Steven Helmer Publications

One of the reasons I have a habit of watching The Big Bang Theory  reruns whenever I can't find anything else is, in addition to still getting laughs despite seeing the jokes dozens of times, it is one of the few shows that I legitimately cared about the characters. However, I am also one of the first to admit the six main characters also weren't always the best people, both to themselves and others. Here are what I feel were the worst moments for each of them: Sheldon Cooper (Jim Parsons) betrays his friends/business partners. Sheldon had a "condition" that gave him plenty of awful moments, but I think this was the biggest one.   The guidance system Sheldon built with Leonard (Johnny Galecki) and Howard (Simon Helberg) wouldn't have happened without all three of them working as equal partners. So, when Sheldon went behind their backs to redesign the system for the military by himself, it was a pretty big betrayal that frankly probably should have ended their frie...

Synopsis: The device transports Stuart ( Kevin Sussman ) to a mental hospital where his psychiatrist, Amy Fowler ( Mayim Bialik ) works to convince him the alternate universes were just inside his head. He is cured and returned to Denise ( Lauren Lapkus ) and their two kids. However, while he seems to have a happy life, there are clues warning him it isn't real. My Thoughts: This was, by far, the weirdest episode yet but I liked it. I've said it before, and I'll say it again, I love a good mystery, and this episode had multiple. There was the mystery about where he was, the mystery about who was trying to warn him and the mystery about why his friends seemed to be accepting their perfect reality without question. The last one is never given an answer, other than maybe Stuart is immune because of his connection with the device. The episode seemed to be setting up a larger storyline. The universe inside another universe twist was an intriguing one. It might just be a one-of...

Synopsis: In a dystopian Pasadena ruled by Barry Kripke ( John Ross Bowie ), comic bookstore owner Stuart Bloom (Kevin Sussman) is visited by an alternate version of himself and learns an accident with a device invented by his friends has caused an alternate reality. He, along with geologist Bert Kibbler (Brian Posehn) search for the device and with help from his former girlfriend, Denise ( Lauren Lapkus ), try to bring the world back to its normal state. My Thoughts: This should have been a movie. Not necessarily a feature-length Hollywood-budgeted film but maybe a 60-to-90-minute pilot that deep dives into the main plot and sets up the story for the rest of the series. There was an awful lot being crammed into the 30-minute episode, making it seem rushed and making it difficult to become invested. I have so many questions about dystopian Pasadena. For one, when did society collapse? The episode suggested it happened during Stewart's lifetime but at the same time, everyone seemed...

One thing I've always found interesting is how easily it is to become emotionally invested in characters on a television series. You know they aren't real, but when that show goes off the air, you still feel as though you've lost friends. I think this is a big part of the reason spin-offs are so popular. I feel that way about The Big Bang Theory which, with the debut of Stuart Fails to Save the Universe tonight, will have its third spin-off series (though one is technically a spin-off of a prequel) and will emphasize some of the secondary characters that helped make that show great.  As I think about the original series while debating if I'll watch the new spin-off tonight or tomorrow morning, I find myself contemplating each of the seven main characters and how they all changed at some point during the show, some more than others. While those changes were over the course of the full series, I was able to pinpoint the moments I think had the biggest impact for each of...

I needed a moment to regroup following the Green Bay Packers' loss to the Philadelphia Eagles last night, ending their season and, as is often the case in situations like that, I found some familiarity by watching reruns of The Big Bang Theory .  As I was doing that, I realized I have now seen every episode at least a half dozen times, despite not even watching the series until a couple years ago, when it was already off the air.  That reflection resulted in me being reminded of some storylines throughout the series that were one-offs without any real resolution. Even to this day, with the added benefit of the Young Sheldon spinoff clearing up a few questions (while creating a few more), these three storylines, which were major plot points for one episode each, remain unresolved. Who Received Tenure? The season 6 episode, "The Tenure Turbulence", put Leonard ( Johnny Galecki ), Sheldon ( Jim Parsons ), Raj (Kunal Nayyar) and Howard (Simon Helberg) in direct competition ...

Synopsis: This non-fiction book uses interviews with cast members and various others to tell the inside story of The Big Bang Theory , an unexpected hit series that ran for 12 seasons. Review: Even though I didn't first watch it until after it was off the air, The Big Bang Theory has become one of my all-time favorite television shows and I don't think I've gone a week without watching at least one re-run. When I saw this book advertised, I wound up requesting it through my local library as a result. Overall, I have to say I was happy with that decision. The book wasn't what I was expecting it to be. I figured it would just be your normal non-fiction book that tells the story with the occasional cast member quote thrown in. Instead, the author lets the people who were involved with the series tell the story for her. The end result is a book that reveals a lot of intimate details and some funny anecdotes you may not otherwise have gotten. For example, the book spends ...

Synopsis: Meemaw's ( Annie Potts ) financial success puts a strain on her relationship with Dale ( Craig T. Nelson ). Believing he will soon lose his coaching job, George ( Lance Barber ) takes a job at Dale's store while Sheldon ( Iain Armitage ) dabbles in the stock market and Missy ( Raegan Revord ) starts her own business. My Thoughts: I absolutely loved the introduction with Sheldon ( Jim Parsons ) and Amy ( Mayim Bialik ) discussing relationships and ultimately getting into a fight over comic books and whether they are considered a sound financial investment. It made me a bit sad The Big Bang Theory is no longer on the air (other than in reruns). This episode seems to be closing a TBBT plot hole regarding George. During TBBT's run, Sheldon mentioned his dad was caught stealing money from the till. This was something that didn't make a whole lot of sense when George was a football coach but, thanks to his potential career change, is starting to become a whole lot...

My wife and I are currently binge-watching the show The Big Bang Theory (first time for her, second time for me) and, as we watch/re-watch the episodes, we find ourselves comparing the series to another favorite, Friends .  While I do think the former has a slight edge overall, partly because the material isn't as dated as the 90s sitcom now is, there were also some things Friends  did better, making me want to attempt some comparisons. After some thought, I decided to start with the shows' couples. For simplicity purposes, I am focusing solely on the primary pairings. In the case of Big Bang Theory , it would be the seven starring characters, and, with Friends , I am using the show's couples at the end of the series.   Ross and Rachel ( Friends ) versus Leonard and Penny ( Big Bang Theory ) At first glance, there are a lot of similarities between these two couples. Both Ross and Leonard had crushes on their future romantic partners long before the romantic interest was ...