Overview: He's baaack! Sheldon is retrieved from his soul-searching cross-country train trip (older but no wiser) and that means The Big Bang Theory gang's all here to spread another year's cheer as TV's most attended laugh seminar. Enroll in this comic curriculum to explore Leonard's minor surgery becoming a major catastrophe for his roommate, Howard's obsession over his mom's relationship with retailer-turned-caretaker Stuart, and the peculiar results of Penny's technique as a pharmaceutical sales rep.

Blu ray Verdict: As always with this show, the acting, script and editing are all first-class. Not one line or scene is wasted. But the sets and the characters have unfortunately not changed and the show doesn't take risks with its plots. One thing I still find uncomfortable is its treatment of women. It's good that we now have Bernadette and Amy, both of whom are great, but often they're still portrayed as appendages of their boyfriends, Howard and Sheldon.

Yes, the woman now get their own scenes, but they're often talking about the men, not their own issues. And the portrayal of Penny remains problematic. All the guys objectify her. Yes, OK, the joke is that she is a blonde bimbo, but that's getting a bit old. I hate it when the script compares her with Amy - Amy is always seen as a lesser person because she is not as physically attractive as Penny.

What sort of example are we setting for young viewers? The gang have now been together in their little apartment complex for 10 years. Surely these guys, earning their kind of money, would have moved onward and upwards by now? Big Bang has had a great run for any sitcom, but I feel it's time for a major overhaul. And I don't mean Penny's drastic new pixie haircut "overhaul" either! Wow, that was a nasty shock, and not something I ever got used to seeing on screen, sorry. Perhaps we can add some new characters. Or a spin- off, even?

Anyway, back on point and this eighth season - which now has Jim Parsons, Kaley Cuoco-Sweeting and Johnny Galecki all signed on for a MILLION dollars per episode (!) - there's a reason they're stacking up Emmy's these days, trust me. Particularly Jim Parsons, whose comedic timing and refusal to be a one-note cliché are stellar, but it's Penny's career which takes a different turn here. Raj and Howard both continue to develop as characters, when don't they, and both Amy and Bernadette are also hilarious characters (as always). Oh, and speaking of Howard, holy cow, give the guy a break! He doesn't have to always be the butt of the joke. The very first episode of the season would have been so much better had they just let him have him moment of glory!

In closing, the show obviously has its ups and downs, just like any other on television, but it manages to keep coming up with new ways to make you laugh. Also the main characters are much different than what you'd normally see. Usually in comedies you have either all perfect poster boys/girls everywhere, or the typical funny fat guy, but the skinny 'nerds' have you cheering for the unsung hero; each and every time. This is a Widescreen Presentation (1.77:1) enhanced for 16x9 TVs and comes with the Special Features of:

2014 Comic-Con Panel
Shooting Stars: BBT on BBT
Constellation Prize
Here's To You, Carol Ann Susi
It's A Quark ... It's An Atom ... It's the #BBTSuperfans!
Gag Reel

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