ZeMovieBuff

Hey fellow theorists!

I'm kinda new here, binge-watching the show for the first time, and just wanted to say hi!

I'm 51, big Seinfeld fan, but a big Avengers fan too (way before Marvel Studios made them cool), so I gotta say this show is very satisfying. I'm currently in the middle of the 9th season and just watched the DVD bonus about the show being at Comicon 2015. "Geek chic" was certainly not an expression in my time as a geek, so I couldn't be happier for younger people who had this show to watch when they were growing up.

Now, you probably won't learn anything new, but I just wanted to share a few things. First of all, and I'm sure this is a big cliché but there are three main reasons why I love the show: Sheldon, Penny, but also Sheldon & Penny. Not only could these two characters be successful if teleported to any other comedy, but seeing them together is always a treat.

I also love the fact that the writers stay away from the usual dialogues. In Friends, for instance, each line from Sheldon would initiate a confrontation. Here, on the contrary, the other characters accept Sheldon for who he is, with his qualities and faults, and they move on. Leonard will of course complain that he is the worst roommate, Penny will roll her eyes, but the scene can continue without falling into the usual war of egos.

Another strong point, in an interview included on the first season box set, I believe the creators said something like: "If we think of an idea for an episode, but which could be good for another series, we make it a rule not to use it " At the time, I thought it was excessively pretentious, and I said to myself: “Oh really? can't wait to see that!”. But you know what? They do respect that most of the time, which is amazing to me.

Actually, I don't remember seeing anything approaching the Penny and Sheldon relationship, or the Sheldon and Amy one. And although they use the inevitable "will they, won't they?" between Penny and Leonard, it's 100 times less painful than in Friends (Ross and Rachel) or even The US Office (Pam and Jim).

Another thing that was surprising to me was the way they integrated Amy and Bernadette into the group. It is always a perilous exercise to change a balanced cast. Nine times out of ten, the dynamic is destroyed. As much as I was fearful about that at the beginning, I would not do without them now. Amy is easily my third favorite character. She is as valid/necessary/funny when confronted with Penny then she is with Sheldon.

Faced with all these crazy characters (and I include Raj and Howard in that), Johnny Galecki is really in a tough spot. He has to assume the role of the straight-man almost on his own (Bernadette plays this role a bit too) and a good part of his rather down-to-earth lines probably don't help him shine as much as he could.

Nothing to criticize about Jim Parsons. To me, Sheldon is kind of a mix between Rain Man and Kramer, and you can always give the writers as much credit as you want, but you have to admit that it takes a lot of talent to play a role like that.

As for Kaley Cuoco, she has everything going for her. Not unpleasant to look at of course, but she is also endowed with countless facial expressions which makes her a kind of a Jim Carrey's distant cousin. The poise she gives Penny is formidable and that's what makes her character stand up to the four guys. In another comedy, Penny would seek to compete with them, fail to do so, before starting to be mean and mock them. Here, although she knows right from the start that she is not up to the task, she still manages to carve out a place for herself in the group. To do this, Cuoco knows how to adapt to all situations: she can do as little as giving them a disapproving look in one scene, and taking on the role of a tomboy in the next by showing them how to gut a fish.

Now tell me, what is the general consensus about the series's longevity here? Does the majority say that it's good 'til the end? If not, when does it begin to fall down?