OK, I guess I need to calm down and back off all of the whining that I did last week. As I’ve said before, I hate the big bait-and-switch. But after last week’s false start of putting Penny and Leonard together, the show continued with the “real timeline” where Leonard did ask Penny out. Their beta test approach to dating was brilliant. Not only did it seriously bring the funny, it actually lead to Leonard planning a better date A better date that did end with a gunshot wound, but still a better date.
The Penny/Leonard relationship was just one part of an awesome episode. I can’t believe that it has taken The Big Bang Theory this long to lampoon the iPhone’s Siri functionality. The rabbit hole that Raj found himself in as he fell in love with the software was a funny thing to behold. I loved his nightmare in the coda; did anyone know who played the humanoid version of Siri?
The ‘Fun with Flags’ bit with Sheldon and Amy was also a hit. I’m not entirely sure what possessed him to launch such a show, but if it were to actually be released, it would probably fall in the “so bad it’s good” category.
I loved the possible episode titles for ‘Fun with Flags:’
As always, here are my favorite quotes from the show:
“In future episodes, we’ll answer burning questions: What’s the only non-rectangular flag? What animal appears most on flags? What animal appears second most on flags? … and more.” – Sheldon
“Now, today’s episode of ‘Fun with Flags’ is not fun. But it is important: ‘Flags. You gotto know how to hold ‘em, you gotta know how to fold ‘em.’” – Sheldon
“I missed you.” – Leonard
“You see me all the time – are you sure you don’t just miss the sex?” – Penny
“Well, yeah, sex with you is pretty great. Have you ever tried it?” – Leonard
“I have; you are not wrong.” – Penny
“I just think if we’re going to try dating again, we should take things slow.” – Penny
“Oh, I can take it slow. Did I ever tell you about my first girlfriend in high school, Karen Burbrick? To this day she does not know we were going out … made it easier on her when I broke things off.” – Leonard
“Hello.” – Raj
“Hello.” – Siri (his phone’s voice recognition software)
“What is your name?” – Raj
“My name is Siri.” – Siri
“Look at that; there’s finally a woman in your life you can talk to!” – Howard
“For someone who has a machine that can travel anywhere in time and space, Dr. Who sure does have a thing for modern day London.” – Amy
“Careful, its that kind of sass that can get someone uninvited to this year’s Who-Con.” – Sheldon
“We’re not counting this as a date, are we?” – Penny
“Uh, I’m not sure, but I think the answer should be no?” – Leonard
“Bug report: when a guy asks me to spend some time with him, maybe he plans something a little more interesting than hanging out at home and watching TV.” – Penny
“Even Doctor Who?” – Leonard
“Even Doctor Who.” – Penny
“Alright, that’s it. Who-Con; you’re out.” – Sheldon
“[on Leonard’s bug report to Penny] What’s baffling me is what you possibly could have found to put on the list … ‘Hair to golden?’ … ‘Laugh to musical?’ … ‘World too much a better place for her mere presense in it?’” – Amy
“How about ‘Talks with food in her mouth?’” – Sheldon
“Her heart’s full of love, no one cares what’s in her mouth.” – Amy
“Why don’t women like me?” – Raj
“Let me check on that. [pauses] How about a web search on ‘why don’t women like me?’” – Siri
“No need, I’ve already done that.” – Raj
“I’m sorry, Bawwy. I don’t understand wecommend a westaurant.” – Siri to Barry Kripke
“What are you reading?” – Leonard
“Two Weeks to Rock Hard Abs.” – Penny
“They kind of spoil the ending right in the name of that, don’t they?” – Leonard
“Alright, I can be quieter when we kiss. I thought it was an expression of passion, but it’s coming across as ‘juicy and weird,’ who wants that?” – Leonard
“Siri, play some smooth jazz.” – Raj
“Playing smooth jazz. [Plays Kenny G]” – Siri
“Oh my God, Kenny G? This woman can read me like a book. I can’t believe I bought my soul mate at Glendale Galleria.” – Raj
“[Aside to Raj] I don’t know if I want to stay.” — Bernadette
“So, I’ve got a gunshot wound. That’s pretty badass.” – Leonard
“No, you’ve got a Reebok with a gunshot wound and an ouchie on your pinky toe.” – Penny
Clacked by Ivey West 
on Jan 26, 2012 @ 21:18 EST5EDT
I adored every second of this episode. One of my new favorites!
Not to nitpick, but you would think that someone as smart as Sheldon would know that the “Flag that was still there” flew over Ft. McHenry, not Ft. Sumpter. Still, loved the show anyway.
How smart Sheldon is, is irrelevant, it’s the writers that write his lines, so they obviously had some purpose in doing so.
*POST AUTHOR*
Unless I missed it, I don’t think Sheldon specifically referenced the flag from the Star Spangled Banner, just that the flag flown above Ft. Sumter survived the Union bombardment.
I’m sure there’s better sources that one could find, but here’s some research on the quick:
News in History has an interesting page about the attack on Ft. Sumter, following the stories written each day in the Milwaukee Journal. The bombardment on Sumter began on April 12, 1861. If you follow your way down to the first entry after the one announcing the attack, it mentions that the flag still survived at least until the following day.
https://www.newsinhistory.com/feature/dramatic-newspaper-coverage-battle-fort-sumter-attack-began-civil-war
Anyone can tell me which Kenny G song was played?
It’s called Songbird. It came out in the late 80’s, I think.
I halfway cringed when Leonard mentioned GTA; you just knew he was going to have a range safety violation of some kind. You’d think someone who had built his professional career around manipulating high-powered lasers would know to keep a “gat” pointed away from soft, water-filled humans. Loved that Penny knew “beta test” and even got credit for it.
The best part of Raj’s storyline was that it wasn’t overdone. Although they must have prerecorded the Siri voice for taping, I’m pretty sure that all of the responses were things it actually says. I’m ashamed to admit that Sheldon and Raj treated Barry Kripke so normally that I didn’t even see the joke about Barry’s sucky iPhone coming.
Strike that. The best part was Raj buying a little wardrobe for Siri, complete with Little Black Case.
The episode credits Becky O’Donohue as Siri.
For a ferroequinologist like Sheldon, a further interest in vexillology was unsurprising. However, Amy really made the podcast pop (Frederick T. Flag! Noh Pretzel!).
*POST AUTHOR*
No, it was the desire to the podcast that got me, not the interest in vexillology :)
Though, he really has been trying to stretch himself the past several years; maybe it shouldn’t have been surprising.
The girl who played Siri was also Freddie Prinze, Jr.’s wife in the episode of “Psych” where the lawyer thinks he sees aliens.
The song is called “Careless Whisper”
Here’s the instrumental:
I was surprised Raj could speak in front of Howard’s finance.
*POST AUTHOR*
He was holding a glass of wine when they walked in.
Who were the actors who shot from adjacent booths at the firing range? I suspect they were cameos.
*POST AUTHOR*
Just checked, and I didn’t recognize them.
*POST AUTHOR*
Turns out it was the show’s propmaster and assistant propmaster:
https://twitter.com/#!/billprady/status/163463982420729858
Thanks for posting the tweet….of course it makes sense…they’d be handling the weapons anyway