The Big Bang Theory

I just can’t give The Big Bang Theory five stars. Sure, it's funny, Sheldon is one of the best characters ever, but this series has way too many flaws. Most importantly, it is quite clear how most of the episodes will turn out and the punchlines of the jokes are obvious a mile away. Calling this series brilliant? No way. BBT only provides the viewers with the feeling that they’re so goddamn smart, because they’re the only ones who appreciate all those incredibly smart jokes, making them feel like beings of superior knowledge, who find it hard to understand how dumb everyone else is. This is what irritates me about this series, and even though it's quite funny, there’s no way it's worth five stars. S01: 8/10. S02: 8/10. S03: 8/10. S04: 8/10. S05: 5/10. S06: 7/10. S07: 6/10. S08: 6/10. S09: 6/10. S10: 6/10. S11: 6/10. S12: 7/10. (01/12/2013)

I fell in love with this show after the first two episodes and the next ones get better, better, and better. In short, a big bang as it should be. "Hello, this is Dr. Sheldon Cooper, Yeah, I need to cancel my membership to the planetarium. There's just no room for you in my wallet. No, I understand, but it was between you and the Museum of Natural History, and frankly, you don't have dinosaurs." (12/26/2009)

It used to be great, by right now I’m watching it only out of habit and intermittently (“wow, another season ended? I should download it”). They repeat the same template and the same jokes over and over, more or less effectively. After getting to know more (and better) comedy shows, I’ve lost my belief that TBBT is peak sitcom. Shallow mainstream entertainment. (01/21/2009)

Staying in is the new going out. Are there weak episodes? Yes, there are. Is it too set up? Way too much! Do we get lame jokes? Not downright lame, but there are some dead moments where things don’t work so well. But you know what? It doesn’t matter; even the “weaker" episodes had me crying with laughter three or four times. And you should see me when I’m watching a really good one! Not to mention that I love all of the characters (but Sheldon is out there in front, of course; primarily from episode seven when they make him into a perfect asshole). It’s not cheaply moralizing (hi there, How I Met Your Mother), not to mention that I know those obstinate rows about nothing all too well. And I’m probably not alone, am I? And I didn’t cry with laughter just with the first few seasons, but even with the more recent ones, which are thought of as weaker. Undoubtedly it isn’t the same any more, but more than less humor, it underwent a transformation into a purely relationship-based sitcom "à la Friends". And as the cast gradually swelled, now everybody has about five minutes of fame every episode, but often because of this it’s like it’s coming from nowhere, going nowhere; the main thing is to be funny. The final seasons already simply freewheel, but even so, you find a good episode here and there, no doubt about it. And I have to admit that even the less good episodes still hold to a solid quality standard. (07/01/2009)

Shy, Annoying, Confident, and Stuttering meet Beautiful and a pleasant sitcom begins, which fate has determined to become an unbelievable phenomenon over time. Sometimes clichéd and unoriginal, other times genuinely funny but essentially gentle enough to entertain for many years. However, every topic eventually runs dry, and because the creators only dare to move the main characters forward once every few seasons, my smile faded by the third season. The unexpected salvation for the entire series is the gradual introduction of female supporting characters, while the repeated jokes (the unbearable running joke with Howard's mother) and the routine with which Sheldon's monologues are delivered increasingly undermine it. In short, I don't know what to do with this group. Thanks to the initially fantastic (and later at least reasonably reliable) Amy and Kaley Cuoco's ability to effortlessly outshine everyone as Penny, I still occasionally find it entertaining. On the other hand, Leonard, Howard, and Rajesh have seemed like mere pawns reciting expected lines for quite some time, not to mention Stuart, who is inexplicably favored in later seasons. After six years, the fourth star clung on, perhaps out of nostalgia, but from the seventh season onwards, it's just beating an empty straw, so I'm losing my longstanding sympathy, especially since the tenth and eleventh years are painfully and embarrassingly sleepy. However, I stayed with the series until the very end. The direct correlation between mediocrity and lack of wit and the impressive ratings fascinated me even more as I understood it less and less. (10/03/2008)