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Episode recap: The Shiksa Indeterminacy
We're at the university. Leonard and Rejesh are strolling along, checking out an ad calling for volunteers for a study about anxiety, panic attacks and agoraphobia (look it up), and there's Howard staking out a hot woman -- in Sheldon's office? Our Sheldon? Obviously, she's lost, or issuing a summons, or whatever. We learn she's Sheldon, ahem, Shelly's twin sister.
There isn't a lot of symbiosis between Missy and Shelly. She's tall and beautiful and kind of normal. He's tall, not and not. And she doesn't speak in scientific tongues. Wait, what's that sound? Oh, yes, the mating call of the 20-something physicist. Leonard, Howard and Rajesh convince Missy to stay at Shelly and Leonard's (she's off to a wedding tomorrow and a hot girl really shouldn't be traversing the freeways during rush hour). So let the games begin.
Back at Chez Scientifica, Missy has got the guys mesmerized with stories about childhood (I would have loved to see a demonstration of how Sheldon transformed her Easy Bake oven into a high-powered furnace). Well, actually, Missy has the guys mesmerized by living and breathing and fitting into a dress (and has oddly taken on a Southern accent). Now she's got Howard and Rajesh next to her making points and trying to one-up each other to impress her and, um, drive his point home.
Leonard has seen enough. He pulls Sheldon aside and, like a good ranger — or a sly fox — reminds him that as the man in the family (we learn something about Sheldon here — apparently his father passed away several years ago), he must find a perfect mate for his sister, and it may as well be him (see also: chance, fat). And that mate may as well be him.
He's set an alarm off in Sheldon's head. "If somebody wants to get at Missy's Fallopian tubes, they'll have to go through me," he says. Leonard might just make a suitable mate, but the genetic stakes are high, and what's standing in his way between him and Missy? He becomes flatulent when he eats Eskimo Pies.
Sheldon's got this all figured out. His quantum physics theory will result in Missy eventually meeting the perfect mate and giving birth to, what else, Sheldon 2.0. And how does Missy accomplish this? Repeated coitus, of course (again with the anatomical talk. We get coitus and Fallopian tubes in the same show. What's next? I tell ya, there sure is a vas deferens between this show and others on at 8:00.) Then Sheldon's got some brotherly theories for Missy about donating eggs and suddenly he has taken one for the team in the southern tonsils. She's a tough one. As my grandmother says about Judge Judy, "she don't take nothin' from nobody."
Now we're back to another round of mating calls while Missy is holed up at Penny's apartment. Of course she's waiting for Rajesh, who shows up, but can't speak because the medication from the anxiety study has worn off.
The twins may not look at all alike ("Hallelujah," bellows Howard) and they may live in very different worlds, but each feels 'phly, phat and all that.' That's fine enough, but something was missing here. I wanted to see Penny become jealous at the guys, and especially Leonard, for making the moves on the fine specimen who has come into town. Penny was a minor character, and could have been more. Now hear me out: I wasn't hoping for Penny to act upon her jealousy, but I wanted the writers to let us peer inside her head just a bit.
Line of the night: "Why not put a little mocha in the family latte," spoken by Rajesh, hoping to convince Sheldon that genetic diversity produces the strongest offspring.
By the way, Kaley Cuoco and Johnny Galecki stopped by the TV Guide offices last week. What a thrill for me to meet them and get a few minutes. They're really cool. Have a look at our conversation here.
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May 5, 2008 10:48 PM
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I thought Missy's voice/accent was sorta strange. It was a little bit distracting.
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May 5, 2008 11:49 PM
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This episode struck me as bawdy. Ordinarily, this wouldn't bother me, but my preteen likes the nerds on this show. Thankfully, she wasn't watching tonight, because it would've been uncomfortable. This show does air at the "family" hour, which I know is almost nonexistent on free tv anymore. Still, I was a little disappointed by the cursing and the outright sex-hound behavior of the boys.
on a lighter note, I agree that Missy took on an odd southern accent. However, wasn't the mom played by Laurie Metcalf supposed to be from North Carolina or something? I seem to remember she had an accent which would play through in Missy, albeit badly.
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May 5, 2008 11:50 PM
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fyi, physiologists nowadays prefer the term 'ductus deferens' instead of 'vas deferens' because 'vas' refers to vessel, namely blood vessel. and clearly it's not
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May 6, 2008 6:13 AM
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I loved the episode. i didn't think the Southern accent was distracting b/c Sheldon's mom had it too. We also knew way back in The Luminous Fish Effect that Sheldon's dad was dead. Is no one paying attention, or is my memory just freaky good?
I loved Raj's tick he developed w/ the meds. Too freakin funny! I also never noticed til tonight how much Sheldon towers over everyone. I guess adding Missy made me see it.
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May 6, 2008 8:25 AM
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Yeah, the actress playing Missy is 5'11", making Sheldon some 6 feet. Everyone else is a more "normal" 5'6", 5'7".
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May 6, 2008 8:38 AM
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I love this show--it has me cackling like an idiot every week.
But I too was distracted by Missy's southern accent. I thought I had missed some explanation for it. Perhaps Sheldon, in his formative years, deliberately dropped his because he thought it didn't sound smart enough? A quick reference would have helped.
I don't think the show is too racy for its time slot. I'm so sick of the uptight prudes who run the networks, I actually cheer when a show can get a a "naughty" word or two slipped into the dialogue, or a more adult-themed story (too bad a classic show like "All In The Family" wouldn't even get on TV today).
And I agree that it would have been just right to hint at Penny feeling a tad jealous seeing Leonard so taken with Missy. It would have helped move their relationship forward (such as it is) just a little bit.
But I still keep noticing how Johnny Galecki seems to look off to the side when speaking to another actor. Is he reading cue cards or a teleprompter? Does he have trouble memorizing his lines?
Sorry to nitpick--I still look forward to the show every week, and I'm never disappointed.
But...more Penny, please!
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May 6, 2008 9:20 AM
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I am so glad there is a blog on this show now, it is my absolute favorite. Even when an episode isn't as good as some of the others, it is still one of the best on TV. Anyhow, to the person who commented on Johnny Galecki looking off to the side when speaking to another actor....I've noticed that too. I think it's supposed to be an affectation of his character's shy awkwardness around people. Like the old joke about how can you tell the extroverted engineer? He looks at YOUR shoes when speaking to you!
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May 6, 2008 10:05 AM
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Missy's accent was atrocious. Either get someone who can do the accent or drop it. (And for you non-Southerners, Southern accents vary even in families. Based on our voices, you'd never guess my sisters and I were related at all.)
We already knew that Sheldon's dad was dead; this was mentioned in the ep in which his mom comes up from Texas (I believe) to help him get his job back.
I liked that we actually got to see all four of the boys so much. It was especially great to hear Rajeesh turn into an Indian Howard. "You're welcome." Too funny.
Soooooo very glad that Penny didn't freak out or become overtly jealous of Missy. Penny doesn't see Leonard or any of the boys as anything than friends, so any jealousy from her would have been bizarre (and cliched).
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May 6, 2008 10:14 AM
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GarryB - I know what you mean about Leonard often looking to the side when speaking to someone, but like someone else said, I always took it to be a quirk of his, his social awkwardness coming through that he can't really look someone in the face for too long. Just my .02, though.
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May 6, 2008 10:36 AM
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They've established that Sheldon's family comes from Texas; it did stick out when she'd slip into the southern accent, but it made sense somewhat for the character coming from Texas; they could have done it more consistantly, but maybe they decided halfway through shooting, to drop the accent, but like most tv shows, it's not filmed in chronological scene order, so the accent pops up in random places...?
That link at the end, talking about meeting two of the stars from the show; all it does it take you to the main Big Bang Tvguide page.
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May 6, 2008 10:42 AM
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"ductus deferens" may be the preferred term nowadays, but it would have made a lousy pun in that instance.
I think Galecki does that squinty sideways thing as a character quirk. The use of cue cards or teleprompters is very rare in TV series. The filming is so fragmented, it isn't as if they have to learn long stretches of dialogue at a time (with a few exceptions). Soap operas maybe, but not a sitcom starring young, intelligent actors.
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May 6, 2008 10:45 AM
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Penny did have a moment making sure Leonard said goodbye to her too as they were leaving the apartment. Everyone else was saying goodbye to Missy & Penny made sure Leonard acknowledged her.
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May 6, 2008 11:06 AM
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Penny showed a small hint of jealousy when she "rescued" Missy to get their nails done. When they left everyone said bye to Missy and ignored Penny. Penny responded by saying bye to Leonard.
I liked the interaction when they first say Missy in Sheldon's office and inquired about her being lost and Howard said "I don't think so, I followed her from the parking garage." Howard is such a stalker.
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May 6, 2008 11:10 AM
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I don't think that was Penny showing jealousy when they leaf the room. I think it was more of a "bust" on Leonard, like I caught you...
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May 6, 2008 11:50 AM
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