The Big Bang Theory: The Bitcoin Entanglement (11x09)

Every single episode of a sitcom I've ever seen where the characters think they've come in to a lot of money ends up this way. Yawn.

Cons:

The problem here is that the second the episode introduces the idea of the guys getting rich on bitcoin, you know where it's going. There will be shenanigans trying to get a hold of the bitcoin, and then in the end through weird happenstance, we'll learn that the bitcoin is lost forever, and everything remains status quo.

The flashbacks to seven years ago only reminded me how annoying and unfunny all of the jokes about Leonard and Penny's relationship were... yeah, we get it. Leonard doesn't deserve Penny because she's so hot.

Pros:

I did like how Sheldon screwed his friends over on accident, though. The reveal at the end, that Leonard had lost the flash-drive where Sheldon had hid the bitcoin, was funny only in that we saw Sheldon at a loss for once.

Stuart being a sad sack can usually only carry me so far, but he did make me chuckle in this episode, especially when he tried to pretend he'd been there seven years ago so he could cash in on the bitcoin fortune.

As much as I hate the fact that this show has been on the air for over a decade, there is something pretty fun about sitcoms that have such longevity. There's such a rich history to dive into. We got to see Raj do his whole "not talking in front of women" thing, we heard Howard's mom from off-screen, saw Penny and Bernadette working at The Cheesecake Factory... all of these elements were fun reminders of a show we've all been watching for way too long.

I did think it was pretty cute to see Penny's video that she made after one of her many breakups with Leonard. This show makes so many jokes at the expense of this couple that it was nice to have a reminder that Penny really does love and care for Leonard. In fact, this is the first time in a long while that a plot thread focusing on them as a couple was actually interesting to me.

Upon reflection, this episode didn't totally suck. It's just that the premise itself felt tired and boring, which is always a big mark against the success of any show.

7.5/10