The Big Bang Theory: The Complete Eighth Season Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		4.0
Video		4.0
Audio		3.5
Extras		3.0
Overall		4.0

The Big Bang Theory: The Complete Eighth Season Blu-ray Movie Review

Love, Loss and What T-Shirts They Wore

Reviewed by Michael Reuben September 22, 2015

The eighth season of CBS's venerable comedy, The Big Bang Theory (or "BBT"), may best be remembered for a sad event, the death of actress Carol Ann Susi, who had supplied the off-screen voice of Mrs. Wolowitz, Howard's monster of a mother, since the series began. How the cast and crew reacted, and how the show's writers ultimately chose to deal with the loss of an original cast member, is the subject of a short feature included with this Blu-ray set. For the sake of viewers who have yet to catch up with Season 8, I will not discuss how Ms. Susi's death affected the show's plotting. Let's just say that the writers allowed themselves to explore new territory for BBT, which is something the creative forces behind a long-running show must do anyway, if it is to remain vital and popular.

And BBT is still undeniably popular, despite the predictable internet pronouncements that the series has passed its prime, lost its edge, no longer delivers laughs, etc. Even as old viewers drop away, new ones discover BBT in reruns or on video. One such convert was Billy Bob Thornton, who discovered the show through his mother and ended up appearing as the marquee guest star of Season Eight. As displayed at the Comic-Con panel included in this set's extras, BBT keeps its writers room fresh by routinely adding new (and younger) faces. Expect BBT to continue, as long as the audience remains, even if it's not identical to the audience with which the show began in 2007.

As for the Season Eight Blu-ray set, the only notable departure from previous years is that Warner Home Entertainment has decided to omit the DVD copy previously included with the initial release of most previous seasons.

Spoiler alert: Familiarity with prior seasons is assumed. If you aren't up to the end of Season Seven, don't read any further.

According to writer and executive producer Steve Molaro, BBT's writing team doesn't plan their seasons in advance, but it isn't hard to spot that relationship issues are a recurring concern throughout Season Eight. It begins in the very first episode, "The Locomotion Interruption", when Sheldon (Jim Parsons) returns from his three-month walkabout on America's railroad lines and has to face the hurt and anger of girlfriend Amy (Mayim Bialik) at his failure to bid her farewell. To make matters worse, Sheldon's return is necessitated by circumstances that are . . . let's call them "straitened", and he doesn't even turn to Amy for help. As usual, it's Leonard (Johnny Galecki) who has to drive to the rescue, with Amy in tow for moral support.

Penny (Kaley Cuoco-Sweeting) refuses to accompany Leonard, because of Sheldon's notorious resistance to change. The lady has radically shortened her hair for the first time in the series, and it's a sign of other changes in Penny's life that will stress the new-found equilibrium she and Leonard have achieved in their blissful state of being perpetually engaged. By the end of the season, even Sheldon is asking why they haven't set a wedding date. Meanwhile, Penny stumbles (or, one could say, is shoved) into a new career that is potentially life-changing. What happens to a "dumb" blonde who is suddenly taken seriously and can pay all her bills? How will her congenitally insecure fiancé react upon discovering that she now makes more money than he does?

The Wolowitzes, Howard and Bernadette (Simon Helberg and Melissa Rauch), also have money issues, which, with her usual bluntness, Bernadette has no trouble stating directly: Howard spends too much on toys. This argument blends easily into another about Howard's reluctance to do household chores. All of this goes back to the very long apron strings of Mrs. Wolowitz (Carol Ann Susi, never seen). The growing friendship (if that's what it is) between Howard's mom and comic store owner Stuart (Kevin Sussman), who moved in temporarily with "Debbie" (as he calls her) when his store burned down last season, continues to be a problem for Howard in Season Eight. His fears of being replaced in his mother's affections escalate to panic when the rebuilt comic store finally reopens, and Mrs. Wolowitz invites Stuart to remain with her indefinitely. The standoff between the two rivals for the elderly lady's affection leads to one of Season Eight's most memorable moments (Episode 15, "The Comic Book Store Regeneration").

Raj (Kunal Nayyar) continues to explore his new-found relationship with the red-headed, dark-souled doctor, Emily (Laura Spencer), but he has misgivings, which Emily enjoys tweaking. Still, as his friends are not shy about pointing out, Raj is unlikely to break up with any woman who will actually sleep with him. They do notice, however, that most of the affection in Raj's life is expressed toward his dog, Cinnamon, which leads to an embarrassing game called "Emily or Cinnamon" (Episode 13, "The Anxiety Optimization"). Complicating Raj's emotional life are family issues, which result in a Christmas-time visit from his father, Dr. V.M. Koothrappali (Brian George) (Episode 11, "The Clean Room Infiltration").

As for Sheldon and Amy, the fallout from their initial confrontation in Episode 1 continues throughout the season, despite many moments of apparent harmony, such as joining together for the final episode of Sheldon's internet show, "Fun with Flags" (Episode 10, "The Champagne Reflection"), or buying a joint pet (Episode 17, "The Colonization Application"). Being who he is, Dr. Sheldon Cooper can't help but disappoint every romantic impulse that Amy expresses. By the end of the season, everyone wonders what will happen next.

As always, BBT's writers find new situations in which the characters can reveal themselves in some unexpected way. Standout examples in Season Eight include the bacholerette-style outing to Las Vegas by Penny, Bernadette and Amy (Episode 5, "The Focus Attenuation"); the attempt at a high school prom "do over" on the roof of the apartment building (Episode 8, "The Prom Equivalency"); Leonard's invitation to speak at his high school commencement (Episode 22, "The Graduation Transmission"); and, above all, the too-long-in-coming confrontation between Sheldon's Scripture-quoting mother (Laurie Metcalfe) and the chilly shrink who birthed Leonard (Christine Baranski) (Episode 23, "The Maternal Combustion"). "I'm sure your mother loves you very much", Mary Cooper tells Leonard after meeting Dr. Beverly Hofstadter. "In her own cold, God-less way."

The Big Bang Theory: The Complete Eighth Season Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

As with previous seasons, Warner has released BBT's Season 7 on two 1080p, AVC-encoded BD-50s. The result, like BBT's visual style, is consistent with prior season releases. The digitally acquired image is sharp and detailed without any harshness, and there are no obvious artifacts in the form of video noise, banding or other anomalies. Blacks are deep and solid, and the colors reflect typical TV sitcom aesthetics. The image doesn't "pop", but it isn't dull either. The average bitrate continues to hover around 15.9 Mbps for each episodes, which seems to be sufficient given the nature of the material and the quality of the compression work.

The Big Bang Theory: The Complete Eighth Season Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

BBT continues to enjoy a 5.1 sound mix, encoded in lossless DTS-HD MA, but the main action remains in front, with audience reaction shading to the sides and a little to the rear. The major use of surrounds occurs during the whirling-atom scene changes and the Bare Naked Ladies theme song that opens and closes each episode. Unlike Season 7, where a Star Wars-themed dream provided an opportunity for more daring sound effects, Season Eight remains relatively tame throughout. Even Howard's adventure at an L.A. Angels baseball game (Episode 3, "The First Pitch Insufficiency") doesn't go overboard with the sounds of the cheering crowd.

The Big Bang Theory: The Complete Eighth Season Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

• Shooting Stars: BBT on BBT (disc 1) (1080i; 1.78:1; 5:01): The other BBT is Billy Bob Thornton, who guest stars as Dr. Lorvis in Episode 7, "The Misinterpretation Agitation". Thornton talks about the anxiety of returning to TV comedy after over two decades in the movie industry. Chuck Lorre approached him after reading in an interview that BBT is the favorite show of Thornton's mother.



• 2014 Big Bang Theory Comic-Con Panel (disc 1) (1080i; 1.78:1; 28:21): Kate Micucci and Riki Lindhome introduce the session with a customized performance of "If I Didn't Have You" (Howard's song to Bernadette from Season 7). The writers' discussion, with a guest appearance by Wil Wheaton, provides insight into both the characters and the dynamic of the writing process.



• It's a Quark . . . It's an Atom . . . It's the #BBTSuperfans! (disc 2) (1080p; 1.78:1; 12:29): This featurette follows the winners of an online contest as they spend the day touring the set, meeting the cast and attending the taping of an episode. If nothing else, the extent of the response to the contest, which required a deep knowledge of BBT trivia, demonstrates that the show's fanbase remains strong.



• Constellation Prize: Chuck, Jim & Kaley Make the Hollywood Walk of Fame (disc 2) (1080p; 1.78:1; 3:52): Although the title suggests that producer Lorre and stars Cuoco-Sweeting and Parsons received their stars on the Walk of Fame simultaneously, the events occurred in three different years. This featurette assembles footage from each ceremony.



• Here's to You, Carol Ann Susi (disc 2) (1080p; 1.78:1; 9:47): In the single best extra on the set, the cast pays tribute to the woman who gave life to Mrs. Wolowitz with nothing but her voice. Ms. Susi died on November 11, 2014, after a battle with cancer.



• Gag Reel (disc 2) (1080p; 1.78:1; 7:17): The usual collection of missed cues, blown lines and prop malfunctions.

The Big Bang Theory: The Complete Eighth Season Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

What I said in my conclusion to the review of BBT's Season 7 still holds true: For those who have tired of (or never liked) the show, Season Eight will not convert them. For current fans, Season Eight demonstrates yet again the versatility of the characters and situations initially built by creators Chuck Lorre and Bill Prady and brought to life by the talented cast. The writers' ability to address the loss of an important cast member with both dignity and humor, and in a manner consistent with the show's aesthetic, is a testament to the integrity of the entire production. Though a little lighter on extras than in previous years, the Blu-rays are as good as ever. Highly recommended.