The Big Bang Theory: The Status Quo Combustion (7x24)

The title is apt. Many things are changing on The Big Bang Theory, and I should say - it's about time.

Leonard and Penny announce their engagement, and while everyone is excited, this news is eclipsed by Raj's announcement that he slept with Emily. Leonard's mom hears the news of Leonard's engagement, and is just as apathetic as always. She says that Sheldon approves of Penny, so she's okay with it. Leonard is annoyed that his mother talks to Sheldon more than to him.

Sheldon, who as we all know isn't good with change, is suddenly bombarded with it. The university won't let him switch his specialty from string theory, even though he doesn't feel he can pursue it anymore. Penny and Leonard think about where they'll live now that they're getting married, and Sheldon is horrified that they don't want to live with him. (Even though, funnily enough, Leonard's potential scenarios all involve them staying in that apartment building, across the hall from one another.)

Amy suggests that Sheldon could live with her, which of course he doesn't take well. Then, just when he can't take any more change, he sees that Stuart's comic book store has had a serious fire, and this is the final straw. He decides to take off. Penny and Leonard track him down to the train station, but Sheldon insists that leaving is something he needs to do, so he can figure out his next move. Leonard and Penny say goodbye to him. Amy is furious at Leonard for letting Sheldon go.

Meanwhile, Howard and Bernadette are unable to find a nurse that will stay and help with Howard's mom. They all quit very quickly after they start working there. Bernadette even offers the job to Penny, but she quits right away, too. Eventually, however, two problems are solved at once: Stuart, who has lost his livelihood, starts working as Howard's mother's nurse, and he loves it. He gets along with her great. Bernadette and Howard gleefully depart, leaving Mrs. Wolowitz in Stuart's care.

Complaints?

I don't know... it's just sort of insulting and annoying, all the fat and disabled jokes about Mrs. Wolowitz. I think there's a line that this show has generally done a good job of not crossing when it comes to jokes about her. Lately, however, they've been crossing that line, and it makes me very uncomfortable.

Along the same note of vague discomfort, the jokes about Raj having sex felt really distasteful. Instead of talking about his connection with a human being who he really cares about, all he talked about was having sex with her. It's an uncomfortable and all-too-common trend with this show, but it felt very apparent in this particular episode.

The good stuff, however, was very good.

Sheldon dealing with change is something that we've seen on this show before, but I thought this was such a great way of keeping the humor while still focusing on the seriousness of the situation. Sheldon's having a genuinely difficult time, and the fact that he's going through something is not treated as a joke. As Penny and Leonard try to talk to him, they tell him that they'll miss him, and show him how much they care. They strike the right balance between being worried, and knowing that he's a grown man and that they can't always look after him.

Leonard's concern for Sheldon is always super adorable - no matter how many times Sheldon pisses him off, Leonard wants to be there for him when it truly matters. He's a good person - the best person on this show, probably.

Also, even if I'm make uncomfortable by the insensitivity of the jokes regarding Howard's mother, I still really liked the resolution. Stuart has now found a job where he can take care of someone else and really make a difference, but at the same time, it's a job he's uniquely suited for because he's going to have to put up with a lot of humiliation.

I think I'll leave it there. I've made no secret of this, but I will say that The Big Bang Theory is my least favorite show that I still watch regularly and review. It seems really stale to me at this point. Even so, I'll come back and at least see what Season Eight is going to bring.

7.5/10