The Big Bang Theory: The Imitation Perturbation (12x06)

I liked this episode for the most part, but it could have done more!

Cons:

I really like that Bernadette and Sheldon have a heart to heart about the bullying they experienced growing up. But this whole thing started when Howard participated in a mean-spirited joke at Sheldon's expense, so it feels odd that we didn't get a moment where Howard and Sheldon hashed it out.

Also, are we ever going to do anything more substantial with Penny and Leonard's stagnant relationship? That's not really a complaint about this episode, I guess, more just the show as a whole.

Pros:

I like that Howard dressing up as Sheldon hurt his feelings, and I like the way things escalated from there. It provided a good amount of comedy while also addressing some real human emotions underpinning that humor. That's what a decent sitcom would be able to achieve every single week. The best moment was definitely the conversation between Bernadette and Sheldon at the end, but I also liked Bernadette and Amy discussing what had gone on between their husbands, and how both of them had to learn to let Sheldon take care of himself instead of relying on Amy to do it.

As an added bonus, the costumes and impressions were pretty funny. I particularly liked Amy's Bernadette impression. She did the voice, the outfit, the "unnecessarily mean" thing, all really well. And Sheldon's clumsy magic when he was making fun of Howard was also pitch perfect.

In subplot news, I guess Penny and Leonard's plot thread was cute enough, even though it lacked substance. Basically, the two argue about when they had their first kiss. Penny reveals that she does remember the real first kiss, but she doesn't like that it was their first kiss, because she was drunk, she was with someone else, and it didn't mean anything. Leonard thinks this is pretty sweet, and agrees to remember another kiss as their official "first". That's so cute! Penny makes a lot of jokes where she acts like she just ended up with Leonard, and is kind of iffy about the whole thing. But moments like this show that she really does care for him, that their relationship does have genuine love in it.

I often complain that this show does the setup but never the payoff. This week, we saw the lead-up to the Halloween party, and then we also go to see the Halloween party. An actual ensemble scene, with lots of fun costumes and humor. I liked Raj and Anu with their couples costume. It looks like they might actually work out, and it's fun to see Anu interacting with the rest of the gang.

That's all for this one. Fun costumes, high energy, and an actual genuine scene with Bernadette and Sheldon in the end! That's a win, in my book.

9/10