Good Morning! Up for a game of rock, paper, scissors, lizard, Spock?

The Nerd Quartet are back for TWO SEASONS!

Despite that this is by and large a true film blog, I also watch a lot of shows (if you ever want to know what I think of a show, ask, cause chances are I watch it). There are a few that I mention regularly on the site, like Gossip Girl, Terminator Sarah Connor Chronicles, and my current top fav The Big Bang Theory. But TV is tricky, because sometimes just when you start to get attached to a show, the network can yank the rug out from under you with a cancellation. I've had this happen to me twice with Roswell (don't laugh, or I'll get violent), and Joss Whedon's Firefly. Even while I fret over the fate of TSCC (not looking too good according to Ausiello), Good news is coming this week with FNL (as previously mentioned) in talks for a possible 2 season renewal, and now my beloved Big Bang Theory is officially back for at least 2 more years! The geeky crew's ratings have only continued to go up, and more people are becoming Bang converts every day.

I just wanted to take a moment to revel in the happy news, and also share this BBT casting tip that Ausiello posted a few days ago... SPOILER ALERT... Though he is currently only booked for one ep, Kevin Sussman (better known as that guy Ugly Betty ditched for Henry) is set to play a love interest for Penny. Much to Leonard's chagrin, Penny begins to date their comic obsessed pal, leaving us all to wonder, transference? I'm guessing this will be the intro to Penny more or less confronting her real feelings for Leonard... So let's say a tentative yay! to that.

I feel it important to mention though, in the midst of all this Bang infused joy, that I was actually less than thrilled with the long awaited Summer Glau guest star ep. Here I was thinking, two of my fav things melding together in harmony! But no such luck, the ep was average. I don't really blame Glau for this though. The writers chose to put the focus less on her and more on the guys buzzing around the Terminator star (which definitely had it's funny moments), but I guess I was hoping for some sort of fantasy/dream sequence where we would see the boys imagining Summer whisking them off the train on a mission to save John Connor... but I'll settle for Penny taunting Sheldon with his secret nickname, "moonpie." Monday's How I Met Your Mother ep on the other hand was hilarious. Laura Prepon saying "Salt is so bourgeois," and Barney laughing so hard he fell out of the booth, were just two of the many hi-larious moments.

Tonight's Bangin' Big Bang Theory!

MASSIVE SPOILER AHEAD... Fans of the The Big Bang Theory have patiently been awaiting another Leonard/Penny hook up, after their teaser kiss in last season's finale. Tonight we finally got to see a glimpse of the possimpible (see How I Met Your Mother ep 4.14 for explanation ). Their awkward, but convincing chemistry (fueled by alcohol) came to fruition, sort of. The show continues to surprise me, by actually surprising me. Who thought that what would bring Leonard and Penny together again would the female Sheldon, aka, Leonard's mother (played by the awesome Christine Baranski)? Upon her arrival, she sends all members of the gang (with the exception of Sheldon) into a mental downward spiral, by psycho-analyzing them between trips up and down their apartment building. She pegs Raj and Howard as having created a faux homosexual marriage to satisfy their need for intimacy, and Penny as going into acting to try and both gain approval from and rebel against her father, who always wanted a boy. Right on mama Hofstadter! To try and escape her gnawingly truthful observations about their lives, Penny and Leonard indulge in a night of Tequila shots together, leading to a brief and hilarious near sexcapade. But as usual, Leonard's overactive brain got in the way, and he managed to say something which made Penny ditch the whole thing. Either way, the hook up proved that they do have real chemistry, something the show can count on as it moves forward. But even better than that (if possible), is Sheldon discovering his soulmate in Leonard's mother. Though it culminated only in a rousing game of rock band, it's clear that Sheldon has a crush, or as he would say, an alarmingly high compatibility rate, resulting in a mental affinity for the aforementioned individual. 

Hit that Sheldon.

and I am still mad at Gossip Girl for denying me new episodes till March... that's cold Josh Schwartz. 

Alec's an alien, Dan's an idiot, and Sheldon is my homeboy

• Hulu's evil, and they're ok with that. To speak about world domination on their behalf is Alec Baldwin, "tv star." 

• I really have no idea what the heck Penn Badgley is doing in this picture or as Dan Humphrey on Gossip Girl (but it doesn't really matter cause LOOK at those arms)... SPOILER AHEAD... c'mon Dan! Taking your high school teacher out on dates, then getting mad at your GF when she catches you, then blaming Blair for all your problems AND THEN, sleeping with Ms. Carr... Clearly this week's ep was filler and fraught with the perils of writers room block. I mean, they made an Eyes Wide Shut plot boring? Oh wait, that movie was dullsville. And did I mention that the show is now on hiatus for a month... In any event, best line of the show had to be "You have anything you want to tell me?"  "Umm, besides I'm glad you're not wearing that raccoon make-up anymore, cause you looked like one of the Incredibles." Kudos Dan for finally calling out lil' J on her "I'm indie, so I'm going to dress like a homeless person" look.
  

Gossip Girl airs Mondays at 8pm on The CW  

• God, I love these kids! I was very skeptical of The Big Bang Theory before I started watching, given my love/hate relationship with laugh tracks, but the show honestly keeps getting better, and I even LOL (for realz). The credit goes to Alex for continuing to harass me that the show was good, despite my initial protests (thanks for ignoring my ignorance). The cast has the kind of chemistry that makes you love watching them, feeling akin to their ups and downs, but also hate them because Penny works at a Cheesecake Factory and Sheldon's socially incapable, and somehow their lives still look more fun than yours... SPOILER AHEAD... This week, Sheldon lends Penny money, but in a surprisingly "un-sheldony" way. While the man can be easily flustered into a panic attack if you sit in his chair or touch his egg roll, it seems giving Penny several hundred dollars with no knowledge of a return date is A Ok. Gotta love the writers for making him infinitely anally retentive, but still generous. 
  

The Big Bang Theory airs Mondays at 8pm on CBS