The Big Bang Theory: The Gates Excitation (11x18)

Leonard kind of sucks, doesn't he?

Cons:

I'm not sure that Bill Gates really brought enough to this episode to make the cameo worthwhile. One of the biggest problems with this show overall is that often its "jokes" are no more than just pointing out that a thing exists. Having Bill Gates in your episode isn't enough to make the joke. You have to actually do something with the concept.

Like I said, Leonard kind of sucks. He goes behind Penny's back to meet Bill Gates even though she clearly explained that this was important to her and she wanted to keep things professional. Then, because she knows meeting Bill Gates is a dream of Leonard's, she manages to find a way to make that happen. But to cover for his mistake, Leonard lies and pretends he's sick. I understand that it's a common sitcom conceit to show spouses lying to each other, but this just made Leonard seem like a crappy husband in every way. We see that he plans an elaborate apology for Penny, but we don't actually see that apology take place. I'm willing to bet that we don't actually see the fall-out from this situation play out in the coming weeks. It'll be back to bland Penny and Leonard doing nothing on the sidelines. Sigh.

The entire joke of Amy and Bernadette's plot thread is "Bernadette is a mother of two so all she talks about are her kids." This is one of the most stale jokes in the book. I suppose I should be grateful that this sitcom actually acknowledges parenthood as a significant change in someone's life, instead of virtually ignoring the kids once they're born.

There was one unnecessary joke where Sheldon thought a pair of underwear belonged to Penny, but they didn't. The whole joke was that the underwear were far too large to belong to her. Just... maybe stop making pointless fat jokes that aren't even the slightest bit clever?

Pros:

I did like when Bernadette tries to hack her "mom brain" to help her learn new skills quickly. That was a wacky and original way for her to handle her new situation, and Amy's reactions were pretty great.

I also liked the hints of Penny's professional development, as we hear that she might be up for a promotion if her day with Bill Gates goes well. Of course, we don't get nearly enough of this, but the potential is still there.

As silly as the stuff with Sheldon was, I will admit that it was mostly just harmless fun. The idea that for all his brilliance, the guys are able to so easily trick him to keep him away from Bill Gates is pretty funny.

I guess that's all. Sometimes I just can't believe I still make myself watch this show.

6.5/10