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The Big Bang Theory Season 3 Episode 18

The Pants Alternative

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AIRED: Mar 22, 2010

7.8

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Episode Summary

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Sheldon's fear of speaking in front of large groups threatens his ability to accept an award, so the gang tries to help him get ready for the big night.

Fan Episode Reviews (4)

The Pants Alternative

6.5

By thefanof, May 27, 2011

And so The Big Bang Theory, a show that has been fairly clear of continuity errors during its run, has one here tonight. Remember when Sheldon gave a speech to, what I think was a college, about how none of them are going to make any worthwhile contributions to the field of science? There was also a minor little thing that bothered me as Leonard said the video was already loaded on Youtube, yet you could see it was loading as it played along when they watched it on the computer. But then again anything Leonard says usually bothers me.

Why does every sitcom have to have the cliched 'guy comes out of the dressing room in a bunch of ridiculous outfits'? It hasn't been funny in decades. The highlight of this episode for me was when Sheldon turned the tables and was acting like the psychiatrist to Leonard. That's one of the few things the show does well: having Sheldon appear in various other jobs such as the lawyer and the electronics store salesman.

As a whole though, this episode was just mediocre.moreless
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7.5

By Canogaparkcindy, Jan 25, 2011

Wow, an unexpected absolutely hysterical episode. I really do not know where to start. I was bothered by the continuity with Sheldon not being able to speak in public when he's done it many times before on this show, but was just so funny here, I let it slide. Seeing Sheldon drunk, wow. Definitely didn't expect that coming in to watching this episode.

We got Sheldon interacting with all the characters which is comedy gold in my opinion. From buying suits with Penny to the therapist session with Leonard or Raj's meditation, we just got some really hilarious scenes here.

Although I did find Sheldon getting drunk hard to fathom (especially after only what it seemed like 2 drinks), the scene was hilarious. And when he got up the next morning, I could not stop laughing. Especially after the Youtube video. Great episode tonight.moreless
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Sheldon should never drink....

10

By CUL8TRBY, Jul 11, 2010

In this episode we find out that Sheldon and a lot of wine do not mix well and he's still wearing whitey tighteys. He should really have a problem with speaking in public now. Leslie Winkle can now call him Dr. No Pants. Funny as it was ... Picturing Sheldon's mom coming for an intervention soon after someone from her church shows her youtube. Getting disappointed with the Raj character. You would think after almost two and a half years that he would at least be able to talk with Penny in the same room. What happened to Howard's girlfriend, we haven't seen her for quite sometime now.moreless
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Sheldon wins an award for excellence and then doesn't want to accept it as he will have to give a speech. It seems whenever he speaks to groups larger than 36 adults or 70 children (the number who could trample him) he becomes frightened and faints.moreless

8.0

By jyarter, Mar 23, 2010

This episode started off with such promise. I think I must have laughed out loud a half a dozen times in the first ten minutes. Unfortunately it got a little slow from that point on. I would say it was somewhat predictable compared to some of the really clever episodes of The Big Bang Theory they have had.

I still really enjoyed the acting and Penny and Leonard's relationship has reached a really comfortable state. There is nothing boring about it though. Each zings the other regularly and they are awfully good natured about it. When one of Leonard's friends has a problem she is always the one person with the most practical solution to the situation.

The solution to Sheldon's problem sort of just presented itself and the results were predictable as Sheldon doesn't drink. I enjoyed each of the actors performances and the story was enjoyable to a point. It just didn't have the pizazz that makes this show really special most of the time. Thanks for reading...moreless
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Cast & Crew: STARS

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Jim Parsons	Sheldon Cooper
Johnny Galecki	Leonard Hofstadter
Kaley Cuoco	Penny
Simon Helberg	Howard Wolowitz
Kunal Nayyar	Rajesh Koothrappali

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Episode Photos

Sheldon's (Jim Parsons) friends come to ...

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Sheldon's (Jim Parsons) friends come to ...

© 2010 CBS Corporation
Penny (Kaley Cuoco) and the rest of Shel...

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Penny (Kaley Cuoco) and the rest of Shel...

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Trivia, Notes, Quotes and Allusions

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TRIVIA (0)
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QUOTES (4)
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- Sheldon: Well, I assume since the rest of you have set the bar so low, you're saving the most impressive contribution for last. Go ahead, Howard, dazzle me.
  Howard: My power is the ability to pretend like I give a damn about your piddly-ass problems. And that's 24/7, buddy.
  Sheldon: And I appreciate the pretense.
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- Sheldon: The X-Men were named for the X in Charles Xavier. Since I am Sheldon Cooper, you will be my C-Men.
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- Sheldon: Penny and Leonard, would you be able to answer some questions I'm having about the events of last night?
  Penny: Sure.
  Sheldon: Question one, where are my pants?
  Leonard: You might want to check YouTube.
  Sheldon: What do I search?
  Leonard: It's already loaded. Just hit play.
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- Sheldon: This alcohol is defective. I do not feel any difference.
  Penny: (hands him another glass of wine) Here, try this one.
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NOTES (4)
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- This episode's end titles has Chuck Lorre's Vanity Card #282, a picture of the studio audience, proclaiming them to be all the laugh track the show needs in response to recent claims the show enhances its broadcasts with canned laughter.
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- The Italian episode title is "L'alternativa ai pantaloni". The German title is "Die dunkle Seite des Mondes", meaning "The Dark Side of the Moon". The French title is "Le Prix Scientifique", meaning "The Price of Science".
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- Music: Tom Lehrer's "The Elements", sung by Sheldon
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- International Airdates: Latin America: April 27, 2010 on Warner Channel; Australia: May 17, 2010 on Channel 9; United Kingdom: June 24, 2010 on E4; Finland: December 20, 2010 on Sub; Czech Republic: December 30, 2010 on Prima COOL; Turkey: January 31, 2011 on CNBC-e; Slovakia: November 10, 2011 on Markiza
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