The Big Bang Theory Offseason

Even with cable making original programming a year-round affair, the Summer is still a quiet time for my TV viewing. I've got a lot of extra time in my schedule and thought it would be a good time to start a little project.
I do my weekly DVR Purges, but let's be frank: they are crap. I don't proofread them at all most weeks. They're collections of scattered thoughts that barely even make sense a week later. What I've decided to do is, with most of these shows I watch taking a break, reflect on where I stand with them, assessing what is in the show's favor (assets) and what could get it in trouble (liabilities).
Now, not every show I watch will be included. In general, I'm sticking to shows that I've kept notes (be them from Purges or otherwise) as I've watched. That means, shows like The Bridge, Looking, Sherlock, and Dexter will not be included. To get my thoughts on those, ask me. This project, supposing I stay on schedule should take all month and I hope it does a good job summing up where these shows stand. In some cases, I'm hoping to convince you to start watching. Other times, it'll be nothing more than a postmortem for a show that's gone.
I hope you enjoy.

Favorite Episode(s): "The Relationship Diremption" & "The Convention Conundrum"

Assets:

Mixing in Up: It's important in a show, especially a comedy to find something new to do with the characters to keep it from getting stale. Sometimes it comes in the form of a new job (See, The Drew Carey Show) or a baby (See, any show where a couple gets married and stays on the air for about 2 more years. I'm looking at you, Season 9). In The Big Bang Theory's case, it's by rotating the cast configuration. Episodes like "The Scavenger Vortex" are an obvious example of this with entertaining results. There's also the two episode stint with Sheldon and Howard on a trip together. I'd hadn't realized how little we've seen of them together before that and it was a nice bit of bonding for the two of them, especially for an emotionally devistating episode like "The Mommy Observation". Finally, the most important mix-up is Raj keeping his ability to speak to women. It's not as huge as it would've been in season two because the writers had slowly been turning Raj into an alcoholic in order to fit him into more scenes, but he's got a freedom now that he didn't have before. He can do something like talk to Amy Farrah Fowler at work or ask Bernadette for dating advice without needing a backstory about keeping a flask in his shoe or something. Overall, it was a great season for trying new things with the cast.

A Strong Close: For a show in its seventh season, quality swings in episodes aren't all that important. You know what you are getting into by now. It's still nice when it happens, especially in the case of this season where the episodes got stronger toward the end. Don't get me wrong, the season began with gems like "The Scavenger Vortex" and the song at the end of "The Romance Resonance". The season also began very villain-Sheldon heavy, be it trying to ruin something Amy loves after she accidentally ruined Raiders of the Lost Ark or his slavery comparisons in "The Thanksgiving Decoupling". It also brought us such gems as Raj and Howard taking their shirts off and being very broadly effeminate and couldn't stop itself from undercutting any honest moment with a joke, as Sheldon did at the end of "The Hesitation Ramification" by making the whole conversation with Leonard as excuse to work on his pranking skills. Thankfully, the season ended on a strong run. It kicks off with "The Convention Conundrum" featuring James Earl Jones in a rather shockingly funny role. This is followed by Sheldon and Howard's trip to Texas then Sheldon's tour de force in "The Relationship Diremption", which has to be his Emmy submission episode (the scene of him waking up with the Geology book alone could win it for him). A goodbye to Professor Proton, the Penny/Leonard engagement, the sequel to Penny's movie (complete with Will Wheaton). So many good moments to close out the season. It would be foolish of me to think of this as a show about to make the "next step" to be one of the greats (it's still several beats behind Parks & Rec. and Brooklyn Nine Nine is gaining fast), but it's very encourging nonetheless.

Guest Stars: The Big Bang Theory has never relied on guest stars the way something like 30 Rock did. This season certainly got the most out of them though. It's redundant to say that Bob Newhart was great both times they used him (although twice in a season and three times since 2013 is a bit much). Bill Nye even showed up, which was thematically cooler than his actual performance (he's not a comedian so I'm giving him a break). James Earl Jones had one of my favorite guest roles of any actor this season on any show and he came along with a little bit of Carrie Fisher. Old favorites like Laurie Metcalfe and Will Wheaton didn't disappoint either.

Liabilities:

Stuart: I like Kevin Sussman a lot. He's one of those character actors I'm always happy to see. He plays Stuart really well, whether it's the confident, yet a little nerdy guy who even asked Penny out early in the show or the extremely pathetic guy he is now. If they want to bump him up to being the eigth regular on the show, I'm cool with that, I think. Can we build the guy back up, even a little bit though? The Big Bang Theory has always been a show that needs to shit on someone. Early on, that meant everyone. Then Jim Parsons broke out which gave him protection. Leonard got Penny and stopped being sad, because, hey, he could get Penny. Then, it moved to sleazy Howard who then got Bernadette and had to become respectable. That's left Raj for several seasons to be that guy who nothing goes right for. Finally, the writers determined that that wasn't sustainable (without an eventual suicide) so they let Raj talk to women and go one dates with his own set of very attractive, kind of nerdy girls. Instead of working with this delicate balance, or more, accurately, instead of finding a way to write the show without the lightning rod character for all bad things to happen too, they brought in Stuart to always be around, always with a line about how sad his life is or how he always gets left out of things. Burning down his store was cold. I mean, even Jerry/Garry/Larry on Parks and Rec. has a loving family to go back to. This is just malicious on the part of the writers. He needs a win in season eight.

Penny and Leonard: Do they like each other? The show tells me they do but it seems like she's constantly insulting all of his interests and he's either calling her stupid or pointing out her failures as an actress. The show has decided that they work well together or at least that they don't work well apart, so I'm hoping that with the engagement comes a slightly less toxic relationship. As of now though, they are an anchor baby (again, Season nine. I'm calling it) away from being some sort of sad, science prequel to Roseanne (which I'd watch, by the way).

Undercutting Emotion: This has always been my biggest issue with the show. It goes for laughs over character growth/development whenever it can. If you cut off the last 15 seconds of nearly any episode, you'll see what I mean. Take "The Hesitation Ramification". It ends on this great heart to heart between Sheldon and Leonard. Leonard is bummed out. Sheldon is uncomfortable with this but trying to have a talk about Leonard's fight with Penny. It's a sombre scene and Sheldon holds back from his usual jibes because it would be mean. The whole time I'm watching this like a gymnast who needs a perfect score to win and is about to dismount. -They just have to stick the landing-. Then, it turns out that the reason Sheldon is being so kind is because he's trying to sneak a Kick Me sign onto Leonard's back. This, of course leaves me questioning how much of that entire conversation was part of an immature prank and negates any of the emotion of the scene. Most of the time it's not this ergregious, but it's a common pattern for the show and it's the thing they will prevent it from being in discussion with Cheers or All in the Family as one of the all-time greats.

Outlook:

The Big Bang Theory is TV's most watched show (technically, NBC Sunday Night Football is but that's a cheat). It is the rare show that actually gains Emmy praise. Each episode plays as effortlessly as any show on TV. And, it's funny. The writers fully understand the talents of all the actors. Leonard's neurotic. Penny's beaten down. Sheldon is dense. Amy is awkward. Howard is...I'm looking for a word for it, but my response to him is normally "Oh, Howard". Raj is pathetic. Bernadette is oddly threatening. In terms of shows that know what they are and do it well, this is among the best. The problems I have with it have been the same for several seasons. I'm certain Bill Prady's aware of these issues and has no desire to make that show, for better or worse. While multi-cam, laugh track may not be my preferred format, it sure is one built to last and at this rate, with everyone signed on through season ten, I'm beginning to think the only thing that will end Big Bang's run is the cast no longer being on-board.

Previously this Offseason...
Community
Brooklyn Nine Nine
New Girl
Suburgatory
Modern Family 
Parenthood
The Mindy Project 
The Michael J Fox Show