EPISODES WATCHED: “Date Night Variable” / “The Decoupling Fluctuation”
Everyone favourite group of nerds is back!
But not necessarily all in the one place.
If you recall season 5 ended with a newly married, and more-than-slightly- terrified Howard Wolowitz (Simon Helberg) blasting into space with two very unsympathetic fellow astronauts to the International Space Station.
As season 6 opens, he is still up there, getting teased by a brusque Russian astronaut who presumably is the one that gives Howard the dubious distinction of being “the first man in space to get a wedgie”.
If that’s not enough he still has to deal with his overbearing mother (voiced magnificently well by Carol Ann Susi), who complains that she hasn’t got so much as “a single letter, not even a lousy postcard” while he’s been gone – which leads him to utter the immortal line after he hangs up from her, “Well that’s space ruined” – and is outraged to find that Howard plans to “abandon” her and move in with his new wife, Bernadette (Melissa Rauch).
He placates her, somewhat foolishly might we suggest (certainly the Russian astronaut is convinced it’s not the smartest move) by saying that of course they won’t move out while simultaneously reassuring Bernadette, who’s none too pleased he hasn’t leveled with his mother about their planned living arrangements, that he will stand up to his mother.
Yep, two implacable forces pushing against him and he thinks he can’t resist being crushed to death?
Actually he doesn’t.
When asked by the burly Russian how he plans to solve a problem of almost Solomonic proportions, he admits ruefully that he plans to never go back to earth. We’ll see what NASA has to say about that.
Mean while back on Terra Firma, the rest of the gang have problems of their own.
Raj (Kunal Nayyar), the perpetual seventh wheel now that Sheldon (Jim Parsons), Leonard (Johnny Galecki) and of course Howard are all happily partnered up – “happy” being a relative term in Sheldon’s case who continues to view Amy Farrah Fowler (Mayim Bialik) as more of a contractual nuisance than anything else; while Leonard and Penny (Kaley Cuoco) are still in their weird post marriage-proposal-while-having-sex place -is as lonely as ever.
So lonely in fact that he almost has a moment with Stuart in the store when wine is served – in Star Wars mugs naturally! – the music starts and … both men realise they came a little close the suggestion of something more than a bromance.
But as he’s leaving the store, Raj relents a little and invites Stuart to hang out the next night, effectively making him, to Sheldon’s disgust, a substitute Wolowitz. (While Sheldon consents to Stuart hanging out with them, he keeps telling him what Wolowitz would and wouldn’t do, expecting him to act out the part of their space-bound friend to the letter.)
It was nice to see Kunal Nayyar used a little more than he was in season 5 right at the start of the season. He has a real gift for portraying Raj’s sad sack social misfit without reducing him to an endlessly pathetic mess, and his attempts to mediate in Leonard and Penny’s relationship issues, and enjoy the company of Amy and Sheldon on their second anniversary date night, were priceless.
More Raj please and make it quick!
Meanwhile back at Relationships Central, Amy arrived at a fancy restaurant with Sheldon for their contractually mandated second anniversary date – that “may contain acts of physical touch that to a casual onlooker may look like intimacy” (Amy to Penny and Bernadette) to find Raj there as well.
Sheldon, oblivious as always to the romantic implications of having a third wheel along for the ride on such a significant milestone, cares not that Amy’s great romantic dreams have been squashed flat.
But of course Amy does … a lot.
Superbly brought to life by Miyam Bialik who has to be one of the best comic actresses around, Amy is about to walk out till Sheldon stops her saying “but I need you”.
“Awww” you say, swept up in the moment believing Sheldon finally understands the nature of love, true love. But caution I say, this is Sheldon, a man not governed by the petty emotions of mere mortals, and it turns out he’s only concerned that if Amy goes, he loses a ride.
Wisely realising this may not be enough to stop Amy hot footing it out the door, he delivers an impassioned romantic speech about the difference Amy has made to his life, and of course Amy is reduced to a puddle of emotion, staring adoringly at Sheldon … but we all know this won’t well, or at least not like a normal romantic moment.
And so it does not …
“Sheldon, that was beautiful.”
“I should hope so. It was from the first Spiderman movie.”
Amy hesistates for a second, thinks hard and says … (what will she say? What … will … she … say?)
“I’ll take it.”
I have the greatest admiration for Jim Parsons who manages to make a character who should be supremely dislikable, as he stomps without comprehension or thought over the hearts of his girlfriend and buddies, into someone who is little-boy-lost likeable. That is one mean feat of acting and he brings his “A game” in this scene which is a perfect example of why he is effectively the star of what is, in all other respects, an ensemble comedy.
Meanwhile Penny and Leonard, who become the focus of Raj’s clumsy drunken attempts at relationship counselling, struggle to work out what it is they want.
Well Penny does anyway. Leonard, obviously, has been pretty clear all along, and as Penny admits to Bernadette and Amy, she doesn’t feel like she’s in love, saying it “felt different before.”
But does she articulate any of this to Leonard? Of course not! We have a season to fill, and besides Penny is not the most emotionally in touch of people, much to Leonard’s enduring frustration.
You have to admire Leonard’s tenacity. He has hitched his romantic wagon to a woman who is quite possibly more emotionally stunted than anyone in the group which is a pity since he is the one person among them who seems to have some understanding at least of what a real relationship, or any relationship really, should be like.
Well almost.
Full marks to Johnny Galecki for managing to make Leonard’s devotion to Penny not looking doormat-like or needy but rather the action of someone who knows he is in an unequal partnership but can’t walk away from the woman of his dreams, believing, or needing to believe, she will come through one day.
I think he is my favourite character in the show and here’s hoping the writers keep remembering to use Leonard more as the emotional and moral compass of the group because he absolutely shines in that role.
And it makes this scene so much richer as a result.
On balance it was a strong return from the summer hiatus for the show. While “The Decoupling Fluctuation” suffered a little from a paper thin storyline and not much going on, “The Date Night Variable” more than made up for that as it went all out to reacquaint us with the characters we love.
I predict a pretty hilarious season ahead but then I am fairly certain would look at me like I’m an idiot, tut-tut and say “Well of course it will be!”
And as we all know you don’t argue with everyone’s favourite nerd.