The Big Bang Theory: The Proposal Proposal (11x01)

Cute start, lackluster continuation. Let's take a look.

Cons:

So, I'll talk in a minute about how the actual proposal moment was pretty adorable, but Amy and Sheldon spend the rest of the episode sort of at odds, and it didn't feel like a sensible transition. They go out for dinner with some of Amy's colleagues at Princeton and Sheldon gets annoyed when everybody seems more interested in Amy than in himself. Amy gets pissed at Sheldon taking all the attention, and Sheldon later realizes that he should have been a "cameo" in Amy's movie this time, instead of trying to steal the show. So, they make up.

I guess this plot thread just feels like more of the same drivel, and it was surprising to get that feeling in an episode where something big like a proposal took place. Couldn't they have found a way to keep Amy and Sheldon content for twenty minutes, instead of immediately spinning the proposal episode off into a seemingly unrelated and repetitive conflict? Pretty uninteresting.

Also, the Stephen Hawking cameos are insipid, guys. Every time I see him on this show I keep thinking that he deserves better than to be on a show that by its very nature it spends time making fun of nerds. Like, please. There are better places that Stephen Hawking could be spending his time.

In subplot news, Raj spent a little time feeling sorry for himself for being alone, which is always a regular snooze fest.

Pros:

On the positive side of things, though, we get that opening scene with Amy and Sheldon, which was all kinds of precious. Sheldon is down on one knee, having just asked Amy the big question, when his phone rings. He answers, and it's Leonard. They chat, with Penny on speaker, about where Sheldon is and why he came to find Amy, and then when Leonard congratulates him, Sheldon says they're not engaged yet because Amy is taking forever to answer. Amy replies that this is because he's on the phone, so he hangs up. A few seconds later, Leonard gets a call back from Sheldon who says "she said yes." That was a really cute way to do the proposal, looping in Leonard and Penny on the big moment in a way that felt fresh and funny.

And speaking of Leonard and Penny, for the past few seasons I've lamented the stagnation of their characters. I still think that something has to change in order to give them momentum, but this episode was a good example of how to utilize them as side-characters. Their lackluster marriage was not just a wandering plot point of doom but a brief point of comedy and insight. As Sheldon and Amy are making a big change, and Bernadette and Howard discover they have another baby on the way, Penny and Leonard's lack of forward motion is highlighted. We see them forgetting their anniversary, which is a bad sign, but we see that Leonard thought to get Penny a cake so she wouldn't feel left out of all the big changes with the other couples, which would signify that despite their relationship being a bit unconventional, it works for them. I'm not sure how this kind of theme could be sustainable, but for the time being I don't mind Penny and Leonard taking a backseat.

I'm continually surprised that Howard and Bernadette have become this show's emotional center. Howard used to be the worst of them all, and now he's the best of the guys. I liked the realistic reaction of finding out about an unexpected - and unwanted - pregnancy. There's often this assumption that if a couple has a kid, they must want more kids and all of the drama has been removed from that decision. But this is bad timing for Howard and Bernadette. It wasn't in their plans, and it wasn't what they necessarily wanted. I like that they didn't just instantly celebrate. It's okay to struggle with something like this, and I'd like to see how it plays out.

And there you have it. I wish this show would just die already, but I'm guessing it'll be around for years to come. Sigh...

7/10