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« The Big Bang Theory
Episode recap: The Nerdvana Annihilation
The guys are hanging out and they all go in on a $800 bid on a time machine prop from the original The Time Machine movie. Of course, they'll be outbid. Whew! That was close. What in the world would they do with a time machine? Except they won the auction.
Why didn't anyone else bid? Oh, because it's about the size of a Renault. Didn't Leonard say it was miniature?
Cut to the best animation/opening sequence in all of television.
Step by step, Leonard, Sheldon, Howard and Rajesh push and pull the time machine up the stairs. But they're blocking the stairwell and Penny has to get to work. Sheldon suggests she go upstairs to the roof, hop over a few buildings, but don't look down because she might get vertigo. What? Is he kidding? "Oh, I never joke when it comes to vertigo," deadpans Sheldon.
You know what, this time machine looks pretty cool. After all, this is the machine that transported Rod Taylor from Victorian England into the post-apocalyptic future with those subterranean Morlocks.
Leonard flips the switch and, Great Scott, it lights up! What day do we go to? Of couse, March 10, 1876, the day Alexander Graham Bell invented the telephone and called out for Dr. Watson. But they can't all go back to Dr. Watson's laboratory. It would get very crowded and Doc would get suspicious. What to do? Duh. Go into the future and grab a cloaking device, just like — ack! another Star Trek reference — Captain Kirk will steal a cloaking device from the Romulans on Stardate 5027.4 (that's 1/10/2328 for you and me.)
So off Leonard goes. He pulls the lever (in a previous life, he would have yelled, "c'mon Jokers!") and hilarity ensues. What happens next makes me wish I was an actor on this show. These guys have so much fun.
Whoa, here comes Penny. She skinned her knee on the roof. She wound up having to climb through an Armenian family's apartment who served her eight courses of lamb and tried to fix her up with their son (who probably had beautiful eyes). And she missed her shift at work.
She's mad. She's real mad. And seeing this contraption that caused her to miss work ("it looks like something Elton John would drive through the Everglades") brings her to ridicule all the comical and space-age toys and trinkets scattered around. Doesn't bother anyone, except a suddenly sullen Leonard. She's really upset. It's his fault. Has he lost her forever? Is the dream over? Nerve struck.
Leonard wishes the time machine would take him back to just before he placed the bid. Girls like Penny never end up with guys who like time machines. Good ol' Sheldon (in his unabashed, science-driven honesty) points out his inability to woo Penny goes way back before the time machine was a twinkle in his eye. And besides, Rod Taylor got Yvette Mimieux to get out of his dreams and into that time machine, so it is possible.
Now, all of a sudden, hold on, we're back in the stairwell with the guys pushing the time machine up the stairs. Editing problem? Oh, Leonard's dreaming of getting Penny to work the old fashioned way: rappeling down the elevator cables clutching his woman — and getting a kiss.
But that was just a dream. Leonard is questioning everything around him. Nothing causes a guy to grow up real fast like seeing death in the face — slash — experiencing the prospect of losing the woman you love. Everything must go. All the toys, props, even the Darth Vader voice changers (gasp! a Star Wars reference — hey, they heard you, all you TBBT blog-responding fantastics). He's headed to the dark side. The guys want Little Sheba back. Heck, he's created Nerdvana in that abode. He can't sell it all.
But Penny agrees it's time to move on. And Leonard gets a kiss (while awake) as an appreciation token, too. Now he's in the zone, and goes in for the kill. But before you can say "I'll pick you up at 7:30", up walks some Fred Jones knock-off coming to take Penny out on a date.
Foiled again, Leonard. But back to the time machine. His Penny From Heaven dream lives another day.
Now it's Sheldon dreaming while seated in the time machine and he's attacked by flesh-eating Morlocks. Whew! Just a dream. Leonard actually hired some workers to remove the time machine and they are Morlocks. But, wait, that was a dream, too. I wondered how far this dream-within-a-dream-within-a-dream sequence was going to go? Would we find Leonard and Sheldon's apartment inside a snow globe? Nope, show over.
Line of the night: "I guess that makes me large breasts" — Howard Wolowitz, in answer to Penny's advice, "it's the things you love that make you who you are."
And, yes, I know about the Geordi La Forge/Star Trek: TNG reference. He was never going to open that box.
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Apr 28, 2008 11:10 PM
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But it was 2 detailed Star Trek references (Stardate and Geordi) to one off-key Star Wars reference! 
Meh, I'll take it. Beggars can't be choosers.
When they first were talking about "Morlocks," I thought they were talking about World of Warcraft's "Murlocs" (not too far of a stretch, since TBBT has parodied WoW before), which would have been the epitimay of hilarity.
I particularly liked the "Starving Morlocks" logo on the back of the uniforms. 
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Apr 29, 2008 12:35 AM
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Looks like the show is missing a character.
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Apr 29, 2008 1:06 AM
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So off Leonards goes. He pulls the lever (in a previous life, he would have yelled, "c'mon Jokers!") and hilarity ensues. What happens next makes me wish I was an actor on this show. These guys have so much fun.
I laughed pretty hard at that sequence. That was awesome.
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Apr 29, 2008 8:08 AM
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Good recap (it actually recaps the episode, instead of going off on a bunch of tangents) except for I have no idea who Freddie Jones is. I especially liked that this episode actually confronted the central conflict of the show. I continue to be impressed with their handling of Penny, too--she's in some ways a typical beautiful blonde sitcom character, but she's not stupid or totally shallow. She actually seems like someone Leonard could develop long-term feelings for (as opposed to pure sexual attraction based on her looks).
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Apr 29, 2008 8:18 AM
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Love this show. Glad there's finally a recap for it. Jim Parsons is as funny as it gets.
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Apr 29, 2008 10:14 AM
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Poor Zinger314, Trekkies rule!
In my lifelong position as queen of the geeks, I got every blasted reference on this show...which leads me to believe that I may actually [b}be a geek! Ack! I've become one of them. Oh, well, do love my brainy boys.
And I have to say, I LOVED that time machine. What a steal for $800. I'd make room for it in my house. I had to cackle when the boys went into speeded-up mode as Leonard traveled into the future. Too, too funny.
I also particularly loved Sheldon just matter-of-factly putting Penny in her place about holding on to the trappings of youth.
I can't believe I was such a moron that I didn't start watching this show until just before the strike. What a clever, charming, fun little show this is. In truth, I think it's easily the most inventive and funny show on CBS.
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Apr 29, 2008 10:46 AM
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All I can say is these are my peeps!!
I too got every reference and never miss an episode.. I love love this show. These are the guys I hung out with in college and high school!!
Love it !!
I too am a total geek and would love to live in nerdvana ..
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Apr 29, 2008 12:37 PM
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Loved Sheldon's dream within a dream...hilarious.
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Apr 29, 2008 12:59 PM
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This show is just plain awesome!
Sheldon. Just great. I loved his comments to Penny about her collectibles. The delivery is perfect.
Fav moment. The time machine with the sped up movement by everyone. Although Sheldon's nightmare was extremely funny.
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Apr 29, 2008 2:09 PM
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Hello...Hello Kitty!!!!
I'm still laughing over that one!!!!! Love Sheldon!!!!!!
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Apr 29, 2008 7:46 PM
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Ummm...er..ahem..missing a character? HUH?
Love this show! Sheldon is a scene stealer and it's so awesome.
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Apr 29, 2008 10:02 PM
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This was a great episode. The show is hilarious. I just want to see more Penny. I love the Penny/Leonard love teaser. More Penny.
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May 2, 2008 11:53 PM
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