Close Encounters of Four Nerds or How I Knew
Sheldon Cooper
If you ask Sheldon Cooper (Jim Parsons) what the show is about, this is what he’ll tell you: "Consider this unlikely but very plausible scenario. A young woman alone in the big city. Her ridiculous dream of becoming an actress lies shattered about her…She has no prospects, no marketable skills. And then one day, she meets a group of genuises, and their friend Howard."
 |
| The Big Bang Theory |
The Big Bang Theory actually tells the story of the nerds first. Leonard (Johnny Galecki) is Sheldon’s roommates. Rajesh (Kunal Nayyar) is Howard’s (Simon Helberg) best friend and both of them are friends with Leonard. The four of them work at the California Institute of Technology (Caltech) where they spend most of their time working on lab experiments. In their free time, the guys enjoys playing video games, reading comic books or (re)watching movies among others. The arrival of a sexy young lady across the hall (Kaley Cuoco) will bring changes to their life.
 |
| From left to right: Bernadette, Amy, Raj, Penny, Sheldon, Leonard, Howard |
Although the Big Bang Theory is perceived as a sitcom for geeks, no need to be able to write a Java applet to enjoy it. Apart from theories related to physics, references to movies abound so it’s okay. Basic knowledge of Marvel/DC comics, Star Trek and World of Warcraft suffices.
Between Penny’s social experience and the guys’ intellectual ability, it’s hard to choose. The clash between the characters delivers tragicomical effects that almost convince you that all the lines are epic and thorough. But the greatest thing about the Big Bang Theory is definitely the way irritating characters become likable. Penny, Raj, Leonard, Sheldon and Howard are all hilarious with their flaws but in my opinion, Sheldon holds the palmares of weirdness. Nerd is weird, Sheldon is an over the top nerd version, making him the main reason most people watch the series. The writing may be particularly subtle but Jim Parsons, the man behind the character puts all his heart on it. Sheldon could be the part he was born for.
If each episode is a real delight, my favourite would be Season 3 episode 22 – The Staircase Implementation, the one with flashbacks that tell how Leonard and Sheldon met, the story behind the broken elevator and Shelly’s spot on the couch, etc. Strangely, their encounter is reminiscent of John Watson looking for a flatshare and meeting Sherlock Holmes.
To sum it up, I love Big Bang Theory because of Sheldon Cooper, the man who sees himself as another edition of Mr Spock. I used to just like him but now I am falling in love…BAZINGA !!!
Characters
Dr SHELDON LEE COOPER
Degrees: 2 Phds and a Master’s Degree
Favourite film character: Spock
Girlfriend: Amy Farrah Fowler
Likes: Trains
Hates: Babylon 5
Principal characteristics: Socially disfunctional, superiority complex, ignorance of the basic features of social protocol, disregard for any kind of emotional attachment and human contact, etc.
Ambition: Get a Nobel Prize
 |
| Shelly/Spock |
Dr RAJESH RAMAYAN KOOTHRAPPALI
Degree: Phd in Astrophysics
Home country: India
Favourite actress: Sandra Bullock
Type of movies: chick flicks
Principal Characteristics: suffers from selective mutism (towards women)
Dr LEONARD HOFSTADTER
Degree: Phd in Physics (experimental)
Girfriends: Penny, Pryia
Link to Sheldon: roommate and best friend
Principal Characteristics: nice guy, lactose intolerant, Leonard is the most normal of the four
Mr HOWARD WOLOWITZ
Degree: Master’s degree in Space Engineering (MIT)
Background: Jewish
Current status: engaged to Dr Bernadette Rostenkowski…and his mother
Characters: Howard is the ‘womanizer’ of the group
PENNY
Current job: Waitress
Last name: unknown
Home town: Omaha, Nebraska
Home town: Omaha, Nebraska
Boyfriends: Kurt, Zac, Leonard
Ambition: to become an actress
Likes: Wine
Characteristics: enjoys gossips, expensive things such as shoes/jewellery
SOME GUEST STARS
Brian Greene, Steve Wozniak, Neil deGrasse Tyson, Stephen Hawking,
Stan Lee, Wil Wheaton, LeVar Burton, Summer Glau, Charlie Sheen, Brent Spiner
Memorable quotes
Season 1 episode 12 (The Jerusalem Duality)
Sheldon: I sense a disturbance in the force
Leonard (doing Yoda’s voice): A bad feeling about this I have, hum
Season 2 episode 15 (The Maternal Capacitance)
Leonard: Why are you doing this
Howard: You know the rules. You brought your mom to work. You must suffer (chuckles).
Sheldon: I had no idea your siblings were so much more successful than you.
Raj (chucles): Yeah, you’re like the Jar Jar Bings of the Hofstadter family.
Leonard: Oh, meesa thing yousa looking so, so sad.
Season 2 episode 20 (The Hofstadter Isotope)
Howard: I’m a horny engineer Leonard. I never joke about math or sex
Season 3 episode 2 (The Jimini Conjecture)
Sheldon (to Raj): So, you’re afraid of insects and women. Ladybugs must render you catatonic
Season 3 episode 8 (The Adhesive Duck Deficiency)
Leonard: I hate my name. It has « nerd » in it. Leon-nerd.
Season 4 episode 5 (The Desperation Emanation)
Sheldon: Leonard, Leonard, Leonard
Leonard: Yeah
Sheldon: Amy Farrah Fowler has asked me to meet her mother
Leonard: Yeah, so?
Sheldon: What does that mean?
Leonard: Well, you know how you’re always saying that Amy is a girl who’s your friend, and not your girlfriend?
Sheldon: Uh-huh
Leonard: You can’t say that anymore
Season 5 episode 10 (The Flaming Spittoon Acquisition)
Bernadette (about Stuart asking Amy out): What are you gonna do? Doesn’t he know you have a boyfriend?
Penny: No, she doesn’t have a boyfriend? She has a Sheldon
 |
| Shamy |
Season 2 episode 8 (The Lizard – Spock Expansion)/5 ep17 (The Rothman Disintegration)
Rock Paper Scissors Lizard Spock
Scissors cuts paper
Paper covers rock
Rock crushes lizard
Lizard poisons Spock
Spock smashes scissors
Scissors decapitates lizard
Lizard eats paper
Paper disproves Spock
Spock vaporises rock
And as it always has, rock crushes scissors
No comments:
Post a Comment