Rating summary

Movie		2.5
Video		4.0
Audio		3.0
Extras		2.5
Overall		3.0

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

The whole of Season Six rests in a hot, dense state, in desperate need of a spark, a bang, anything...

Reviewed by Kenneth Brown September 12, 2013

I haven't tried to hide the fact that, despite my love of nearly all things geek culture, I'm not a fan of The Big Bang Theory. Try as I might, I've never warmed to it. Were this a perfect world, I'd happily pass the latest series release to someone who thoroughly enjoys the show, which I managed to do with Seasons One and Two last year. Alas, it wasn't meant to be this time around, and a deadline beckons. So in what I'm sure will soon be a wildly unsuccessful attempt to maintain the harmony of the Big Bang Theory forum thread, the following review of The Complete Sixth Season has been divided into two micro-reviews: the first a gushing writeup by a hypothetical longtime fan (played with grinning faux-enthusiasm by yours truly, and loosely based on the rather vague but impassioned ravings of a close friend); the second a harsh (but honest!) indictment of a terminally ill sitcom that's grown duller and dumber, lazier and lousier, and more and more obvious over the past six years. Pick your poison...

In Season Six, fun discoveries multiply: Leonard learns jealousy is bad for a relationship (with Penny) but science is good for seduction (of Penny). Howard finds life on the International Space Station is no escape from terrestrial turmoil between his overbearing mom and his new wife Bernadette. Raj meets someone special who may be a good match, if only he can keep her from fleeing mid-date. Even Sheldon learns a few things: a) what not to say when called in to meet the university's employee relations director, b) what happens to childhood TV idols and c) that a Dungeons & Dragons adventure can be the icebreaker his relationship with Amy needs.

Micro-Review #1: Love it!

The funniest sitcom in the Delta Quadrant returns with another hilarious 24-episode Kessel run! That's right. Random, wholly unrelated Star Trek and Star Wars references in the same sentence. Boom! It works for The Big Bang Theory, and it works for me. I even explained the origins of the references immediately after dropping them, just like the series does with almost every joke! Ahem... sorry, cheap shot. I'll stay in character. Season Six may not be quite as reliable or consistent as the series' best -- after thirteen episodes of comicbook hijinks, awkwardly costumed hilarity and misadventures in theoretical physics, the writers loose a bit of steam -- but it's all in good fun and, more importantly, in good spirits. Johnny Galecki and Jim Parsons set their phasers to kill and hardly ever miss, even when the occasional episode is unfocused and, yes, unfunny (compared to most); Simon Helberg and Kunal Nayyar continue to support the big guns in the Big Bang JLA with aplomb, earning big laughs as scene-stealers Howard and Raj; and the girls cross streams with the boys, and do so without fear of what might happen to the series universe. Minus Penny, that is, who continues to be the only needlessly unlikable character on the show. Even so, the sixth season is a solid series outing, with enough Comic-Con cred and Goonies gold to leave devoted fans begging for more.

Micro-Review #2: Loathe It.

I've been begging The Big Bang Theory for more from the beginning. More laughs. More wit. More heart. More fire. More carefully crafted jokes, more clever references, and more love and respect for the books, games, comics, TV series and movies the showrunners exploit in any given episode. (Other than Trek, which is frequently at the core of the series' best bits.) Season Six is even more mean-spirited than past seasons, and more disinterested in anything other than its characters' sex lives and relationship woes. Worse, the overwhelming majority of the episodes are haphazardly referential rather than brilliantly and bitingly reverential. (Again, the Trek-centric eps are home to the finest material.) There's a thin line between a hollow reference drawn out of a hat at random and some quick-witted reverence sprinkled atop fringe hobbies and fiction. For whatever reason, though, Big Bang is all too happy to trample over anything and everything in its path, including the characters themselves. Penny, in particular, is ever the voice of disdain and judgment, mocking and abusing the outcasts she calls friends for no clear reason other than to prevent Leonard, Sheldon, Howard and Raj from being seen as something more than two-dimensional caricatures of pencil-pushing, trivia-spewing, socially stunted Trekkers and comic geeks.

I get the distinct feeling the show may not like many of its mainstays anymore... or perhaps everyone on screen (or behind the camera) are growing bored with churning out the same five episodes over and over again (with different references, Mad Lib style). The always-explosive studio laughter and grand pauses the actors take after each joke only compounds the issue, rendering Season Six an endless parade of heavy-handed setups and predictable punchlines. There aren't even as many wacky adventures, roadtrips and costume parties this season to mix things up. Don't get me wrong, it's rare that I escape the clutches of an episode completely unamused. (Wil Wheaton! LeVar Burton!) There are genuine joys to be had, sparse as they are for someone who doesn't dig the show in its entirety. But The Big Bang Theory should be my favorite comedy on television. My greatest delight shouldn't be playing another round of "what T-shirt will Sheldon wear next!?" The show was made for people like me, supposedly by people like me. So why is it I always walk away feeling as if the series, Season Six above all, has spent its twenty-plus episodes laughing at me, rather than with me?

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

Warner's 1080p/AVC-encoded presentation looks just fine, without any major eyesores or irritations to report. All 24 sixth season episodes are spread evenly across two BD-50 discs, and don't exhibit any significant signs of overcrowding or limited space. Macroblocking, banding and other compression-born anomalies are kept to an easily ignored minimum, and very little seems out of sorts. Colors and skintones are strong and steady, and not quite as oversaturated as in previous seasons. Moreover, primaries pack a powerful punch, black levels are deep and inky, and contrast is consistent from start to finish. Detail is decidedly decent too, with clean edge definition, generally well-resolved textures and problem-free delineation. The Big Bang Theory doesn't boast a razor-sharp image; nor has it ever. Chalk it up to the series' photography, though. The Complete Sixth Season earns its keep.

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

The Big Bang Theory beams down yet another flat, front-heavy, altogether uninvolving DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 surround track. Dialogue is clean and clear, and sound effects are suitably slick and comical. Studio laughter is tinny and pinched, though, and scene transitions remain the most satisfying two seconds of each episode's lossless mix. LFE output is restrained to the point of abandoning the show and the rear speakers are much too subdued, offering little in the way of immersion. The saving grace here is that the show really couldn't sound much better. Unfortunately, that doesn't amount to much in the way of sonic fortitude.

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

• The Final Comedy Frontier (HD, 11 minutes): Astronauts Buzz Aldrin and Mike Massimino join the Big Bang crew to talk about Howard's mission to space, where he spends the first episodes of Season Six.
• Houston, We Have a Sitcom (HD, 10 minutes): The cast members surprise astronaut Joe Acaba with a live Skype chat as he circles the earth in the International Space Station.
• The Big Bang Theory at Paley Fest 2013 (HD, 28 minutes): The cast and executive producers field questions during a live-broadcast Q&A hosted at Paley Fest 2013.
• Electromagnetism: The Best Relationship Moments in Season 6 (HD, 30 minutes): The actors discuss their characters' relationships in four interviews. Segments include "Leonard & Penny," "Sheldon & Amy," "Howard & Bernadette" and "Raj."
• Gag Reel (HD, 9 minutes): A lengthy series of outtakes.

Blu-ray/DVD/UltraViolet Combo Pack Contents (Subject to Change): The initial combo pack release of The Complete Sixth Season features a slipcover (with the original pressing), two BD-50 discs, three standard DVDs, and an UltraViolet digital copy (Flixster download via redemption code, expires 9/10/2015). Please note: The Complete Sixth Season UltraViolet digital copy is not iTunes compatible.

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

Love it or loathe it, The Big Bang Theory furthers its descent into mediocrity with twenty-four episodes that hit terminal velocity mid-plummet. Season Six will undoubtedly be adored by those who wouldn't turn their backs on the show no matter its sins, while casual fans will continue to come untethered and drift away. Warner's Blu-ray release is hit or miss as well, with solid video but underwhelming audio. The supplemental package, meanwhile, is decent enough I suppose, but a few cast commentaries would be a most welcome addition. All told, I keep waiting to glean consistent laughs from The Big Bang Theory. If Season Six is any indication, though, the laughs will continue to be sporadic and short-lived.