television round-up - "The Big Bang Theory", "Survivor", "Kitchen Nightmares", "Back To You" and "Law and Order"

"The Big Bang Theory"

Last week's episode - I thought the game at the beginning was a little forced, but it sure brought back memories of playing adventure games in college. I remember playing some D&D-type adventure game in college with someone, and we had gotten pretty far. We had a group of decently-leveled players, lots of spells, weapons, etc. I wanted to quit for the night. He wanted to try one more level, and he talked me into it. I didn't want to go into the room. He did. We went into the room. And we were ambushed. We were seriously out-matched, and they got first shot at us. Whack, zing, bwap. Killed half our team on their first go-round, half of the rest of the team went running away and were lost and one or two players made it back up top alive, but severely bruised and depleted. End of game.

I loved that they brought Asimov's 3 laws of robotics into the show, and they even recited two of them! I was laughing so hard.

I want a hypo-allergenic calico. Not because of me, since I'm not allergic to cats, but I love calicos, and if I had a hyper allergenic one, a friend who's allergic to cats wouldn't have as hard a time when she comes over.

I want to know why Penny knows the term "centrifugal force". ;)

This week's episode - "I love buffets." "Don't they have buffets in India?" "Yeah, but it's all Indian food." :)

I loved the shopping trip to the grocery store, and all of Sheldon's comments and *especially* Penny's reactions. "You're just making really expensive urine." "What if that was what I was going for?" And Sheldon with all his little bits of information. And then their tampon discussion outside Penny's door about buying 30 years worth? Too funny.

Sheldon looked really funny wearing the poncho (not sarape) in the entire scene. And the loom was a funny thing that reminded me of a joke among a few of my friends. All they needed was a Xena-wannabee...

I loved the dynamic of Sheldon being the uber-scientist with his ultra-conservative religious mother. Laurie Metcalfe was awesome! "I've got two other kids who are dumb as soup." Her delivery of the question to Mr. I-don't-speak-to-girls about whether chicken was considered one of those magic animals had us busting up. And the whole exchange in Sheldon's boss's office, including the exchange between her and the boss was terrific. Hopefully, they'll bring her back periodically.

When Sheldon's mom was finishing up with the prayer, she seemed to also be directing the comment to Mr. Spock. I don't remember him having a particular religious bent. Is he supposed to be Jewish? That's the only thing I could think of that would make her including him on the comment make sense.

Loved the glow-in-the-dark fish at the end!


"Survivor" - Last week's show was kinda non-descript for me. Glad that Dave got kicked out because he's just annoying. Interesting, though, that it means two of the three people who have gotten kidnapped have then been immediately voted out. As for this week's episode, not really sure P.G.'s and Jaime's strategy to throw the challenges so they can vote off Aaron and James is going to work. (And if they were going to do it, you think they could have been a little more subtle about it?) The last tribe that threw a challenge to kick someone off paid for it dearly. In this case, they have to throw *two* immunity challenges. And since they voted off Aaron and kept James, he's going to be fit to be tied back at camp. I don't expect he'll be working hard to get water and other stuff now that he knows their strategy. Wonder if he'll somehow be able to convey it to the other tribe. Next week - scary Chinese food challenge! :)


"Kitchen Nightmares" - Really enjoyed this week's episode. It was cool that Gordon liked the building to begin with, but it was a bit odd that they only had a little sign that you could completely miss. Gordon really did have a challenge with Dean, the owner. He was so much in denial that he wouldn't even listen to Gordon. And there was really no one else there who could say anything to him. He was more concerned about just getting food out rather than the quality of the food? Yeah, that's a good way to run a restaurant. And I thought his wife was pretty stupid for not wanting to know. He said there was no need to know. Ummm, yeah, well, she's your wife, so you don't think she should know that you're half a million dollars in debt and that y'all could lose your house? What you don't know *can* in fact hurt you, very much so. I loved the torching of the salad funnels. And who wraps shrimp cocktail in phyllo dough? I thought it was cool that Gordon explored the town, and the first thing I thought was "No more Italian dishes." And then he found the meat shop. It was nice to see Dean be able to make the transition, and the look on his face when he saw the name of the restaurant projected onto the wall at the end. Next week looks to be the first restaurant outside of New York.


"Back To You" - Another funny show. I loved the shots from all the different cameras, especially the overhead camera. And I've done the carpool thing before where you're stuck with someone you don't dislike but really have nothing to talk about with. However, if I'd been stuck with Marsh, I'd have rather walked home! And I'm gonna agree with Chuck. There are a lot of people I can think of where I'd rather be out having dinner my myself than be stuck having dinner with them. I don't think it's a matter of being rude. I just think it's a matter of wanting to spend my time with people I like and not with people I don't want to. But in a rare instance, I actually had figured out the end before they showed the guy come out in the bathrobe.


"Law and Order: SVU"

Last week's episode - This was the one with Melissa Joan Hart playing the teacher, and she claims that she was raped, but her student claims that she seduced him. It was a good job of going back and forth where you didn't know which one was telling the truth, really until you get to the revelation about her abortion and her husband's reaction. And then when you get to the rest of the story about the student, and he pleads, you figure it's over. But it's not. He then has the worst thing possible happen to him in jail, but then he ends up with a windfall while the raped teacher gets nothing, and then the very last line from the student's attacker - you pretty much knew it was coming, but it was chilling all the same that he's claiming the same affliction as the student, and maybe that will get *him* off.

This week's episode - The little girl who played the autistic daughter has got to be in the running for an Emmy next year. It's one of those roles where you have to get someone so young and so talented and yet who won't be traumatized by what you're asking her to do. (Think Kirsten Dunst in "Interview with a Vampire".) The misdirection with the Homeland Security stuff was cool (and Karen Hayes from "24" is now apparently working with them! ;) ), but the bit by bit information you get that they coax out of the daughter was incredible, especially with the voices she was doing. And the fact that she could describe the timber of the voices she heard. Great episode all around.