The Big Bang Theory: The Property Division Collision (10x10)

Hey, I actually thought this one was fairly cute. Elements that have tended to annoy me in the past actually got better, and there was an actual big step being made by a couple of the characters.

Cons:

I do wish some of these ideas could be pushed further, though. Some of this stuff felt repetitive. Raj and Stuart are fighting over who gets to be the third wheel with Bernadette and Howard. It's decently entertaining, actually, and has a good emotional payoff, but it feels like retreading the same old ground. I want to see Raj with his new love interest, or see Stuart find some meaning in his life outside of his sad-sack ways. Instead, we got a whole subplot to remind us that the writers often don't really know what to do with these characters to make them distinct individuals.

Pros:

That being said, there were a lot of really funny lines with this setup. Howard and Bernadette selfishly take full advantage of Stuart and Raj fighting over who gets to help more. I also loved Raj's line to Stuart: "this pregnancy had an emotionally needy third wheel long before you came along!" Stuart asks why there can't be four wheels, and Raj is angry with him for making such a good point. And like I said, this plot thread actually had an emotionally satisfying payoff. Bernadette goes into labor, and Raj and Stuart instantly put their squabbling aside and spring in to action. They're all part of Team Baby, after all.

The main plot involves Amy and Sheldon wanting to make Penny's apartment feel more like their own, now that they've decided to stay living together. Amy gives back the portrait she had commissioned of her and Penny, to Penny's horror. This sparks a conversation about Leonard and Sheldon's shared property, and who should get what. Sheldon selfishly provides reasons why he should be the one to get everything, and Leonard angrily tells him to take it all. He does keep their apartment flag, though, just to taunt Sheldon. Things escalate when Sheldon rents out his room to a random stranger named Theodore. It's actually Theodore who cuts through all the tension and says he thinks that Leonard and Sheldon are fighting because they're struggling to adjust to the official end of living together. It really is the end of an era.

The Big Bang Theory often produces some of its best material when it plays off of the emotional connection between Sheldon and Leonard. The two of them haven't been living together for the past several episodes, but seeing the official end of that arrangement actually was kind of emotionally affecting. Luckily, because this is a sitcom and because this show never really makes big changes, Sheldon and Leonard are still living across the hall from each other, and are still going to be popping into each other's lives on a daily basis.

There were a lot of great one-liners here, too. May favorite was when Sheldon storms out of the apartment, angry at Leonard, telling Amy to come with him. "I know when I'm not wanted." Amy's response is "I don't think you do, but okay." That was a great line, and the delivery from Amy was spot-on.

Later, as Sheldon and Leonard start to squabble, Sheldon changes the WiFi password and Leonard asks Penny for help with some revenge. Her response: "My go-to move is sleep with the person's boyfriend, but I kinda feel like I'm already doing that." Not only was that classic early-season Penny, it was also a great little jab at Leonard and Sheldon's co-dependent friendship.

So. That's basically it. We've got Bernadette's baby on the way next time. I hope this show actually makes a big change and shows the challenges of having a baby. Too often in sitcoms babies become a forgotten plot device. I hope that doesn't happen here, but I'm not holding my breath!

8.5/10