The Sitcom Studies Podcast

We are kicking off our sixth season with Season 6 of Marlessa’s next pick - Everybody Loves Raymond! We find out why this show is home for Marlessa and why she ultimately chose this later season. Deep dives begin again next week!

Read Marlessa's blog here: https://sitcomstudies.wordpress.com/

The time has come to say goodbye to Season 5 of Sitcom Studies and to our favorite scientists - this is, unfortunately, not a bazinga. We offer our final thoughts on the season and the series as a whole; debate these characters' enneagram types (no, Howard is NOT a 3!); and of course rank our favorite and least favorite episodes. We begin a brand new season next week! 

Thank you as always for continuing to be along for this ride with us. 

We have Marlessa’s dear friend Mandy Jimenez with us once again to discuss our final episode of The Big Bang Theory, the Season 3 finale! We discuss where things stand with Leonard and Penny as she seems to be moving on with a new guy (we love you, Zack!) We also talk about what we learn about these scientists as we see them conducting experiments off the clock. And of course, welcome to the friend group, Amy Farrah Fowler…

Historical Highlights:

https://www.ars.usda.gov/midwest-area/peoria-il/national-center-for-agricultural-utilization-research/docs/penicillin-opening-the-era-of-antibiotics/

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Discovery_of_penicillin

Alright, so we weren’t thrilled with the first episode this week. That’s putting it mildly. But that’s okay, because we finally get the backstory of how Leonard and Sheldon became roommates. And it was worth the wait…

Historical Highlights: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/IPod

https://www.pcmag.com/news/a-visual-history-of-apple-ipods

We’re discussing a throughline story this week - can Penny and Leonard stay friends after she is unable to return his “I love you”? More importantly, can Sheldon find a way to be friends with both of them? And of course, we have the return of Wil Wheaton.

Historical Highlights:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Galileo_affair#Trial_and_second_judgment,_1633

Note: While Katie mentions Pope Urban VIII by name, in this episode Sheldon refers to Pope Paul V, with whom Galileo first came into conflict re: some of his scientific writings. 

Sheldon finally receives a long sought-after award for his research - except, he also stumbles across a prop ring from the production of Return of the King, so the award is not the most surprising thing that happens to him this week.

Historical Highlights: https://www.cslewisinstitute.org/resources/c-s-lewis-and-j-r-r-tolkien/

Sheldon is the one who can’t seem to catch a break this week! Between being told firmly by Leonard that Penny will be the one tagging along on a trip to Switzerland and being unable to attend Stan Lee’s comic book signing, he’s dealing with a lot…except, do we really feel bad for him? And as always, leave it to Marlessa to point out some fascinating parallels between these storylines and some Everybody Loves Raymond and Frasier classics.

Historical Highlights: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Large_Hadron_Collider#

We have two character studies of Sheldon this week: how will he react when the apartment is broken into and when he meets a physics problem that he (thinks!) might be too much for him? We had no fun at all discussing these two episodes…BAZINGA!

Historical Highlights: https://www.dpma.de/english/our_office/publications/milestones/greatinventors/einstein/index.html

Marlessa’s dear friend and fellow comic enthusiast, Quinn Levy,  joins us to discuss this week’s episodes as we reach the halfway point of the season! Penny feels accepted by Leonard’s mother, albeit after a night of drinking together - but can she receive the same acceptance from Leonard when she’s open about her belief in psychics? Thank you so much for being part of this fun conversation, Quinn!

History Highlights:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flatland

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Edwin_Abbott_Abbott

We are so glad to be joined this week by dear, dear friend and real life aerospace engineer, Bernadette Haig! She’s here to talk about an absolute classic from Season 3 that sees Sheldon try to teach Penny physics. But there’s so much else to discuss, from Howard’s warped outlook on dating to the importance of taking a sincere interest in others’ work to what it means to be a good teacher. Not to mention Sheldon’s revenge on Kripke - thank goodness he found a middle ground, we guess? We are so grateful to our Bernadette (not Howard’s!) for sharing her insights as a woman in STEM and for offering another honest perspective on some of the stereotypes these characters face. 

Historical Highlights:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Isaac_Newton

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Newtons_(cookie)