Although The Big Bang Theory can sometimes rely on the comedy of Sheldon Cooper too much, this week’s Sheldon-centric episode struck just the right chord. He got to deliver a plethora of hilarious oh-so-Sheldon one-liners, and we got to see the gang realize that without him things can actually be a little dull. Plus there were the added bonuses of seeing Sheldon out of his comfort zone and seeing Amy continue to try and perk up her heartsick bestie.
Not only was Sheldon annoyed that the gang started hanging out at Raj’s house just because Leonard was dating Priya, but he was crushed to find out that he was not the social nucleus of the group. I love how Sheldon at once manages to know that he’s different from everyone else (in a better way, of course) and also believe that he’s the glue holding the gang together.
Seeing the motley crew that Sheldon pulled together for his backup friends was fantastic. Stu from the comic book store? The guy with the speech impediment from the university? Penny’s ex-boyfriend? Of the three, I’ve always liked Penny’s ex the best, so I was glad to see him reappear.
The real highlight of the episode, though, was Amy Farrah Fowler. I’m absolutely loving her friendship with Penny, and I really commend the writers for finding a great way to use this character that doesn’t solely rely on Sheldon. She was introduced to the group through Sheldon, and their relationship is still funny and interesting, but they’ve done great things with Amy and Penny. She has the same unintentional insulting condescension that Sheldon has, but with much better intentions.
Overall, I really liked the episode. It was nice to see the gang realize that, whether they like it or not, they’ve become accustomed to Sheldon’s presence. We learned a while back why Leonard remained his roommate, but this was extra validation for his place in their social circle. What did you think of “The Toast Derivation”? Do you want this Leonard/Priya thing to last (I do, if only for Amy’s hilarious observations) or do you want to see him get back together with Penny? Does it matter? Now, check out these Sheldon-heavy highlights:
- “And be a social pariah? You know that’s not my style.” – Sheldon, when Leonard suggests he read a book
- “We could also stop using the letter M. But I think that idea is isguided and oronic.” – Sheldon
- “Oh, Indians making Tex-Mex…Might as well have gone with the Chinese pizza.” – Sheldon
- “Oh look, it’s Harry Potter and 98% of The Sorcerer’s Stone.” – Sheldon
- “Water. Neat. With a little umbrella.” – Sheldon
- “At one point Raj put on reggae music and his sister took off her shoes. It was like the last days of Caligula.” – Sheldon
- Best lines of the night go to Amy’s mentions of Priya, which included “I know you’re devastated that your ex-boyfriend has an exciting new lover with flawless, camel colored skin” and “You do understand that it will distract you from the rich variety of sweet loving that your ex-boyfriend is currently receiving from the fiery jewel of Mumbai.”
- “I’m the whimsical elf that everyone wants to be around.” – Sheldon
- “I had to leave. They were having fun wrong.” – Sheldon
- How many sitcom appearances is LeVar Burton planning on doing, anyway?
