The Big Bang Theory: The Love Spell Potential (6x23)

This may be the first time that I have seen this show handle a serious issue well. They've tried it a few times in the past, but in my opinion, the episodes with some more weight to them fail to balance the humor with the serious topic. Here, we finally have it done right. Not only with one storyline, but with two. Let's take a look:

The guys are all geared up to play a game of Dungeons and Dragons while the girls go to Vegas. However, when Lucy says she's free to hang out, Raj leaves. Meanwhile, the girls come back due to a mishap in the airport, and they decide to play D&D with the guys.

A relatively simple setup, sure. But it made for some great comedic moments and some great serious ones as well. I'll start with Raj and Lucy.

Lucy isn't the most interesting of characters. She basically plays the girl version of Raj, which is actually pretty boring in terms of a couple setup. However, in this episode we saw their relationship explored in a real way. Lucy tells Raj that she wants to try doing things that scare her, but when Raj tries to help her send back substandard food at the restaurant, she escapes out the window of the bathroom to get away from the date.

Raj tells her that her constant fleeing is difficult for him, since he's insecure. I really loved his line of dialogue here: "I like you a lot! And that's scary for me! Mostly because you're a proven flight risk." This line is funny, and it also avoids trivializing the very real social anxiety problems that Raj and Lucy both suffer from. They get to share a kiss in this episode, which to me feels like a good way to open up a new and more positive chapter for Raj.

The other plot had a fantastic mix of jokes and a more serious topic too. Most of the comedy in the episode came from Howard's hilarious celebrity impersonations. He was Dungeon Master for the game, and he worked several impressions into the game. I can't even describe to you what these impersonations are like - you have to go see them for yourself. It was a really clever way to work in an actor's talent, and I was cracking up.

I also loved Penny's attitude throughout the episode. She wasn't happy that she didn't get to go to Vegas, but she was a pretty good sport about playing the game with the boys. She made one joke about how girls don't play D&D that I found a bit annoying, but she was pretty funny nonetheless. As the game went on, her and the other girls actually got pretty into it. I liked how the episode showed D&D as a game that can actually be a lot of fun, even if you aren't traditionally "nerdy."

I also have to talk about the hilarious conversation between Leonard and Sheldon concerning Sheldon's distaste for change. He wants Leonard to be Dungeon Master, because he normally is. He isn't sure what he thinks about Howard taking the reigns. Leonard reminds Sheldon that sometimes change can be okay, like how he liked Zachary Quinto as Spock. Sheldon is very agitated about that, and he says that Leonard is always throwing that in his face. "Zachary Quinto was a weird, wonderful, unrepeatable event, so stop using him against me!"This had me cracking up. It may be because I was in Sheldon's shoes, myself. I didn't know if I was going to like the new Star Trek cast, being such fans of the original. But I think that Quinto and Pine are an excellent pair of actors for Spock and Kirk, and even if the two Abrams movies have their flaws, casting of the leads is not one of them. Sorry for the tangent, but I think this joke really worked for me because of how well I related to it.

And now for the serious part. The gang makes a silly joke about Sheldon and Amy having sex in the game of D&D since they will never do it in real life. This upsets Amy, and Sheldon goes back to his bedroom where the two of them can talk. Now, I personally think that Sheldon is asexual. But in this moment, we saw how willing he was to put someone else's needs ahead of his own. Amy and Sheldon keep playing the game, rolling the dice and describing what their characters are doing to each other in the game. It was a bit awkward to listen to and watch, but it was also a seriously genuine moment.

Amy asked real questions of their relationship, and Sheldon answered honestly. I think it's sweet that he considers their relationship extremely intimate as it is. He is so hesitant at being close to people but he really does care for Amy. I liked to see their relationship being treated with respect rather than ridicule.

As you can see, this episode was a serious win for me. While there were a few jokes that fell flat, most of them were great. Serious issues were addressed with respect, but the severity didn't outweigh the humor. I thoroughly enjoyed watching this one!

9/10