The Big Bang Theory: The Locomotion Reverberation (10x15)

I was surprisingly pretty okay with this episode. Some decent humor and even some more emotional revelations.

Cons:

One of the constant, unavoidable problems with this show is that they never capitalize on their opportunities. In other sitcoms, bottle episodes or episodes with limited sets/character combinations can be a really fun way to mix things up and get new insight. In this show, every episode is limited. Every episode seems to be set up to cost the least amount of money. This week, we got the tantalizing idea of Sheldon becoming a conductor on an all-weekend train adventure. Do we get to see said adventure? Of course not. I want to see Sheldon torturing his guides with his abundant enthusiasm. I want to actually see him on a train. In the other plot, the girls are supposed to go out drinking. They end up spending the whole time in the car. I don't mind the material that we did get, but I just keep thinking to myself - why not put them in a bar? Mix it up, get them out of the standard sets more often and see what happens!

Pros:

With The Big Bang Theory, I'm always grading on a curve, and this episode is one of those ones that actually made me pretty happy.

The main plot features Howard, Sheldon, and Leonard continuing to work on their guidance system. Sheldon comes up with a way to make the system smaller, but Leonard and Howard don't want to re-do all their work, since it's already down to the size they agreed upon. Leonard sends Sheldon away by giving him a train trip. Of course, at this point the colonel shows up and sees Sheldon's math, and decides that he wants the smaller design. Howard and Leonard now need to convince Sheldon to help them, but he's decided he wants to be a train engineer. Eventually, they convince him that they need him, and he comes back to help with the system.

First of all, I love getting back to the guidance system plot thread, since this show has a serious problem with sticking to its A-plots. I liked seeing the different specializations in the group, too. Sheldon is the theoretical physicist. His work is beyond Leonard and Howard to figure out. Similarly, Howard is the one who knows more about engineering, so he gets to constantly correct Sheldon about the different parts of a train. I also liked seeing Sheldon have a small crisis about his career. It's always interesting when a man as brilliant as Sheldon questions himself like that. Also, there were lots of silly and funny train-related jokes, like Sheldon saying "and then it clicked. And then it clacked. Click, clack, click, clack..."

The other plot thread also featured a personal crisis. As Penny drives Amy and Bernadette for a night out, she reveals that she's feeling pressure about her future. Bernadette has a kid and is planning all of this stuff for her child's future. Meanwhile, Penny feels like she and Leonard haven't moved forward in their relationship at all, even though they've been married for two years. I really liked that Bernadette and Howard's new baby forced Penny to confront some stuff in her own life. Does she want kids? Yeah, hypothetically, but if so, what is she waiting for? Why are her and Leonard in this holding pattern? I've been complaining about the lack of follow-through when it comes to Penny and Leonard's relationship woes. Maybe this anxiety about the future will be a good thread to pull on.

I also thought Raj and Stuart were pretty funny, as they both worked to take care of Haley so Bernadette could have the night off. Their arguments about breast milk made me chuckle. These two can be infuriating, and I still feel as if Raj doesn't have enough to tether him to the main story. But I actually got a few laughs out of this one, like when Penny told Raj not to bother Bernadette if there was a problem, and to call Howard instead. Bernadette darts back into the room to say: "call me, don't call Howard." Raj's response? "I would never call Howard." Ha!

So, there you have it. This is about as good as you can get with this show. I'd definitely rather watch an episode like this than most of what The Big Bang Theory has to offer.

9/10