The Big Bang Theory: The Conjugal Configuration (12x01)

It's here! The beginning of the FINAL SEASON! I'm so excited. Not about the show, of course. I'm just thrilled it's finally going to END.

Cons:

I mean... it's boring? I don't know how often I can list the same complaints about this show. This was a season premiere, and so they really pulled out all the stops by going to a couple of different sets away from the apartment standing sets. Woo hoo. It's just that when I watch this show I can always tell how cheaply it's being made. The only expensive part of The Big Bang Theory is the salaries of the actors.

I hope that Sheldon doesn't sacrifice too much of his comfort for Amy's sake. I like the idea that he wants to work hard to make her happy in their marriage, but he doesn't need sex to be happy, and he shouldn't give in on that because he's afraid of disappointing her. I don't know. This show isn't good enough to treat this topic with the respect it deserves, and since I'm asexual, I always keep a really close eye on these kinds of plot threads.

Pros:

I guess it was funny, or at least not offensive or stupid, to see Raj get into a Twitter war with Neil Degrasse Tyson. I personally have some issues with Tyson's public platform and the way he comports himself as a "popular scientist," but the celebrity cameos on this show are at least... harmless. I did like the idea of Bill Nye being so terrified to receive a call from Neil Degrasse Tyson that he just hung up right away. That was kind of cute. And Raj instantly backing down when on the phone with the man he'd been razzing on Twitter... that felt true to life.

For the past couple of seasons, Penny and Leonard's relationship has been something of an oddity. It's like once they got married, they didn't have anywhere else to go in their relationship. Most TV-shows draw out the will-they-won't-they thing for exactly this reason. But oddly, The Big Bang Theory has continually chosen to stare this problem down. Penny and Leonard are married, and they're... content. They're not deliriously happy, and they're not the comedic bickering yet still perfect for each other couple like the other relationships on this show. And that's... well, I was going to say interesting, but I suppose instead I'll say "not automatically boring." If they can actually do something with this, and show that Penny and Leonard have some work to do on their relationship, I'd actually probably enjoy that quite a bit.

That's all I've got. It was fine. It didn't piss me off. I even smiled once or twice. Here's to this season going by quickly so I can finally escape!

7/10