proximity to the Sheldon is a baby (Amy: "I found a cup that will only give Sheldon three cheerios at a time") joke. I can'ttttt stand that.

[wellplayedpenny]

[Berliner]

I hate that "We are pregnant". There's no "we" here, only a woman can be pregnant. My sister already has a kid and she forbade her husband to use that phrase ... it's annoying and doesn't make sense.

[Louise]

I also don't understand how money is an issue for these two when raising a child because that did come up for Howard. 

Howard searching for ideas to make money

WHAT....THE...FUCK. 

This show's treatment of the subject of money is one of the most utterly bizarre and baffling things I have ever seen. I'm not exaggerating. None of these people should be needing to ask their spouse or their parents for money. None of them.They are in some of the top-paying professions in existence. You literally cannot be more successful than they are. Even if we assume that they have debts or other expenses, they are simply NOT hurting for money. They're not. They're in the very top tier of career-success, in the nation. They make over $100,000 per year, and buying collector plates isn't going to deplete that, anytime soon. *What* is this show's Bizarro-World view of work, money, and education? Astrophysics = working at Radio Shack. Got it. It's so beyond bizarre that I can't begin to explain it.  I make a lot less money than these people, but I worry about it far less than they do. 

I do have to say, Simon did sell it. 

I don't care. I don't care if the acting is technically good. I don't want to watch him being soft and sentimental, even if it's arguably well-done. I probably wouldn't watch SH in anything else, after this. Not that any of these people are going to have post-BBT careers, anyway.  I feel no attachment to SH as a person; he has said some really dumb and fawning pro-TPTB things. I don't read/watch interviews with him or whatever. I have no particular admiration for him. I'm not picking on you, but your choice of the phrase "sold it" was apt. A truly good thing doesn't need persuasion, it stands on its own merits.

Being associated with this show will come back to haunt these actors, if the law of consequences actually exists, in this world of ours. Ten years from now, they will cringe at some of the things they said/did for money, both onscreen and off. 

To me, that pic of the cast with the 200th episode cake-cutting gives an impression of obliviousness and decadence and hubris. It's like aristocrats right before the French Revolution or people enjoying a swanky time on the Titanic. "Yay, we're sellouts, hurray!" It's literally a "Let them eat cake" picture. It carries that same message. 

IDK. This upsets me less than it might have, a few months or years ago. The old characters are just so utterly *gone*, so far away, that it's amazing. It's so strange. It's such a surreal feeling. I don't know what to say or feel about it.  There would be nothing hugely terrible about this episode you just described...except that they're still *calling it* The Big Bang Theory. Otherwise, it would be just another somewhat-stupid, occasionally-offensive, occasionally-good cookie-cutter sitcom. 

I disagree that there is, or has ever been, anything appealing about MR. Even if I try to put aside my bias, I cannot imagine any circumstance in which I would be willing to watch her. 

 [size=small]I knew the H/B baby was coming, but the baby itself bothers me less than soft, feminized, cutesy-pie Howie who wuvs Wifey and wants to cuddle things. I'm not totally opposed to stories involving children or parenthood, and I don't actively dislike kids, although I strongly prefer my fave characters to be happily and intentionally childfree. I do not relate to stories about pregnancy, nor do I find them funny or entertaining. If a character isn't childfree, then they're not going to be a special favorite of mine.

Whatever. When I came across this news, I cried for about fifteen seconds and then said "Fuck everything and everyone associated with this." At this point, there might as well be one of those scrolling news-ticker ribbons at the bottom of the screen during this show, saying "YOU WILL CONFORM TO THE LIFE-SCRIPT. Weddingbabyweddingbabyweddingbabywedding..." 

I wouldn't give a shit about any of this if they would simply give the characters different names. I'm serious. 

My fave character and ship seem so far away, now. That's the only way I can describe it. I know I'm repeating myself, but it's such a strange feeling. Where did he go? Why am I, a random person on the Internet, more willing to defend him than the actor who embodied him? Why do these people seem to not understand their own creations?
 
How many deaths can these characters die, and when will I stop caring? I truly think that to watch one of these scenes would be more disturbing and upsetting for me than to watch a super-violent and brutal horror flick or something of that nature. That's what this is: the snuff film that keeps on giving.

[Louise]

ETA: Take it from me, if the H/B have money problems, it's because B. has some kind of secret addiction. I hope she gets caught supporting a boytoy somewhere, which would make all her behavior towards H. hugely hypocritical.

[Tuesday Pajamas]

ETA: Take it from me, if the H/B have money problems, it's because B. has some kind of secret addiction. I hope she gets caught supporting a boytoy somewhere, which would make all her behavior towards H. hugely hypocritical.

I know! Every time there's a scene involving Howard I think of you and I know you are fuming. He worked for NASA, he's an engineer who gets to be involved in the COOLEST things and would make huge amounts of money. In the real world, and I've said it before, Howard would be a god amongst nerds.

[Louise]

I know! Every time there's a scene involving Howard I think of you and I know you are fuming. He worked for NASA, he's an engineer who gets to be involved in the COOLEST things and would make huge amounts of money. In the real world, and I've said it before, Howard would be a god amongst nerds.

Yes, PJ. Thank you for saying so. I does frustrate me, a lot. Fortunately, life has been very, very busy for me, these past few months, so I haven't had much time to think about BBT.

IMO some of Bernadette's behavior is indicative of someone with a mood disorder and/or drug use. Raging and throwing tantrums will not get you very far, IRL.

ETA: But she's not the only problem. The narrative of the show itself seems hell-bent on demeaning and dismissing him, even while all these supposedly happy events (baby, etc.) are happening to him.

[A.D.A.]

Yes, PJ. Thank you for saying so. I does frustrate me, a lot. Fortunately, life has been very, very busy for me, these past few months, so I haven't had much time to think about BBT.

IMO some of Bernadette's behavior is indicative of someone with a mood disorder and/or drug use. Raging and throwing tantrums will not get you very far, IRL.

ETA: But she's not the only problem. The narrative of the show itself seems hell-bent on demeaning and dismissing him, even while all these supposedly happy events (baby, etc.) are happening to him.

I agree that could be, but since TBBT is not the kind of comedy that deals well with heavy topics, it's probably more indicative of terrible writing. Nagging wife/lazy husband is TBBT's go-to trope; the lazy sitcome writer's guide to easy jokes. Plus, that whole thing with Howard marrying his mum-jokes (yikes - considering Amy is also in a carer role for Sheldon and Penny thinks Leonard made her his mom, have we found a Freudian theme?). While I don't mind them as much as you do, I agree that especially Howard isn't usually given much to work with, which is why I think he stood out to me this episode. Simon is still a great actor in my book, but the stuff they are giving him is the very definition sitcom material written on autopilot.