This is all about Howard, the Beatle-haired, hoochie-pants-wearing, guy, with a need for intimacy, however crude it might be. His background has been well explored, coming from a Jewish single mother provided the core of his humorous activities for the first half the show's seasons. He is not what society recognises he should be, instead, he is keen to woo any lady that are close enough to be verbally attained. In the first season, he is up for dating the blond-beauty across the hall from his friends' apartment. My beef is not about the fact that he is a 'lady-killer', but that he is bordering on engineering's version of the pretend executive. He is unable to complete tasks, making errors that would see him cast out, and with that, a definite NO to space travel. That's right, if you are unaware of this character, he is also, as of the end of season 5, an astronaut. This was to fix engineering issues and then maintain them in the International Space Station. This is baffling in its own right. A quick mention should also go to his disregard for that which he has access. He once used a government recon-drone to find the 'Next-Top-Model' household, and if that wasn't bad enough, he then decided to break communication with a Mars Rover, just because he was attempting to impress a girl. The man is a threat to national and global security!
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| Mars-Rover Mayhem! |
So, let's look at the evidence for my theory that Howard is only half the engineer, and not the storming one that he achieves the accolades for. Thus, here we go...
Howard's Toilet Mishap:
In season 2, Howard is tasked with producing a zero-gravity toilet that ultimately ends up on the ISS. This toilet is later found to have issues, namely the release of excrement within the confines of the space station. After an evening of problem solving, he finds a solution to it, but not without a lot of messing about, and considerable help of his 'doctor' friends. This is okay if it is a singular mishap, but it is the beginning of many issues that serve to evidence my, eventual, theory. The end of this episode, incidentally, sees the ISS in orbit and the astronauts claiming that they need to leave the station for a space walk; they then alert Houston to the pending poop-fest that is now inside the capsule. This shows that, even with a lot of effort, it all failed anyway.
The Drone Dismemberment:
After Raj purchases a drone, Howard and Sheldon discover that it doesn't work properly. What does Howard do next, yes, he takes it apart. It is at this point that Sheldon reminds him of the toilet. Howard then makes the excuse that it worked, but it wasn't designed for the 'Russian potato-based diet'. Even after the eventual phone call to customer services, the drone picks up another signal and goes AWOL from their control. Another mess up from a skilled engineer? In his defence, Howard is also asked to fix Sheldon's train, informing the viewer that there is a notable skill in him that Sheldon can see, that's high praise, given the nature of Sheldon's character.
Miss-Use of Government Funds and Inventory:
This is a storm, so keep your hats firmly held on your heads. The largest misdemeanours that occur, other than the Next Top Model house, are:
- Robotic Arm: This is taken home and used to massage his shoulder. With his perversion taking hold, he then decides to use it for extras. Getting stuck, he is whisked to hospital, where the nurse frees is with the escape key. This happens a second time before the end of the episode.
- Creation: Howard makes a networked pair of mouths, for kissing! Creates Bernadette's diamond ring, with his mother's back hair, on the University's hydraulic press. He cooks his paninis to perfection with a heat-cupboard, offering this service to his buddies.
So, it isn't a great problem, pressing the diamond, and he is actually quite skilled at jewellery. This was evidenced when he joined the girls, and Raj, on one of their get-togethers. In this episode, they are making jewellery; he excels at this. The materials? They come from the University, where else?
Professor Hawking's Service:
Howard's skills are called upon by Professor Stephen Hawking. Making a visit to Pasadena, he is here to do a series of lectures and requires Howard to keep his chair in tip-top condition. After one of his servicing trips, he is found with a left over sprocket, and he doesn't know where it belongs! Another piece of evidence to show that he is inept!
On the Defence!
As a character, he is very funny and his absence whilst visiting the ISS was noticed. The show lacked the ludicrous outcomes of a needy nerd, hyped up on the fun with his wife and friends. There is no true answer to this, he must be good at some parts of his job, if not all. If NASA approve of him, and the University use him on loan from the Space Administration, then there has to be an engineering genius within him, possibly shown away from the contexts of the episodes that we see.
He is quite clearly engaged for humour, and I know that this is a silly question really. I like the character, and believe the show could offer up some of Howard's 'excellence' for a while. Even though the humour might lack a little, not being a mummy's boy, a pervert, and a doormat to Sheldon, would be a breath of fresh air. The latest offerings that see him as an inventor, creating a working radar system for use by the military, is closing in on this. The choice to make him need his friends to contractually keep him in the loop is a little sad, though. This was another way to show that he is a dependant, not able to survive without the hand of another to stabilise him.
Either way, he is a great character. Long live Howard Wolowitz! What do you think? Are there any parts of The Big Bang Theory that show him in a stronger light? For now, I hope that he is given some strength in future episodes, at least before the last one airs.
Written for @beingSTEM - 2017
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