The Big Bang Theory
(Note: This post was originally written in February 2013. I have since seen more episodes and more seasons of this show and some things have definitely changed, especially with the introduction of Amy and Bernadette.)
I don't subject myself to any form of broadcast television. I watch what I want to watch, when I want to watch it...with no commercial interruptions. Being self-employed, I have no 'water cooler' to hang around, so being a little behind the times with the latest TV episodes it not much of a bother for me.
Recently, a friend lent me the first season of The Big Bang Theory on DVD. As I watched the first couple of episodes, the mind-body-spirit picture began to take shape. The analysis here is based only on the characters and episodes introduced in the first season.
Sheldon is what I call a 'pivot' character. He is the mind character in the Penny/Leonard/Sheldon trio, but he is also the mind character in the Howard/Rajesh/Sheldon trio, creating a link between the two groups in the story.
Sheldon has no tact, much like those in the Candor faction in Divergent. He makes comments in conversation that are meant to be practical, but are often offensive. For example, he goes shopping with Penny and then comments that she would be better off buying her feminine hygiene products in bulk. He thinks he is making a worthwhile suggestion, but she is offended that he even noticed.
Sheldon also lives by a set of neurotic rules. He only sits in one place in the apartment because it is perfect in cool or warm weather for a variety of reasons, and he becomes uncomfortable if he is forced to sit anywhere else. He is also a compulsive labeler and organizer, a fact that gets him in trouble with Penny when he sneaks into her apartment while she's asleep so he can clean.
Each character's profession, in the Sheldon/Howard/Rajesh trio, reveals a little about his personality. Sheldon is a theoretical physicist, an occupation that deals primarily with theory and thought.
Where Sheldon is a theoretical physicist, Howard is an engineer. His profession is focused on actually building things and making them work. He is also obsessed with sex.
When Penny comes over to complain about a 'friend,' the so-called 'whore of Omaha,' Howard disappears immediately and then reappears later having entered a relationship with this 'friend' of Penny's. Penny tells him her friend will only stick around as long as he keeps buying her stuff, that she's using him, but he doesn't care, as long as their relationship lasts.
In another episode, all the male characters are attending a social function at work, but only Howard brings a date - one he paid to come with him.
Penny is not as lecherous as Howard, but she is still a body character. Her interests center around going out with her friends, dancing, and hooking up with different guys. In the first season, she goes through about three different boyfriends.
When she's with the guys, she often makes references to sex or to undressing in order to get their attention, but they usually don't respond. She doesn't understand their intellectual pursuits and is often bored or asleep when she participates in their social circles, Halo notwithstanding.
Rajesh is a software engineer (Update: In later seasons, his profession mysterious changes to astrophysicist, which still has 'spirit connotations). It's a little hard to explain how that equates to a spirit character - you may need to be a little bit of a nerd yourself to see it clearly. He has high levels of anxiety and can only talk to beautiful women if he is drunk or drugged. When his parents try to set him up, he is reluctant, but when Leonard tries to steal the girl, Rajesh becomes jealous.
Leonard also has a high level of anxiety when it comes to women. When decides to ask his female coworker out on a date, he has to equate the date to a social experiment in order to keep the conversation in a comfortable zone for himself. Later, when the coworker uses him as a one night stand, Leonard is emotionally devastated.
A large part of Leonard's emotional energy is spent on Penny. Every time she is hurt by some guy, he feels a compelling need to comfort her. He also has a crush on her, and unlike Howard, who wants her body, Leonard wants an all-encompassing relationship.
I don't subject myself to any form of broadcast television. I watch what I want to watch, when I want to watch it...with no commercial interruptions. Being self-employed, I have no 'water cooler' to hang around, so being a little behind the times with the latest TV episodes it not much of a bother for me.
Recently, a friend lent me the first season of The Big Bang Theory on DVD. As I watched the first couple of episodes, the mind-body-spirit picture began to take shape. The analysis here is based only on the characters and episodes introduced in the first season.
The Mind Character: Sheldon (Jim Parsons)
Sheldon is what I call a 'pivot' character. He is the mind character in the Penny/Leonard/Sheldon trio, but he is also the mind character in the Howard/Rajesh/Sheldon trio, creating a link between the two groups in the story.
Sheldon has no tact, much like those in the Candor faction in Divergent. He makes comments in conversation that are meant to be practical, but are often offensive. For example, he goes shopping with Penny and then comments that she would be better off buying her feminine hygiene products in bulk. He thinks he is making a worthwhile suggestion, but she is offended that he even noticed.
Sheldon also lives by a set of neurotic rules. He only sits in one place in the apartment because it is perfect in cool or warm weather for a variety of reasons, and he becomes uncomfortable if he is forced to sit anywhere else. He is also a compulsive labeler and organizer, a fact that gets him in trouble with Penny when he sneaks into her apartment while she's asleep so he can clean.
Each character's profession, in the Sheldon/Howard/Rajesh trio, reveals a little about his personality. Sheldon is a theoretical physicist, an occupation that deals primarily with theory and thought.
The Body Characters: Penny (Kaley Cuoco) / Howard (Simon Helberg)
Where Sheldon is a theoretical physicist, Howard is an engineer. His profession is focused on actually building things and making them work. He is also obsessed with sex.
When Penny comes over to complain about a 'friend,' the so-called 'whore of Omaha,' Howard disappears immediately and then reappears later having entered a relationship with this 'friend' of Penny's. Penny tells him her friend will only stick around as long as he keeps buying her stuff, that she's using him, but he doesn't care, as long as their relationship lasts.
In another episode, all the male characters are attending a social function at work, but only Howard brings a date - one he paid to come with him.
Penny is not as lecherous as Howard, but she is still a body character. Her interests center around going out with her friends, dancing, and hooking up with different guys. In the first season, she goes through about three different boyfriends.
When she's with the guys, she often makes references to sex or to undressing in order to get their attention, but they usually don't respond. She doesn't understand their intellectual pursuits and is often bored or asleep when she participates in their social circles, Halo notwithstanding.
The Spirit Characters: Leonard (Johnny Galecki) / Rajesh (Kunal Nayyar)
Rajesh is a software engineer (Update: In later seasons, his profession mysterious changes to astrophysicist, which still has 'spirit connotations). It's a little hard to explain how that equates to a spirit character - you may need to be a little bit of a nerd yourself to see it clearly. He has high levels of anxiety and can only talk to beautiful women if he is drunk or drugged. When his parents try to set him up, he is reluctant, but when Leonard tries to steal the girl, Rajesh becomes jealous.
Leonard also has a high level of anxiety when it comes to women. When decides to ask his female coworker out on a date, he has to equate the date to a social experiment in order to keep the conversation in a comfortable zone for himself. Later, when the coworker uses him as a one night stand, Leonard is emotionally devastated.
A large part of Leonard's emotional energy is spent on Penny. Every time she is hurt by some guy, he feels a compelling need to comfort her. He also has a crush on her, and unlike Howard, who wants her body, Leonard wants an all-encompassing relationship.
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