Warning: full episode spoilers follow.
The Big Bang Theory ended the somewhat uneven Season 5 on a high note, with Wolowitz and Bernadette finally tying the know and Wolowitz subsequently blasting off to an uncertain fate aboard the International Space Station. The newfound momentum carried over into the Season 6 premiere, "The Date Night Variable." Here we learned that being trapped in the cold depths of space might be the least of Wolowitz's concerns, as there's apparently nowhere his mother's shrill, disembodied voice can't find him.
Given that the majority of the scenes in Big Bang Theory unfold on the same few sets, there was a certain amount of novelty in seeing Wolowitz floating in a zero-G environment with electronics crammed into every alcove and snarky Russian cosmonauts lurking around every bend. His fear of going to the space station clearly evaporated once he arrived, bringing that little subplot to a close. Instead, his fear of rebelling against his domineering mother went to war against his desire to please his new wife, leaving poor Wolowitz in quite the pickle. The back-and-forth was pretty amusing, particularly with Dimitri poking his head in to further take the wind out of Wolowitz's sails now and again. Melissa Rauch delivered a memorable performance despite only appearing as a talking head on a choppy video screen. Bernadette's bubbly exterior is clearly starting to crack thanks to Mrs. Wolowitz's nagging influence. Can you blame her?
Back on terra firma, the rest of the gang dealt with their own relationship crises. The final couple episodes of Season 5 seemed intent on pushing the various romantic relationships in a more purposeful direction again, and that trend continues here. Sheldon and Amy faced the prospect of their second anniversary and the contractually-obligated date that accompanied it. It's always been interesting to watch Sheldon deal with being in an actual relationship. This is a character who doesn't really comprehend romance, nor does he have any particular desire to learn. On one hand you have to admire him for sticking to his guns all this time, but on the other you have to feel a little bad for Amy when Sheldon exploits a loophole in their contract by bringing Raj along.
The uninvited dinner guest might be one of the oldest sitcom tropes in the book, but it worked well here. Raj's continual third wheel status kept the two date nights uncomfortable in a good way. It was also immensely satisfying to see him deliver the stern lecture about cutting the crap and embracing love that Leonard and Penny really needed to hear. Raj may be pathologically shy around women, but it seems even he knows a thing or two about matters of the heart. The episode took a funny swerve near the end when Raj and the perpetually lonely comic shop owner Stuart had a little male bonding moment over some "sad-tinis" and bossa nova music. Raj is in need of a new bromance now that Wolowitz is otherwise occupied. It'll be interesting to see how far the writers run with this pairing. The show has never allowed Raj much in the way of lasting romantic relationships. Maybe it's time he tried his luck with the other gender.
The only problem with this episode is the lack of resolution to some of these romantic conflicts. Sheldon at least provided Amy with the dose of affection she craved (with ample assistance from Spider-Man, of course). But the Leonard and Penny subplot was pretty much abandoned once they kicked Raj out of the apartment. Is it too much to hope they'll actually take Raj's advice to heart? Nor did Wolowitz do anything to quell the threat growing from the two women in his life. Clearly these relationship woes will continue to play out over the early part of Season 6. Again, it was nice to see a greater sense of purpose and direction with the characters late last season, and I'd hate for the show to start meandering with some of this material.
Still, "The Date Night Variable" provided a solid amount of laughs and some quality character moments, which is all anyone can really ask of this series. Now to grab my Chewbacca mug and get a refill on that sad-tini.
Jesse is a writer for various IGN channels. Allow him to lend a machete to your intellectual thicket by following Jesse on Twitter, or on IGN.
Source : ign[dot]com
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