No-bel, No-bel!

Sheldon and Barry “Kripke” had to work together to write a grant proposal for the University. Sheldon laments the opportunity, only to find his arrogance is, for the first time, displaced; Kripke’s research surpasses his in “leaps and bounds. His grief can’t be consoled by cocoa or boa constrictor hugs.

“The University is forcing me to work with Kripke, I’m outraged.”

“So…cocoa?”

“Cocoa!”

-- Leonard and Sheldon

The episode consists of Sheldon pulling all the stops not going in to work that a ten-year-old might to keep from school…and Leonard unleashes his inner mother-to-the-smartest-scientist-in-the-university.

Sheldon might have been nervous facing his predecessor, but he likely didn’t expect to be nervous about Kripke’s “simple” solution: that being with his girlfriend Amy’s keeping his head in the clouds. Or at least, not focused in his work.

I like that Sheldon stuck with the fib, in that it led to a lot of honest character insight. He doesn’t like touching people, and he’s working on it. Serious matters in the Big Bang Theory.
Much like how badly he needs to learn how to “brofist” someone. We need a Barney Stinson in here.

Dually, Howard and Raj spend a thousand dollars on replica action figures, only to find they’re a little less-than. To solve the problem, Raj suggests spending a lot of money on a 3D-printer (with or without a hyphen). Because Howard worked hard to marry a woman with a lot of money.

“We don’t NEED Malibu-Koothrappali’s Dream House.”

-- Howard to Raj, a.k.a. Why You Don’t Need A 3D-Printer

The dolls work, but convincing THE doll doesn’t. Howard’s left at the end of the episode with a machine to return and a wife to try and return to. I think he would have done a lot better on his side if he’d explained what ELSE he could have used the printer for, but Bernadette made her point clear: being the breadwinner doesn’t entitle Howard to her cash, married or not. Another poignant lesson learned.

Now I wonder where these filler episodes seem to be leading. I think the parts were put in motion…much like a really cool train. We just need them to get chugging!

Positional Good

Of the three TV shows we currently cover, I think the Big Bang Theory has the least pronounced Valentine’s Day tradition. Being the youngest series isn’t an excuse—they haven’t done without, though they don’t have a steadfast attachment to romance, like F.R.I.E.N.D.S and their lobsters, or How I Met Your Mother and their blue French horns.

Or do they?

Hear the scientists’ take on the Hallmark holiday--and perhaps wonder how the girls would respond.

Episode 15 of season three, The Large Hadron Collision, was the big Valentine’s Day show-stopper, where Howard took Bernadette on their first Valentine’s Day date—to the “$39.95 lover’s special at P. F. Chang’s.” Nothing says romance like getting your picture on top a Chinese marble horse; question is, how does one plan on getting down from one of those giant things?

Raj buys one rotisserie chicken and eats it over his sink like a “wild animal.”
Okay Raj.

And of course, this was the episode where Leonard Hofstadter got to go to Switzerland and attend a conference with CERN, along with seeing the world-famous Large Hadron Collider. The event coincided with Valentine’s Day and, true enough, Switzerland would have made a picturesque couple’s setting. If Penny had made it at all. Sheldon and Penny both stayed home sick, and Leonard spared Raj from his chicken-guzzling ritual.

Sheldon’s opinion of the whole holiday affair? I think the direct quote would best serve:

“Given that Saint Valentine was a third century Roman priest who was stoned and beheaded, wouldn’t a more appropriate celebration of the evening be taking one’s steady gal to witness a brutal murder?”

Sheldon and Amy connect on many levels, but something tells me this one is a little over their heads.

I’ll stick with my lobsters and French horns, thank you very much. If you want to prove your devotion to your special someone, remember that Cool TV Props ships worldwide!

And I Don't Mean Rebecca

Did I think it coincidence when, after posting about Robin Sparkles yesterday on Facebook, I found sneak previews of the last Robin Sparkles debut video for the February 4 How I Met Your Mother episode? A little. I’d not given the pop singer a lot of credit (maybe through the haze of other fad pop singers…sorry) lately.
I suddenly feel inspired to change that.

The Under the Tunes episodes begin in the season two episode Slap Bet, where Robin confesses her fear of malls—but never explains why. As it turns out, her Canadian alter ego attributed her first song to malls: Let’s Go to the Mall.

Lamenting travelling cross-country as a sixteen-year-old pop star from the 90’s, Robin suffered from her mall PTSD in silence.

Barney uncovered her secret then, and he uncovered her other “secrets” since. He discovered two more appearances by the then-famed Robin Sparkles, Superstar. Her sequential, though not as successful, music video Sandcastles in the Sand featured her ex-boyfriend and a handful of other close acquaintances. This akin to her next job, guest-starring on a famed Canadian kid’s show called Space Teens with her childhood friend, Jessica Glitter. The two used math to solve space-issue problems and save the day!

Alternating seasons for the delayed discoveries—seasons two, four, and six—it’s fitting for the span of time that, now, Barney Stinson is so determined to find the last remaining Robin Sparkles episode.
Best get all those skeletons out of the closet before tying the knot. Certainly, if Robin trusted Barney as her fiancé, she wouldn’t be as bothered by his goal. Or would she?

Looking at the sneak image myself, I see a mockery of the stereotypical pop star “fall” on the horizon. The age when every childhood actress develops into adulthood and goes through changes that, for good or for ill, changes them.
Seeing as Robin is currently short a singing career, I’m assuming hers was “ill.”

My Name Is...What?

It’s taken me five seasons to figure out, though it didn’t occur to me right this second: Penny…something…has no confirmed last name.

At all.

What’s the meaning of this? Once the fan database started talking, I started doing my research. It appears to be true. Not only is the character’s last name left out of scripts (besides when the cast’s own prop master uses his last name in replacement, “London,” though not her true name), the actors don’t know her name! Not even Kaley Cuoco, the far from ‘penniless’ actress.

"We really don't know. I've made suggestions. We all have. But nobody will take one. She really doesn't have one—unless they've been writing one over the summer break. When I left work, Penny had no last name."

- Jim Parsons, on The Wrap

While the mystery of her nameless self unfurled, naturally my thoughts wandered to how they may eventually reveal her name in the future, once her father came and went with no results. One fan suggested her last name would be revealed in (yet another) hypothetical wedding twist; perhaps her future husband takes her last name?

See, I thought the opposite. It’d be cruel, but what if her last name were revealed only after she took her future husbands’? I.e. we’d never learn her surname!
Is it too soon for me to cross my fingers for a Penny Hofstadter?

The writers failed to clue in the actors before they began filming next season, so the mystery is still moot. Though they do assure us she does have a last name.

Fan speculation ranges from, according to an online poll, options including “something utterly mundane,” like Smith (no offense, Smiths of the world); the same name as one of the producers, or maybe the CBS head; a name to make hers into a pun (think “Penny Baggs”); or a name completely, and perhaps culturally, unexpected. The choices seem to cover all parts of the very long and foggy spectrum.

Just a little food for thought, a break from the How I Met Your Mother Madness.

Speaking of, I’ll see all of you on Monday!

The Bromocracy

Maybe I’m a little late aboard this train, but because not every How I Met Your Mother fan is as perfect as, say, Barney Stinson and Robin Scherbatsky, I might as well point others like me in the right direction.

Has anyone else checked out the blog of THE “Bro Stinson?” More importantly, has anyone been reading his entries over mine? I mean, come on.

It appears, scrolling through them, he writes his articles from either his tennis-ball-producing office, or from his chaise lounge. (Perhaps donning a certain pair of suitjamas, or a BroBib for a little writing-and-dining?) It seems only fitting coming from our resident broski. His level of casual competence carries over in the very chill, very Barney, blog entries.

Covering the last handful of new episodes on, the articles recap every episode (sounds familiar) from his specific, and unique, point of view. He’ll even reach out to fans to deliberate his next plans of action. Maybe we really do call more shots than we realize.

“Members of the Bromocracy,” he writes in his recent addition, discussing the section of The Bro Code pertaining to “bangable” siblings. Of course, if Barney had his own way, he’d close the Code and not allow any bros to date any sisters ever. Huh…wonder why. Though out of his charitable heart, he put the vote to his enthusiastic (if not blunt) Facebook followers.

His articles also cover the Last Play, meeting the parents, and what ever to do in the case of a low-life jinx. I’d encourage a read to discover the true life and times behind the scenes of Barney Stinson. Also check out The Bro Code, available on Cool TV Props! Look into free worldwide shipping options!

Though if Barney puts up any more amendments, he’ll need to get over here re-edit the book himself.