The Big Bang Theory
Episode 14: The
Cooper/Kripke Inversion
By: Carlos Uribe
The
Big Bang Theory is about a group of friends who happen to be nerds
and the girl next door.
Spoilers
Ahoy!
How
fantastic was that?
I
mean, honestly, that was a pretty great episode of the Big Bang
Theory. It was funny, it had lots of heart, and it was all based
around the characters. They weren't punchlines this week like they
were last episode but actual human beings. It is basically this show
at it's best. It all begins when Kripke has to tell Sheldon that
they're being forced to work together. Sheldon isn't happy with this
because he assumes that he's the smartest scientist of all time. He's
basically the same jerk that he usually is and he tries to express
his outrage the only way he knows how. He tries to hand Kripke empty
pieces of paper, he listens to the Darth Vader theme from Star Wars*,
and he wraps himself in a blanket. It's funny but it seems like he's
just being his usual self. Funny? Yes but it's his continual sliding
towards unlikeable territory. The show seems to realize that they
have turned him into a villain because it manages to make him more
sympathetic by going into a surprising direction. When Sheldon gets
around to reading Kripke's paper, he's forced to realize that not
only is Kripke's research valid but actually ahead of his own. This
seems like the show is trying to take Sheldon down a peg or two,
right? It's true that Sheldon jumps to the conclusion that he's not
the most intelligent scientist in the university. This makes him
upset and he reacts with the same maturity you would expect from the
character. Which is to say none at all.
The
only reason he goes to work is because Leonard forces him. The show
has set up the perfect opportunity for Kripke to come in and tear
down Sheldon's ego. It doesn't do this. It takes into a completely
different direction. Kripke does come in and admits the work wasn't
up to the standard he was expecting. He doesn't think Sheldon is
stupid but rather distracted. He thinks that because Sheldon has a
girlfriend, Sheldon has been distracted from his work from all the
sex he's having. Sheldon uses this mistake by pretending that's the
problem. It's a nice way for the show to allow him to save face. This
does have unintended consequences when Penny decides to question him
on whether Sheldon ever plans on having sex with Amy. She's looking
out for a friend because she knows that Amy wants Sheldon badly. It
takes a while but Sheldon is able to have a very honest conversation
with her and Leonard. He talks about how he has difficulty with basic
physical contact (such as hugging) that other people are comfortable
but he's been working on it. Which is a basic way for the character
to admit that he acknowledges his flaws and he's actually working on
rectifying them. That is a huge sign of character development that he
hasn't always been able to get across because of his general
personality and interactions with others. The biggest mind-blowing
revelation is that he believes it's possible that he and Amy will
have sex one day. Which is basically the biggest “WHAT?” moment
the show has probably had. Allowing Sheldon to be open to have
physical relations with Amy is a big one because it'll finally allow
the story to head towards there. It allows the relationship to
naturally develop there without seeming like it came out of nowhere.
I doubt it'll happen for a while (series finale maybe?) but laying
out the groundwork within Sheldon, rather than just Amy, was a
necessary step for the show to take. It's a pretty great move. In one
episode, Sheldon has managed to go back to being likeable without
sacrificing any of the elements that make him a compelling and great
character to begin with. Let's hope that lasts.
The
sub-plot had to do with Howard having to adjust to the reality of
marriage. This season has had a recurring theme where Howard's
expectations are often knocked down by the real thing. This week it
has to do with the financial situation. Bernadette makes a lot of
money which has given Howard a sense of financial security. When
Howard and Raj decide to buy a 3D printer to make their own action
figures, Bernadette gets frustrated. He used her money without asking
for permission on a frivolous and unnecessary purchase. She gets
upset and Howard is forced to sell his share of the printer to Raj.
He also loses access to his joint account and is given a weekly
allowance until he learns the value of money. A lesson that might
take a while as he blew his lunch allowance on getting new Pokemon
cards. It's a funny story that uses Howard's character and some of
his immaturity to pretty great use but it's also about his
expectations of what he can and adjusting them to reality. If this
was just it, then it would be a funny plot.
It
becomes more than that when you consider why exactly Howard bought a
3D printer. It wasn't because he just he was bored but because he
wanted to be able to print action figures. It makes sense for the
character when you realize what action figures represent. They're not
just toys to these characters but a way for them to escape who they
are become something more. When they were kids, they were able to use
their imaginations to become their heroes. To allow themselves to
become action figures is like they're actually joining that world.
It's “cool” to them because it's being able to actually be
represented in the same world as their favorite superheroes. The
previous episode had explored how they had used fiction to travel to
a world where they were heroes and this was a continuation of that.
It might have been a waste of money to Bernadette but it meant
something to Howard and Raj. It had actual value. In some ways, this
is because the two are still children at heart. They might have grown
up but they still value the same nerdy things since when they were
children. Howard having to give up this 3D printing is having to give
up some of that childhood to live in reality. That he spends his
lunch allowance on Pokemon cards isn't just a sign that he needs to
learn the value of money but he's going to need to find a way to
balance his old life with the new.
To
summarize, this was a pretty fantastic episode of the Big Bang
Theory. The conflicts were based on characters and it manages to go
in pretty unexpected directions. When I thought the show was going
right, it took a left with Sheldon's plot until it came to a
surprising but amazing destination. This was an important episode for
Sheldon's character. Howard's plot might have been more predictable
but it was just as good in terms of quality. Oh-and the episode was
just as funny as this show can be. This very well might be one of my
favorite episodes of the show.
Other Notes:
I
hope Penny reveals this revelation to Amy but only because I really
want to see Amy's reaction. Penny's excitement and general
mind-blowing reaction was pretty much mine own.
*At
least according to the CBS.com subtitles. I swear I don't know each
and every single Star Wars theme. I did listen to Star Wars music
while writing the review though.
No comments:
Post a Comment
Please be respectful of people's opinions. Remember these reviews are MY opinion and you may disagree with them. These are just TV shows.
Note: Only a member of this blog may post a comment.