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Worldly Distractions: The Big Bang Theory 8.10 - The Champagne Reflection


crazyforkate

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CFK emerges from too much work to bring you this week's episode.  I'm up for anything that puts Sheldon in drag. But what kind of convoluted scenario will lead to it? Let's find out.

We start with a taping of "Fun With Flags", the one show-within-a-show I wish was real. Seriously, wouldn't you follow this shit religiously? Anyway, it's the final episode, which breaks my tiny heart. Sheldon has found the pressures of work and a social life too difficult to manage, and the show has got to go. He and Amy banter adorably for the camera. Seriously, it's sweet. Opening credits.

Raj, Leonard and Howard go through a dead professor's office, where they completely judge him over not having a family. They sort through his work to find anything important, and only find a note and a bottle of champagne from his mom - to be opened when he makes a big discovery. It was never opened, which is tragic - well, the guys keep joking about the poor man's name, but maybe someone thinks it's tragic. Penny meets her boss for dinner, and he's totally into her, but she gracefully laughs it off. He also hates Bernadette, or fears her, or both. Sheldon continues to film the final episode in his trademark soulless manner. He also keeps throwing barbs at Amy for forgetting to record an important episode. They also play a highlight reel, which is quite hilarious, including the aforementioned Sheldon-dressed-as-Betsy-Ross thing, which is hilariously perfect. There's also some bad green screen involving beach flags and 1920's swimsuits, and the Best of Kripke's Lisp.

The rest of the guys continue to sort through the dead prof's data, where they wonder if any of the info might be usable. Who knows, they might even be able to crack open that bottle. Bernadette and Penny's dinner with Dan continues to be awkward, mostly due to Bernadette's slightly acerbic personality. When Dan goes off to get drinks, Penny tries to tactfully tell Bernadette that she's a little too harsh sometimes. It doesn't go well, really.

The Flags extravaganza has a special guest this time - AND OH MY GOD IT'S LEVAR BURTON. He's appeared before, but his arrival is always a delightful surprise. Keep in mind I'm fangirling not because of Roots or Reading Rainbow or Star Trek, but more because of this:

 

readingrainbow

Sheldon chooses this moment to run what appears to be his one blackface episode by Burton, who is stunned into silence.

The guys go to visit the dead prof's colleague, Professor Sharpe, who quickly debunks the information. It's the man's food diary, not a brilliant theorem. Sharpe tells them that his colleague never amounted to anything. Over at dinner, Bernadette keeps protesting that she's not mean, which doesn't quite convince Penny. She suggests that Bernadette show some attempts at sweetness. It really doesn't work.

Sheldon brings the episode to a close, paying a special tribute to Amy and her hosting skills. He then tells his audience how much the show has meant to him. He then uses a white flag as a kleenex to dry his tears. Honestly, this is the most human I've ever seen him. He does take one last jab at Amy, though, because human doesn't mean normal.

Talking about the deceased Roger Abbott (heh), Howard reflects on how some people will never accomplish anything even if they work hard, though not him because he went to space. They all decide to take the champagne and save it for their first big accomplishment, someday - though not before they rub it in Sheldon's face. Bernadette goes up to apologize to Dan, who then decides to tell her everything they've kept from her to save their sanity. Bernadette concludes that she's a monster and cries. And somehow manages to manipulate them into buying her an espresso machine.

Leonard returns home to find a morose Sheldon, who has received no comments on his final video. Just then, he gets his first comment, which is fairly positive. Inspired, Sheldon decides to bring the show back - and pops the champagne to celebrate, though he doesn't intend to drink it. Leonard is exasperated, as usual.

Tag scene - Sheldon knocks on LeVar Burton's door to offer him a part in the next episode. It's about flags, and involves Burton dressing up like a swastika. Burton is less than enthusiastic.

This episode had three short stories in one, and two were quite effective (Bernadette had her moments, but it was pretty lightweight). Leonard, Howard and Raj had a wonderful arc in which they pondered their own worth. However, Sheldon's storyline took the cake, with some great comedic moments and some true poignancy at the end. Until we get a "Fun With Flags" spinoff, I'm very glad that we have episodes like these to keep us going.

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  • Posts

    • Maggie Mae

      Posted

      5 hours ago, formerhsfundie said:

      "Fundraising is getting so much harder. I blame the price gouging that’s affecting everyone except the extremely rich. People can’t spare what they used to, because life is getting more expensive. Food, housing, and everything else is climbing up and up."

      "The poorest are hit hardest because of the greed of the richest. I truly don’t know what we are going to do. We need to move again because we can’t afford to stay in this area. Moving itself is expensive, too. We haven’t received any donations yet toward moving."

      And honestly I do think it’s because so many people are struggling more than ever. We just don’t have the “same $20 to share around” that we had even a couple of years ago. And that is scary.

      They aren't completely wrong. Inflation IS making it hard for everyone. Wages aren't and haven't matched inflation in a long time.  However, economics is a complex topic and there are a thousand reasons why food, housing, and basic supplies are more expensive. [snip long paragraph of stuff no one cares about] 

      The "I truly don't know what we are going to do" is ridiculous. I have a suggestion. 

      Get. A. Job. 

      Like every other person who wasn't born into the 1% (and even they have jobs.) Plenty of people are struggling with mental and physical health and still go to work. Go sign up for a temp agency. There are tons of jobs that are just one or two days - company needs someone to catch up on filing. Company Y needs someone to sort out some boxes. Company Z needs someone to fill in and answer phones for a week. It's money that can help.  I can't see how someone who has experience with public speaking, can write coherently, and operate computers and basic software couldn't keep a job. I see people every day who don't email, can't figure out websites, don't know a browser from a bulldozer. Unemployment is at like 4%, everyone is having workforce shortages. We've hired so many terrible receptionists and had an administrative assistant who called out 25% of the time and we still worked with them. 

      4 hours ago, Mrs Ms said:

      Any I have been to in Germany and New Zealand had one person handling the cash and other people serving. Plus power and hand washing facilities. Usually with a few tables and chairs right next to the sale area to sit and eat immediately. 
      Plus all the ones in Germany I saw had display cabinets for the products like in cafes. I think the ones in NZ usually had insect shields and/or see-through lids and weren’t right at the front edge of the table. 

      So in the US, a bake sale is usually something put on by a group - like the French club wants to go to France, or the Band needs to raise money to get new uniforms, or a church group wants to raise money to send to a natural disaster type place.  They are low-key -usually, people donate some brownies or cookies, and it's just a couple of card tables in a hallway or on a sidewalk somewhere. They aren't going to buy glass display cases and set up a storefront. Maybe in areas wealthier than mine? 

      Not only is that a waste of money that they need to get to the fundraising goal, it also would open up a ton of liability and be against the law. Restaurants have to follow very specific laws - they pay $$ for their building, for commercial equipment. The employees go through either ServSafe or Food Handlers classes or both. 

      They have to carry certain types of insurance (commercial liability, liquor liability if they have a liquor license, music licensing if they have music, property insurance, car insurance if they have commercial vehicles, excess/umbrella, etc. ) They have to renew licenses and undergo extensive permitting.  They have to submit plans (all of which come with a fee), every time they change things.  Everything is inspected and regulated-  seating, business plans, outdoor seating, signage. It's extremely expensive to start a restaurant and I don't know why anyone would want to, the margins are so low. They require so many employees and there is so much overhead. 

      The bake sale where some kids sell each other cosmic brownies at lunch a few days a month is one thing, but setting up a permanent location where you ship orders, or operate what appears to be a bakery that skipped the legal process is another.  

      I guess I'm just a little confused if we are talking about the same thing. Because a place with dedicated staff, display cases, and seating sounds like a bakery to me, more than a bake sale.

      And more so than the unfairness of a charitable group being able to operate an unlicensed business at a lower cost than a business that invested heavily and paid for the right to be able to operate, we are talking about food and food safety. Which should be regulated because foodborne illness can kill people. 

       

    • Maggie Mae

      Posted

      I hate open concept houses almost as much as I hate Abbie's cluttery "style." I hate that open concept became a trend and I feel like I've been screaming at clouds since like 2008 when it first started being "the trendy way." It seemed like at the time everyone wanted it so that they could see the TV from everywhere. But it's so impractical. Noise just bounces around. Ever go to a party at a house with just the big cavern with a kitchen in the corner? It get so noisy that people are shouting at each other. Vs a normal house, where people can go into other spaces to socialize in smaller groups - you can have some people in the kitchen, some in the living room, some in the family room. And it's just so frustrating when you need to find a way to close the kitchen to keep dogs and kids out. 

      I also think braggie's fridge is dumb. It comes with a pitcher for water. Great. I can buy a $35 pitcher with a filter and fill it in the sink and get the same result. 

      • I Agree 2
    • Giraffe

      Posted (edited)

      Their level of agressive entitlement is unreal. Too bad their fellow anti-work comrades aren't helping them out. 

      Edited by Giraffe
      • Upvote 3
    • JermajestyDuggar

      Posted (edited)

      There’s nothing you can’t live without? 🤣🤣🤣 Says the overprivileged fundie princess with the stove which costs over $10,000. Whatever you tell yourself so you can sleep at night Braggie 🙄

      993120E6-AA5A-4552-B36E-FC72B678C2A7.jpeg

      Edited by JermajestyDuggar
      • Eyeroll 6
    • Mrs Ms

      Posted

      9 hours ago, Maggie Mae said:

      But where do they wash their hands after taking money and before handing over open, unwrapped food? How does the department of health track down who donated the Salmonella pie, if they aren't required to keep a list of who donated what product? How do the volunteers keep the open and unwrapped food from being contaminated by nonfood materials if it's just sitting on a table in a gym or in a parking lot. 

      Any I have been to in Germany and New Zealand had one person handling the cash and other people serving. Plus power and hand washing facilities. Usually with a few tables and chairs right next to the sale area to sit and eat immediately. 
      Plus all the ones in Germany I saw had display cabinets for the products like in cafes. I think the ones in NZ usually had insect shields and/or see through lids and weren’t right at the front edge of the table. 
       



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