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« The Big Bang Theory
Episode recap: The Jerusalem Duality
So Sheldon and Leonard are having another one of their über-scientific conversations in the school cafeteria. I don’t mean to make it sound like a yawner. Jim Parsons delivers science doublespeak dialogue brilliantly, and the word I get from folks who've attended tapings is that he’s a one-taker.
Uh oh, here comes trouble. Dr. Gablehauser escorts a kid named Dennis Kim over to their table, and suddenly Sheldon is no longer the center of the scientific universe. Dennis is being recruited, at age 15, to join the university’s physics program. Sheldon’s confidence is quickly being stripped away by a teenager (who dismantles Sheldon’s research to his face.) Then there’s the prestigious Stevenson Award. Is Sheldon the youngest to ever win it? Nope! Guess who is? Oh yeah, this is going to be good.
Cut to the best animation/music sequence on television today. Thank you, Barenaked Ladies.
Even before precocious Dennis starts day one as a student, demoralized Sheldon tries to find some other science project to focus on and noses in on Leonard, Howard and Rejesh in their laboratories while getting all “here’s how I would do this” on them. He’s promptly and loudly told to "Go away!" Reminded me of growing up when our dog was sprayed by a skunk and, short of admitting defeat (and post-tomato sauce bathtub spa treatment), tried to sneak into all of our bedrooms before being banished to the garage. Even dear Penny has had it with Sheldon.
And another of Sheldon’s pet projects to prove his brilliance is to build an exact replica of Jerusalem in Mexico (hence the episode title) for Jews to claim as their own. Will they come? "We’ll make it nice,"
Sheldon says. "Put out a spread." Nice, indeed.
So how do the others in the physics foursome save their friend from this desperation? Hot girls, of course. But it’s not what you think. Let's invite a bunch of attractive 15-year-olds to Dennis’s welcoming reception to distract the kid and shift his kinetic energy a smidge. Not that any of them exactly know how to meet girls, but it’s worth a try. If only they knew there is no formula for meeting women.
Before they can find a girl to introduce to Dennis, the kid scores (ahem, he seems to have befriended a nice girl) and blows off giving a speech so he can go to the mall with her.
Sheldon rattles off scientific theories and such to those at the reception in Dennis’s absence. Welcome back, Sheldon.
"The kid got a girl," a confused Leonard sighs. Sure, they accomplished their goal, but why couldn’t they get girls so easily when they were that age and so into physics? Ah, yes, the daily internal struggle of Leonard, Howard and Rejesh. Not so much for Sheldon, who sees the kid (who apparently dropped out of the program) making out with the girl in the park. "Screw him. He was weak!"
An intimidated and demoralized Sheldon is fun to watch, but I hope they keep it to one episode. I miss seeing the guys (and especially Leonard) scheming to win Penny’s affection. And there was not enough Penny this week.
Anyone catch Chuck Lorre’s vanity card at the end of the show? It turns out an over-confident Lorre played guitar for a living in Miami back in the 1970s thinking he was the you-know-what. So while auditing a college music class, in walks a sluggish kid who barely spoke to anyone. That kid was Pat Metheny. Upon hearing the first notes Metheny played, a voice in Lorre’s head said to go into television because "nobody’s a prodigy there." Brilliant.
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Apr 14, 2008 10:05 PM
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Glad to see BBT get a blog--I enjoy this show. And how cool is it that the theme is by BnL? Good call!
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Apr 15, 2008 8:08 AM
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Yay!! I'm so glad to see BBT get it's own blog! I love this show. Nobody makes geek look cool like these guys do.
Unfortunately, this was not one of their better episodes but it still had some good laughs.
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Apr 15, 2008 8:37 AM
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It was sick how excited I got when I noticed that BBT FINALLY got it's own blog. I have loved this show all season. My favorite so far being The Luminous Fish Effect. Enough about that, on to this week.
I absolutely love Sheldon. No one can annoy without meaning to like he can. His whole thing of trying to find the common denominator and realizing it was him was hilarious. And let's talk about Howard's outfit at the reception! Loved it. Only he could think that is cool. Anyway, thanks for giving us a blog. We much appreciate it.
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Apr 15, 2008 8:45 AM
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Thanks for the blog. I thought the episode was good but since the return from the strike it seems like most of BBT's focus is on its breakout character Sheldon. Hopefully, future episodes will share the wealth with the other actors.
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Apr 15, 2008 8:45 AM
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SOOOO happy there's a blog now! This is one show I look forward to every week! and loved the mention of the vanity card at the end- I read it every week and it is always hysterical!
I agree, although Sheldon is a riot- I enjoy seeing the other characters shine. Especially Leonard.
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Apr 15, 2008 9:11 AM
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When this show premiered in the fall, I avoided it because I figured it was going to be a cliched thing about geeks lusting after a stupid, blonde girl. Then, before I could switch the TV one night, I heard Ed Robinson singing the theme. I figured any show whose theme was sung by the BNL was worth a look. Was I surprised! The girl is not stupid, just not geek-level brilliant like the guys, and the focus is not constantly on Leonard's frustrated attraction to her. Instead, there seems to be a very balanced relationship between Penny and the guys. I just love this show, and I'll join everyone else who's thrilled that there's finally a show blog for this gem.
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Apr 15, 2008 9:53 AM
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I too am psyched we finally got a blog. I think the best part of tonights episode was Howard's outfits. They had me laughing out loud, all alone! His aqua and purple pants fit him perfectly! And, his conversation with his mom about missing his ding dong in his lunch. It is really a great show!!
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Apr 15, 2008 12:40 PM
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Glad to see this show finally has a blog. As someone who loves physics, this show is hysterical. But the beauty of it is that even those that aren't familiar with the science still laugh out loud thanks to Jim Parsons' amazing delivery.
I record the show every week to catch Chuck Lorre's vanity card at the end of each episode (and to fast-forward commercials). Each week they are hysterical. The one with his Emmy-acceptance speech (if he won) was one of the greatest ever!
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Apr 15, 2008 1:42 PM
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This is one of the few shows I buy on iTunes. It definitely deserves a blog, especially considering the geeky references in every episode. I liked the reference to the Matrix in this one. Sheldon is the best character on the show, but I would also like to see the others more next episode. I can enjoy Mondays again with this show back and How I Met Your Mother. I have to use my DVR for Bones.
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Apr 15, 2008 1:52 PM
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Hooray for this blog! Great episode... really funny.
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Apr 15, 2008 2:24 PM
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Count me in as glad that the blog is hear. This show is really funny. And I had no idea that Jim Parsons was from my own state.
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Apr 15, 2008 3:36 PM
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Best line of the night, spoken by Sheldon (of course; who else??) at the end, after Dennis Kim runs off to the mall with a girl: "rest assured that my research will go on, and social relations will continue to baffle and repulse me."
That's such a great statement!!
By the way, is it just me, or does Howard look like something straight out of an Austin Powers movie? His hair, the turtlenecks, the tight jeans... looks like he stepped out of London circa 1964. Too wild!
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Apr 15, 2008 8:06 PM
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I have been watching this show since the pilot came out. When CBS was promoting it before it came out, I knew I would be hooked on it. And I was right. I am laughing at night when I watch it off of the DVR. My wife is trying to sleep and keeps saying, "what are you laughing at?" There is no point in trying to explain the jokes to her, especially when she's half awake. If you've ever been called a geek or nerd, I recommend you watch the show. I wrote a little about this over at our blog: http://macnwin.wordpress.com/2008/04/16/the-big-bang-theory
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Apr 16, 2008 8:11 AM
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OMG! BBT has a blog now! Yippee!
Okay, two best lines of the night (in my opinion):
Harold: "How are two Ding Dongs TOMORROW going to help me TODAY?"
Sheldon: "Don't worry, social relations will continue to baffle and repulse me."
Oh, Sheldon...
I love these guys and Jim Parsons is so incredibly amazing at capturing that whole "no social skills whatsoever so I'm innocent and naive in that aspect but I'm so bloody brilliant that it doesn't matter". He's just perfection. And I kind of missed Leonard this week, happy as I was that the focus was on Sheldon. 
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Apr 16, 2008 3:32 PM
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