The Big Bang Theory: The Inspiration Deprivation (12x19)

I did feel a little bit bad for Amy, and it's always a good-ish sign when an episode of this show makes me feel anything...

Cons:

At one point over the many years of watching this show, I actually thought that Howard and Bernadette were a strong element, in that their relationship felt relatable to me in some way. I even wrote about it in reviews. I don't feel that way anymore, and this episode is the perfect example of why. Both Howard and Bernadette come off looking like mean-spirited cliches of a husband and a wife. Howard buys a motor scooter and lies to Bernadette about it, because he needs something to remind him he's still a man. That's gross and annoying, and basically confirms that Howard sees his family as a burden. But then on the other hand, Bernadette isn't taking Howard's frankly alarming behavior seriously, and is instead falling in to cliches about being the no-nonsense shrew who doesn't let her husband off the leash. They seriously both came across looking so bad here!

Also, there's just so much casual sexism in the scene where Howard is talking about the HR lady. Can we knock it off with that crap?

Pros:

This episode survives its annoying subplot, though, because the main story is actually quite good. Basically, Amy is freaking out that she may have messed up her and Sheldon's chance to win the Nobel Prize. If they won, she would be only the fourth woman ever to win the prize in physics. She feels an enormous amount of pressure to be a good example to young female scientists, and she begins to unravel.

I like seeing Amy in a really emotional place, because for once her driving force has nothing to do with Sheldon and making him happy. By the end of the episode, she has managed to get a hold of herself and she tells the HR representative that she shouldn't be benched - she deserves a chance to be an active voice in this conversation.

Over the past couple of seasons, Sheldon's character has gone through something of a rehabilitation in my mind, and that's all due to Amy. He's still frequently insensitive and wrong-headed about things, but he takes his responsibility as Amy's partner very seriously. In an odd way, Sheldon is a much, much better husband than Howard, because while he doesn't always get it right, he's always trying hard to be emotionally available for Amy. It hurts him to see Amy in such a bad place, and he does what he can to help, frequently getting it wrong, but finally doing the right thing by holding (after getting her consent) and singing "Soft Kitty." Amy is a strong woman all on her own, but it's sweet that the comfort of her husband helps to center her and reestablish her confidence.

As always, this review ended up being very short, but that's all I've got for now! The end is in sight...

7/10