The Reel Rejects - THE BIG BANG THEORY S2 E11-15 REVIEW – SHELDON HUGGED PENNY?! – FIRST TIME WATCHING

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Starting point is 00:00:31 More on them in just a bit. Let's do this thing. Roll the bump. We did it. Season two, episodes 11 through 15. If you happen to be with us, still, at this leg of the journey, leave a like to congratulate yourself. And, you know, also don't forget to subscribe.

Starting point is 00:00:53 Hit the notification bell. Do all these things if you want the Big Bang Theory to continue on this channel. We've been having a blast so far. Also, if you want to get the full reaction, Watch along experience. You can come on over to Patreon.com slash the real rejects. We've got a great community of people over there.

Starting point is 00:01:07 You can ask us some questions. Help guide our discussion after the React. It's a good time over there. Also save yourself a little discount with some teas like these from RejectnationShop.com. All the good stuff. Arun. How are you feeling about this block?

Starting point is 00:01:22 Any favorite moments? Any favorite plot lines? What's your vibe? Well, yeah, I've been like five episodes today. I feel like my favorites were probably. Probably the first episode of the block in the last episode of the block.

Starting point is 00:01:34 Yeah, dude, hot dense state. Yeah, hot dense state. Yeah, I wanted to say during the reaction, I thought it was very interesting, the fact that Leonard's mom seems to be like, like, obviously, psychoanalyzing people and just the disparity between how well she's able to assess people's experiences and feelings

Starting point is 00:01:53 and contrast with how cold she is. That was very interesting. So she's very detached from her own emotions, but able to perceive, other people's deals very precisely and pretty quickly. So, yeah, and just that whole episode was a lot of fun. You know, we inch closer towards the Penny and Leonard storyline. And plus the whole birthday thing was pretty, not birthday, the thing with the gifts and

Starting point is 00:02:22 and thanks and Christmas was very fun. It was also great getting to see Homeboy get his comeuppets As far as getting brought down a peg With Howard But we reverted back to the status quo But at least he got punching the eye for it That was nice

Starting point is 00:02:43 Dude Howard did not come very close to getting locked up this week I must say I will say yeah Not very close and I mean He made a prison As much as as much as There's a lot of like debating with Penny about like

Starting point is 00:02:57 ah you know kind of a bro like she she pretty much did what she had to do like uh I don't know yeah I like that were at least like it was interesting to behold that because it was like it seems like they are intent on talking a little bit about this you know even if we do

Starting point is 00:03:14 have to do the whole thing where it's like I give him a break and I'm like Penn doesn't have to give him a break if she wants to she can and that's up to her she's been sexually harassed with this guy for like nearly two years I feel like one conversation about telling him how shitty, weird he is, was warranted. And then, yeah, him going in for the kiss, getting decked. It just makes sense, you know.

Starting point is 00:03:35 It does make a lot of sense. The gift thing was really funny. I got to say, yeah, the whole, like, him getting flummoxed at the possibility of the gift and then having to go through this all like, oh, what do we get? And it's got to be equal or greater value or blah, blah, blah. And he gets all the baskets. And then it turns out to be the Nimoy napkin, like, just so, so fun. It's just like him watching.

Starting point is 00:03:55 his performance, Jim Parsons' performance, his like brain starts to collapse under the idea that Leonard Nimoy used his napkin and he just can't give Penny enough things for it. So, yeah, the hug, like to culminate that and the hug was very, very funny. And just like the body language, the little isms very funny. It was very sweet. Yeah. Yeah. Did you have any favors of the block?

Starting point is 00:04:21 Man, I mean, yeah, I think I might agree with you. I mean, certainly, I like, I love a battle bot. So I was like fun, certainly, and it was fun to get a new sort of foil character in Cripkey. I think he has to grow on me. Yeah, I mean, you know, like I'm always happy to get another sort of like, ooh, we're doing a recurring thing. Interesting. And the placement was interesting as well because it's like back to back, you know, and we just had our first sort of like guest over a few episodes arc with Sarah Rue. whatever her character name was called

Starting point is 00:04:56 so yeah it was fun and fun to get freaking what's his name back too the guy from agents of shields yeah am I tripping did it seem like they broke up at the end of the last block I thought he just didn't want her to live with him anymore yeah I feel like that's that's

Starting point is 00:05:13 that's one of those sitcom stakes where it's like you can use that as the out even though my brain goes like yeah there's I guess because it's a request in conflict were just left to assume like well that was the breaking point and now they can't be together but yes goodness graciously yeah the battlebot thing uh was fun um let's see yeah i mean you know Howard

Starting point is 00:05:40 yeah it's just unique and and you know it was about time that he got you know smacked a little bit uh and he'll be fine you know he's he's unflappable i'm sure he's gonna be fine yeah um and then yeah, the whole thing with him trying to befriend that guy and then they come down to like, yeah, I don't got control over that shit. And that's another one of the things where it's like, well, I guess we're not friends anymore. I guess we're not just going to see.

Starting point is 00:06:03 I don't know. I assume we'll see that guy again, but at the same time, I'm like, it makes sense. I'm getting the sensibility because the second that started while he's on the next episode or the episode after that. Yeah, I think the one that's felt like the least consequential or like most like

Starting point is 00:06:16 floaty was probably the one where they gave the money from Kurt. Because I'm like, that's going to be been a season one episode. Yeah, totally. From season one or like, a few episodes into the show ought to believe to you. Yeah, and I, I liked, what I liked about that episode was the Sheldon thing. Like, just, just the idea that we would get this weird wrinkle where, like, he's just

Starting point is 00:06:34 good at money and is not perturbed if you need to borrow some for a little while. Yeah. And it's just like a good friend about that. That was just the most unexpected aspect of him. Like, he's so neurotic and specific about all these other things. But with money, like, yeah, I don't care. Yeah. Which, which, like, which struck me.

Starting point is 00:06:51 I find that very charming. But, yeah, I would say that. these the middle few but especially yeah that one feels like it could have fit anywhere it's the kind of episode that you could put anywhere fun to see kurt again for a second um the the thing i do appreciate i suppose you know like the battlebots thing is fun and all that but i guess i kind of i liked the story idea of sheldon trying to gain a friend and then like hunting down resources for this and like coming up with the flow chart and going through the conversation, then him getting stuck in the loop,

Starting point is 00:07:27 and then Howard coming and fixing the loop. Like that stuff I thought was fun about those couple Barry Cripkey episodes. Yeah. And him passing out from trying to rock climb because he's so dedicated to trying to get a friend. But even him trying to get a friend is self-serving because he's trying to get access to the other thing. Yeah, yeah, 100%. So it was, you know, fun, fun rascally stuff. I would say the, yeah, the first episode and the last episode were the most striking.

Starting point is 00:07:51 just because I really enjoyed the game of the first episode and we got Dane Cook Scientist the bath item gift hypothesis the killer robot instability the friendship algorithm the financial permeability and the maternal capisitance

Starting point is 00:08:10 damn what a word yeah like just the casting of Christine Bransky another great like veteran actress to be you know another you know extended family cast member, great choice. I loved she cracks me up wherever she shows up, but

Starting point is 00:08:27 yeah, I loved the way she played that. Her and Sheldon hitting it off, very fun game. Them winding up doing karaoke was like, what is this reveal going to be? And like, you know, it's just quirky. I guess it could have been anything, but still fun, funny. Yeah, and then it was a fun

Starting point is 00:08:43 wrap around because they were playing rock band in the beginning of the episode. Yeah, yeah. End it with that as well. And I like the, yeah, and I like the bit with them trying to figure out how to go to the movies and eat. Yeah. And then they're just like, they just leave. And then Shelton's like, you know, they had no other.

Starting point is 00:08:57 I do appreciate how much they all adhere to the math. So yeah. And yeah, she just came through and like, you know, ripped through everybody with them psychological evaluations. Truly, yeah. I was going to say that I was like, how was he? I wonder how he's as close to normal compared to the other guys. But I think that his dad was probably the thing that balanced him out. some. Yeah. Because even he wanted affection

Starting point is 00:09:22 where his wife and Leonard's mom couldn't give it to him. Yeah, well, and what are they? They make a crack about him having being an anthropologist. So like, you know, which is, which is a science, but you know, it's one of those where I'm sure it's it's more of a humanist, maybe more of a hippie science or something. Like I'd imagine an anthropologist

Starting point is 00:09:38 maybe being a little bit more I don't know. I'm sure there are some methodical, you know, socially awkward anthropologist as well. But I think you're supposed to sort of assume on face value that yeah, he would have been the more adjusted one. Yeah.

Starting point is 00:09:53 But yeah, let's hop into some questions from the people. Let's get it, baby. Let's do that thing. And thank you guys, as always, for banging out your theories and or observations. Let's jump in with Shia

Starting point is 00:10:06 Silberstein. Appreciate you chiming in. Hey, John and Aaron, I hated how the Wallowicz episode made it more sympathetic about him. When he was obviously being creepy, what do we think about how they handled that episode? I

Starting point is 00:10:23 like that she called him out and even they're trying they're trying to make it a sympathetic and like oh look at him his feelings of her I was like well he's been kind of a creep for most of this I don't feel bad at all but

Starting point is 00:10:37 I was a kind of a conflicting thing I'm happy he got a bunch of a frigging face by Penny that was nice but I I'm like, okay, I guess, because Leonard was like, please, do it for us because we got to win the robot competition. But he also knows that he's been a creep towards Penny.

Starting point is 00:11:02 So he's crushing on Penny hard. So you should want him to be respectful, I suppose. Exactly. So I like the part where he's come up, it's, but I was like, Penny shouldn't have to apologize for anything that's happened here. Yeah. It's like, this is part of the, this is, if you want to get serious about it, you're like, this is. part of the problem, man. You're like, your robot league isn't necessarily more important than this.

Starting point is 00:11:25 And I can't disagree with you here. I mean, I like that they at least, I liked that for parts of the episode, I was at least tuned in to Penny and at least it seemed like they were allowing her character to have that position of like, no, he's being creepy and I'm tired of it. And I needed to say something, you know? And he needed to have his feelings hurt over this because, you know, how is you going to do better you know and that's not even her job to make him do better is just you know her right to let him know uh and yeah i mean like the idea of leonard having to be like oh cut him some

Starting point is 00:12:01 slack or whatever like is a bit milk toasty is a little bit like she doesn't anything past this point is like all in the grace of penny it's all and and i understand this is just what the writers are choosing so it's like what do we need to reset the status quo and to keep howard as he is like I don't know I don't know what to expect and I've heard people say that he goes through arcs and you know becomes you know grows as a character and whatnot and I'm looking forward to that I wish I had more sense that that was beginning now but I I'm like torn it's like I'm glad they I'm glad they seemed committed to going there at all this yeah the sort of like oh come on Penny go make him feel better is a little bullshit just as a request from a friend

Starting point is 00:12:46 is a little bit like I and I get that friends their nuances but like generally speaking I would be like yeah you did what you had to do and it's up to him to do better now it's so funny have you seen the show uh parks and rec I've seen scattered episodes okay reason why I'm bringing it up because I was just watching a video on the way here listen to a video uh about how on the show parks and wreck they introduced these two characters to kind of spice up the the the dynamic but make these other characters more interesting in the show. And I felt like with the character like Leslie, no, that they had her one way,

Starting point is 00:13:23 but they didn't like the direction she was going. So my hope is that maybe we will get some more characters or get something to make Howard less unlikable because, brother, we got 11 more seasons if we can see. And this video seemed to be doing pretty well. So I'm like, we got to, we got to do something to make some of these characters

Starting point is 00:13:45 is more likeable because between crips, Kripke and Howard and then the funny how Leonard's mom kind of broke down Raj and Wallowicz's relationship about the fact that they both have like a fear of women's. They do creepy stuff because they want

Starting point is 00:14:00 the affection of women but yet fear them at the same time. I'm like, okay, let's kind of break that up a bit because I would like to see some growth going forward. Yeah, it's like there are seeds there. It's you know, I don't want to it's a bit it's a cop out as we experience it at this juncture i mean like i understand the the tie around

Starting point is 00:14:22 and it's charming in a sitcom to have like you know they come back at the end and she covers for him because hopefully now he understands uh you know and i mean he doesn't learn and gets decked in the face like that actually tracks like i'm like for the stage that we're in i see that yeah so it's weird it's like i give them some degree of grace and props for opening the box, I suppose. I think the way they handle the box once it's been opened leaves stuff to be desired. The stakes are not massive. This is a trope I'm used to.

Starting point is 00:14:57 So while it is sort of like, yeah, I would love for him to be a character I feel less conflicted about, you know, and I'm sure that'll probably happen at some point. I just ordered another batch of Huell ready to drink for the office because every time I stock the fridge, somehow they disappear. So apparently I run a YouTube channel and the Huell. distribution center. And that's kind of the point. I've been drinking Hewel weekly for almost two years now before my 2025 cut. They're not the entire eight month cut. And I still use it now. Sponsored or not, I use them. I hear Hew ads on plenty of other podcasts, but I don't know how many of those people

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Starting point is 00:16:26 online with code rejects at huel.com slash rejects. New customers only. Thank you, Huell, for partnering, supporting our show, and for supporting my lifestyle. Yeah. And he had funny moments. But I like that after that point on. It doesn't seem like he's flirting with Penny. At least they didn't put him in

Starting point is 00:16:42 positions to flirt with Penny. going forward. Yeah, it's like I'm bummed out because I wish they made better choices or like if they were, you know, it's what do we do here? It's like, are we going to make this very special episode of?

Starting point is 00:16:53 You could. This is something worth talking about in this context, I suppose, or in any context, but especially I would, I would say that one of the stigmas that gets discussed about, you know, nerd communities

Starting point is 00:17:08 in general is how people interact with women and how people are able to, you know, communicate these kinds of, feelings. Him calling her doable is one of those things where you're like gross, bad, don't like that, you know, like this is the time to call him out. It's so good on you. But, but yeah, the other character's got to learn some stuff too if the vibe is like, go make him feel better for like being

Starting point is 00:17:32 creepy and disrespectful all of the time. Yeah. And yeah, I didn't like that. I guess he's like, oh, I'm halfway to pity sex. I'm like, oh, brother. Yeah. It's real weird because it's like, yeah, there's a lot. There's, if I'm really getting serious about it, I don't think it's super well handled. Then again, like the other half of my brain that's aware again of like the continuum of sitcom tropes that we're in. Like I'm not like freaking out about it. Obviously, I've seen this kind of thing a thousand times and I've seen the people not quite get it 100% right. But, you know, good on Penny, the character for at least.

Starting point is 00:18:14 holding most of the line and you can kind of head cannon the rest of that motivation as to why she would want to do that um you know if i'm going to make a silver lining here i will say that i'd like the fact that you know most of the show is primarily from either how i'm sorry from leonard or uh or Sheldon's perspectives so I think it was nice to then get a storyline that was didn't have to do with the main two of them and we got to let these other characters shine and build up their relationships a little bit more yeah I mean like the way we got there but like the fact that we were able to have that and maybe we can get to a place where the two of them can actually have a friendship

Starting point is 00:18:59 at some point in the future yeah I'm curious and it's the thing where it's like she doesn't have to educate him she doesn't have to listen to his sob story necessarily but you know these are or fictional characters, so you can have them choose to do any number of things. And we can also give the show some grace. This is still 2008. We're, you know,

Starting point is 00:19:16 obviously the information is there, but it's not as widely, what's the word I'm looking for? Not promoted, but it's not socially acceptable then, but it's even less so now. So I feel like they're, they derive from the humor of that,

Starting point is 00:19:34 given the time that it's in. But yeah, I imagine things. will change as time progresses and the show does as well. Yeah. Yeah, it's like you can... I'm sure this would have been passed off more at the time of just like, it's just a

Starting point is 00:19:47 trope of so many shows you go back to and so many comedies, especially sitcoms, like the amount of times nowadays, I hear people like, you know, you're just got to get past the point, like, you know, where all the characters are horny. Like, it's just like a thing of older shows where it's just like, all the guy characters are just trying to get chicks all the time.

Starting point is 00:20:06 And it's just kind of a, a trope you know and it's it's distilled i think you know people asked us last time or one of the recent times about like people know that coy here at this channel has a a great amount of ire for this show and how we felt about that and howard and rage to a lesser extent but they both kind of touch the same topic and debate i think those are characters that help me see that perspective more. Yeah. Because I'm like, oh, yes, the creepy nerds who are misogynist and who are, you know,

Starting point is 00:20:43 always making uncomfortable comments and who just are horned up and don't know what to do about that. Like, yeah, we've seen this before. So it's like, you know, yeah, it's, uh, I'm, I'm excited for maybe the show to grow out of that. But also, I'm also not in any way like, I'm not that phase that it exists this way because it exists because a thousand things exist like this. Yeah.

Starting point is 00:21:05 And like, I'm still, you know. And there's still laughs to be had. And I'm still watching it with you. It's part of the game at this point of just like, what creepy thing he's going to say this time? It's just this side of like, will they know when that's part of the point? So like I can't, I can't be as mad as I would be if they, I was watching a show where they're clearly like,

Starting point is 00:21:26 this is the character to get behind and to emulate in your own life. So, you know, I think there's, yeah, it's like this is a kind of thing where I would never argue you out of this. I pretty, I agree. minus like, you know, just again, like if you're just sitting and watching it, like the stakes of where we are and what we're doing aren't super high, but I didn't love the handling of that and I get why you wouldn't either. Yeah, and it's funny because if we have the episode with, you know, the cool guy and pennies into him. And I'm like, okay, this is the closest thing we've seen in this show to someone who is both a nerd and then semi well adjusted until we reveal that he's like, oh, he's cheating on his wife and stuff. Yeah.

Starting point is 00:22:04 So I'm like, I would. Scoundrel. Yeah, and I would like a character whose flaw isn't base in his social and aptitude, but just some regular personal flaw, but who also happens to be smart because I feel like, you know, being a nerd or being a geek is a spectrum. And so far, we're very much leaning into one side of that spectrum. Yeah, and in 20 minutes, I just don't think you can, if they wanted to dive into the nuance of Wallowitz or to earn whatever sympathy they're asking for. I don't think this is the format, or at least you can't have B and C plots surrounding that. You know, so, uh, so yeah, we do what we can, but we could do much better. Yeah.

Starting point is 00:22:50 All right, care bear, though primarily known for its cerebral humor, the Big Bang Theory also has moments of great fiscal comedy. None more than Sheldon's awkward first, Sheldon's first awkward Christmas hug with Penny question. If there was a humor scale with one side being all physical gags, Charlie Chaplin and Jackass, and the other side being only verbal wit, Oscar Wild and the beep, where does your personal funny bone sit? Golly, that's a great question. That is a great question. Thanks, Carabair. Oh, boy. Somewhere in the middle, I guess I would more directly reach for or maybe sometimes what sticks with me more.

Starting point is 00:23:35 are little verbal things or word plays or little cheeky. Like you might almost miss it or something. So I guess that. But I mean, I do love some great slapstick. I do love clown. Like not necessarily I love clowns specifically, but like,

Starting point is 00:23:56 you know, there are a lot of things that incorporate clown, which is a physical form of, you know, performance and specifically comedy. So, so yeah. I mean, it's all great.

Starting point is 00:24:07 And watching, especially in sitcoms, and I know we've talked about this a lot of friends, it's also here in this show. Like, there are times where, yeah, it's the physical gag cracking me up. There are times when it's the written gag that's cracking me up. And I love both, honestly.

Starting point is 00:24:22 I guess I would just say that probably I would gravitate or more like actively identify the wit-based stuff and the wordplay. But it really could go either way, honestly. And, you know, each is, they're different so you know that's part of the charm that's part of the fun yeah i think i'm someone who also likes both i'm like i'm very much kind of in the middle myself because yeah not to

Starting point is 00:24:47 keep bringing it back but friends was great at doing both of those things yeah both that you know the the wit of of the different characters knowing their characters really well but also the physical gags with with ross and with um with chanler were phenomenal and always made me laugh and hence we just watch jackass so obviously there there's an interest in the physical comedy as well i was gonna say sometimes there's nothing funnier than than watching bam margera get hit with a giant hand and just going oh you know it's like like 90 degree just yeah like sometimes that's all you need yeah and then you get shows like uh like the office or parks and rec that is you know it is part physical camera but you know a lot of it is its personality as well so i haven't seen

Starting point is 00:25:33 veep so i can't really uh speak to the the funniness of that but yeah i i like dark and dry humor but also like very overtly silly humor so i i would say i'm like right in the middle right right 50 50 with it i like bright and wet humor yes j rushden question do you guys own any kind of autograph or signed items there oh um i do as well i don't know where it is but I think I got like a signed poster by John Siena when I was a kid. Hell, yeah. I've not seen that thing in years, though. My grandma got her for me.

Starting point is 00:26:10 I don't know where it is. I mean, it's at my parents' house somewhere. But yeah, that's the only signed thing I can think of in this particular moment. What do you got? I got a handful of things. I got to think. I mean, my friend Chris, shouts out Chris Corbin, who was just on something we were watching here on this channel. Oh, really?

Starting point is 00:26:29 Yeah, he was bouncing in a bar and, and, had a connection and one of my favorite bands at the time and and even still is queens of the stone age so he knew that and he got me a pair of signed like drumsticks along with an advance copy of their album at the time that had been about to come out oh cool yeah yeah yeah so I have those framed I also got to go to the new Bev a while ago and see I think it was I don't think it was his movies I think Iger Wright was presenting Brazilian delicatessen I want to say was a double feature. And I got my copies of spaced and I think it may have been Scott Pilgrim signed. Did I get Sean on the Dead sign? I think I did. No, I got Sean on the Dead signed by Simon Pegg. I got a couple of things signed in my life.

Starting point is 00:27:18 Oh, one more thing that I did get signed. I got a poster from the death of Superman lives by the late and great John Schnep. You wrote like a little birthday message from me. Yeah, I got to go through that. I should, I have a few autographed thingies that are. of value that I I need to go through actually I'm in a moment

Starting point is 00:27:37 where I've sort of like want to remix and reassess and sort of like recatalogue all my cool you know memorabilia over the years so if I think of anything else cool and signed I'll throw it into the next one

Starting point is 00:27:49 but leave us your thoughts people are you forgiving Wallowitz were you sad Penny hurt his feelings no do you think that was massively unfair of her to do that to him to victimize him like that after he did nothing to earn such vile harassment.

Starting point is 00:28:06 Not a single thing. Harassing my man. Justice for Wallowicz. I can't just say you. Yeah, leave us your favorite physical gags. Leave us some of your favorite wordplay jokes. Leave us your favorite signed item that you have

Starting point is 00:28:22 in your value in your possession. Your most valued signed items. All this and more. And we'll catch you for the next block of season two, episode 16 through whatever the season goes up to 23. I don't know what it will be then.

Starting point is 00:28:39 It'll be something, but we'll see you. And yeah, have a good one. Be well. We love you. I love you. Get your brain scans.

The Reel Rejects - THE BIG BANG THEORY S2 E11-15 REVIEW – SHELDON HUGGED PENNY?! – FIRST TIME WATCHING

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