The Big Bang Theory: The Fortification Implementation (8x20)

Kind of a lackluster episode in certain regards, but there was one plot thread that cracked me up, and a few funny moments besides. Let's dive in.

Sheldon is grumpy because he was not invited to a symposium at Richard Feynman's house with a bunch of his colleagues. He is moody and morose during his date night with Amy, which breaks the rules of their relationship agreement. Sheldon remembers what it was like to be left out as a child, when his siblings would build forts and not let him come inside. Amy offers to build a fort with Sheldon. They make a really cool fort, and Sheldon is having so much fun with Amy that he agrees to a sleepover so she won't have to leave. He is then disturbed to find that Amy had stashed sleepover supplies such as pajamas and a toothbrush in the apartment several years ago, just in case.

This plot thread was okay, but it didn't offer a ton of surprises or anything particularly special. I did enjoy Sheldon's obvious delight at the fort, and his loophole in their relationship agreement made me chuckle. (He holds up a picture of himself smiling to cover up his bad mood). Also, Amy and Sheldon play march madness with different forts, comparing their own creation to other famous forts such as Fort Knox. That was pretty cute. I wish we could have learned more about why Sheldon had been excluded, because I felt like there was a good opportunity for some reflection on Sheldon's social isolation.

Howard is granted official ownership of his mother's house after his estranged father signs away his rights. Howard is relieved that he didn't have to see his dad or deal with him in any way. As Howard, Bernadette, and Raj hang out at the house and try to decide what renovations to make (Howard votes for keeping everything the same), a knock sounds on the door. A man by the name of Josh shows up, claiming to be Sam Wolowitz's other son - Howard's half brother. Howard is at first very weirded out, and Raj is protective, wondering if this Josh guy is who he says he is. Eventually, however, Howard and Josh bond over Howard going to space, and his past sexual exploits with a robotic arm.

Ordinarily, I would condemn a show for throwing in a "long lost sibling" plot thread. It's cheesy and overdone. However, with this show I'm always grateful when we get potential A-plot developments. This entire plot arc with Howard's mother dying, dealing with his grief, with the house, and now with a new connection to his estranged father is actually really well done. I pray that they keep it going, and we get to see more of this Josh guy. Even though the setup is encouraging in that it affords future potential storytelling, this plot thread in and of itself was a little lackluster. Raj's protectiveness was cute, but nothing too funny or revealing happened with this whole "I have a brother" revelation. They didn't even talk about their father! Like I said - we'll just have to wait and see if the show capitalizes on this opportunity.

Finally, we've got Penny, Leonard, and Wil Wheaton. Wil is visitng Penny's apartment to have her on his podcast so they can talk about the crappy movie they starred in together: "Serial Ape-ist 2." Kevin Smith, the director, calls in and suggests that Penny audition for his new movie, Clerks III. Penny is excited by the possibility, but Leonard doesn't think it's a good idea - Penny already has a job! Leonard then learns that Penny makes twice as much money as him, and that she has a financial adviser and a diversified portfolio. Leonard is disturbed that Penny is more responsible than him, so he encourages her to do something irresponsible and reckless, like sneak out of work to go audition for a Kevin Smith movie. Wil is delighted that Penny was able to manipulate Leonard into supporting her decision to try acting once again.

This plot thread was golden. If I were to hear the premise of this show and not know anything about its problematic elements, this is the kind of humor I would expect. People have called The Big Bang Theory "blackface for nerds," and in general it does sort of have that feel to it. It's making fun of nerd culture instead of embracing it. But here, with Wil Wheaton and Kevin Smith and so many in-jokes I can't even name them all, is a plot thread designed for nerds. I loved Wil Wheaton's utter delight at the argument between Penny and Leonard. The best part was when he gave a little recap for listeners who were just tuning in. He explains that he's here with Penny, his co-star, and her fiance Leonard who doesn't believe women should have dreams. That was hilarious! And, of course, all the ribbing of Kevin Smith about Clerks, and the references to Stand By Me, etc. All of this was just great.

On a more serious note, this plot thread allowed us to examine the shifting dynamic between Penny and Leonard. There is just a little hint of sexism in the way that Leonard is processing all of this - he's used to being the provider, and suddenly Penny is financially independent. What will this mean for them? We've looked at this question on the show before, but this was my favorite episode for examining Leonard's discomfort, and Penny's new (and well-earned) confidence and maturity. We'll have to see if she ends up getting a part in Clerks III! Ha.

I guess that's where I'll leave it. This episode had one excellent plot thread and two others that were just okay.

7.5/10