Welcome to a new Sitcom Tuesday! This week, I’m continuing my look at The Big Bang Theory (2007-2019, CBS), which is currently available on DVD/Blu-Ray and streaming!

The Big Bang Theory stars JOHNNY GALECKI as Leonard, KALEY CUOCO as Penny, SIMON HELBERG as Howard, KUNAL NAYYAR as Raj, MELISSA RAUCH as Bernadette, MAYIM BIALIK as Amy, and JIM PARSONS as Sheldon.

Season Nine sees The Big Bang Theory in transition from its hit-or-miss middle era to its “why is this show still on?” final era. It’s the inverse of Four, which once took the series from its early “four nerds and a hot girl” situation-explicit years to its long middle chunk, defined by a three-couple construct that implicitly explored the premise of awkward humans learning to form serious social bonds, with more clichéd rom-com stories exclusively individualized only by the show’s scientific bent. This middle era set up premise-affirming arcs for the main characters, all fixed around predetermined culminations intended to imply growth, or a fundamental transformation out of their earlier social dysfunction. For instance, Sheldon’s choice to be sexually intimate with Amy, Leonard and Penny’s mutual commitment to each other in marriage, Howard’s maturation away from the clutches of his mom into a family of his own, and Raj… well, he’s an afterthought, but he just needed to be able to seriously date a woman. Those are the mile-marker moments that the series has established as endgame-like signs of personal, situation-corroborating transformation. But since this middle era was so long, the last few seasons (especially Seven and Eight) had to stall and delay forward movement, which meant less premise-specific ideas… for after so many years and with this more traditional design, those familiar big-time narrative developments became the only way to still freshly connect to the series’ core themes. Season Nine is notable because it finally decides to progress everyone to those milestones, essentially fulfilling the situation as it’s heretofore existed by bringing the leads to their prescribed happy endings. Leonard and Penny marry, Howard (who lost his mom last year) is now the head of his own family with a pregnancy announcement mid-year, Raj is comfortable being in actual relationships with women, and most importantly, Sheldon finally has sex with Amy. That last point is major — capping off a storyline where Amy dumps Sheldon, a happening that sort of arises out of the blue but is nevertheless welcome and ultimately positive, for it forces Sheldon to acknowledge his human attachment to Amy and therefore his overt premise-based evolution, which thereby suggests the fulfillment of his arc when they reunite and he relates to her in the manner that most adults do, intimately.

That’s a terrific episode. Unfortunately, the show around that half hour is quite tired by this point. Not only have the characters outgrown this now hard-to-engage premise (outside of those big developments), but the weekly ideas themselves are straining, as are some of the core personalities. For instance, Sheldon, still the series’ ambassador and the personification of the situation, has become more of a generic comic nuisance rather than the specific socially unaware genius that he was designed to be. And once his arc with Amy wraps midseason, the rest of Nine further falls, taking the show out of this middle era that was defined by the couplings and their progression towards these moments… and into the series’ final stretch, which features babies and marriages and scientific discoveries, but little new value or insight for the regulars, whose abilities to grow have since been illustrated capably, and well, conclusively. Accordingly, there’s nothing relevant or exciting in terms of situation comedy in these last three-and-a-half years. Maybe a few science/nerd-related stories, or at best, character-supported laughs every now and then… It’s just that the show has endured for so long now that everything truly great for this situation has already been offered. The sad thing about Nine is that, yes, it fulfills Big Bang’s situation… but then the show presses on anyway. What does a sitcom look like when it’s elementally exceeded its very reason for existing? If the back half of Nine is an indication, the answer is “it looks like mediocrity.” That is, it may not be all bad. After all, Sheldon, though changed, is still a big, bold character — with the forthcoming Young Sheldon only reinforcing his richness, validating Big Bang for its creation of a comedic figure who could anchor two sitcoms at the same time. That’s a testament to this series, whose legacy naturally enhances with increased longevity… even as its quality continues to erode. So, in summation, this season — the transition from the middle era to the final era — is both the end of the series’ capacity for greatness based on its situation and a preview for what lies ahead, as the show no longer has a premised reason for being. And there’s three whole years left — oy!

 

01) Episode 185: “The Separation Oscillation” (Aired: 09/28/15)

Penny tries to work through her feelings about Leonard’s cheating confession.

Teleplay by Chuck Lorre & Jim Reynolds & Maria Ferrari | Story by Steven Molaro & Steve Holland & Tara Hernandez | Directed by Mark Cendrowski

This season opens with Leonard and Penny getting married, despite his confession that he cheated — a bit of forced and unimaginative drama added at the end of Eight’s finale to inject some tension into the fairly straightforward proceedings. I find it more hand-of-writer than well-motivated. However, I appreciate that here, in Nine’s sophomore entry, the show uses this conflict to explain how Leonard and Penny’s marriage is indeed the resolution of their arcs. Not only has Penny herself committed to Leonard after years of doubt, but Leonard has become a lot more socially confident as a result of her love for him — which plays directly to the premise and what she was designed to help him do. And with both deciding not to self-sabotage their coupling anymore, this does feel like a happy ending. I celebrate this half hour for literally spelling that out — it’s their particular version of situation fulfillment.

02) Episode 186: “The Bachelor Party Corrosion” (Aired: 10/05/15)

The guys plan a belated bachelor party for Leonard while the girls update their parents on life.

Teleplay by Steven Molaro & Steve Holland & Eric Kaplan | Story by Dave Goetsch & Jim Reynolds & Jeremy Howe | Directed by Mark Cendrowski

The men and women separate into two groups for this classically designed ensemble show that emphasizes the guys’ collective characterization as nerds whose scientific genius does not translate into real-world wisdom or experience. This simple idea of them not knowing how to change a tire is a perfect illustration of the premise’s comic implication about their lack of worldly understanding, and it’s therefore a funny, series-specific notion. Meanwhile, the girls are back discussing recent changes in their relationships, with calls to their parents that tell us more about their backstories and families — a very basic exploration of character in the utilization and then addition of relevant details about them. So, for both character and premise, it works.

03) Episode 187: “The 2003 Approximation” (Aired: 10/12/15)

Sheldon reverts back to 2003 after Leonard moves in with Penny.

Teleplay by Steven Molaro & Maria Ferrari & Tara Hernandez | Story by Chuck Lorre & Steve Holland & Eric Kaplan | Directed by Mark Cendrowski

Leonard and Penny finally move in together now that they’re married — a big change in living arrangements that, as expected, rattles Sheldon, whom we know has always struggled to adapt to new developments. This installment has fun emphasizing that aspect of his characterization, which speaks to his elemental rigidity and thus the social dysfunction that drives the premise, as he reverts to what his life was like prior to Leonard moving in with him in 2003. That’s a play not just to an extreme version of Sheldon’s character and the situation that, by now, figuratively rests on his shoulders, but also to the show’s continuity and the history of friendship between Leonard and Sheldon, whose odd couple dynamic has been a huge tentpole of the low-concept ensemble. Accordingly, this is another sample that feels like something tailored to Big Bang. 

04) Episode 190: “The Spock Resonance” (Aired: 11/05/15)

Sheldon participates in a documentary about Spock.

Teleplay by Steven Molaro & Steve Holland & Jeremy Howe | Story by Chuck Lorre & Jim Reynolds & Tara Hernandez | Directed by Nikki Lorre

Adam Nimoy guests in this memorable outing as himself, as he comes to interview Sheldon for a documentary about his father, best known for playing Spock. This idea involves the basic scientific bent of the series and these regulars (who make the ensemble hangout format unique), but it’s also been established just how much Sheldon loves Star Trek and Spock especially, which therefore roots this plot within the show’s central comic character. And it’s indeed a great display of Sheldon and his interests, along with his growing humanity, as his efforts to pretend that he’s as clinical as Spock belie the truth about his intense feelings, and his lingering difficulty in getting over Amy, to whom Leonard and Penny learn he once considered proposing. So, this entry furthers Nine’s main arc, while also being steeped in Sheldon and his evolving depiction.

05) Episode 191: “The Mystery Date Observation” (Aired: 11/12/15)

Sheldon turns to Howard and Raj for help getting back on the dating scene.

Teleplay by Chuck Lorre & Steve Holland & Tara Hernandez | Story by Steven Molaro & Eric Kaplan & Jim Reynolds | Directed by Mark Cendrowski

In an intentional callback to the Season Three finale where Howard and Raj used an internet profile to set up Sheldon with Amy (who debuted there), this episode finds Sheldon turning to them again for help in online dating. His evolution from then up until now is well-displayed, yet the best part of the half hour is when he reverts back to rigid black-or-white thinking upon the arrival of a beautiful woman who also seems to be his perfect intellectual match… but he rejects her on principle because she showed up late. It’s very funny, reinforcing the social dysfunction that might not ever be totally cured, but has still come a long way. Meanwhile, there’s fun for Amy in the subplot, as her new beau (Stephen Merchant) proves to be a Sheldon fanatic. Even in the show’s universe, Sheldon Cooper has become an undeniable superstar.

06) Episode 192: “The Platonic Permutation” (Aired: 11/19/15)

Sheldon and Amy spend a platonic Thanksgiving together.

Teleplay by Steve Holland & Maria Ferrari & Adam Faberman | Story by Jim Reynolds & Jeremy Howe & Tara Hernandez | Directed by Mark Cendrowski

Sheldon and Amy have a lot of one-on-one time in this somewhat contrived Thanksgiving outing that nevertheless has the right idea in uniting the former couple for extended scenes where they talk about their relationship, or rather, what’s changed since their relationship. It’s obviously another step towards their reconciliation, and it’s a fine exhibit of his character (in particular), for although his rejection of her at the end when she suggests that they get back together makes no sense, it is a sign of his socially challenging inflexibility, which is endemic to his character on premised terms, rendering such interpersonal bonds difficult. In that regard, it’s one more big Sheldon failure before he wins Amy back and completes his pre-established growth arc in the two-parter that directly follows. (Also, in science-related news, Elon Musk guests as himself and has an amusing moment with a job-seeking Howard.)

07) Episode 193: “The Earworm Reverberation” (Aired: 12/10/15)

Sheldon tries to figure out a song that’s been stuck in his head.

Teleplay by Steven Molaro & Steve Holland & Jeremy Howe | Story by Eric Kaplan & Jim Reynolds & Saladin K. Patterson | Directed by Mark Cendrowski

This is basically just the setup for the big installment that follows, motivating Sheldon to actively pursue Amy and tell her how much he wants her back — the kind of simple show of affection that she needed all along. I find a lot of this, on paper, clichéd and emblematic of the series’ inevitable reliance on familiar rom-com notions given the three-couple template that encouraged them. However, I appreciate the details used to liven this up — like the fact that Sheldon’s turn is predicated on his realization that a mysterious song stuck in his head is “Darlin'” by The Beach Boys, a ditty linked in his mind to Amy, who’s therefore now fundamentally also embedded in his brain. It’s really quite beautiful and ideal for the elemental theme of Sheldon’s increased humanization — for music and memory and love are all things that are special to our human experience, which Sheldon has now felt. That’s situation-satisfaction, romantically so.

08) Episode 194: “The Opening Night Excitation” (Aired: 12/17/15)

Sheldon decides that the perfect gift for Amy’s birthday is physical intimacy.

Teleplay by Steve Holland & Jim Reynolds & Maria Ferrari | Story by Steven Molaro & Eric Kaplan & Tara Hernandez | Directed by Mark Cendrowski

My choice for this year’s Most Valuable Episode (MVE), “The Opening Night Excitation” is probably the best entry of the series post-Season Six, for it’s the half hour that truly completes the pre-established premise-satisfying arc for its main character, the primary ambassador for Big Bang and its situation en masse. Yes, this is the one where Sheldon finally decides that the perfect birthday gift for Amy, with whom he’s just reunited, is a show of his love for her through something she’s been wanting for a while: “coitus.” It’s very funny, especially when put in the clinical, scientific terms that continue to emphasize Sheldon’s innate definition. And, of course, the simple fact that he’s ready to display his affection for another human in the way that most adults do is naturally a sign of his evolution towards the kind of socialization that Penny’s arrival into his world first promised back in the pilot. That significance is accentuated as he also opts to spend the day with Amy, instead of going to a screening of Star Wars with his friends. In other words, he’s choosing love over science. Wow! Accordingly, by logline alone, this is a series-specific, character-forward winner, for this is exactly what the show is supposed to be about, and since it’s also fulfilling an arc that’s been set up for many years, it also feels triumphant as a climax. Indeed, it’s the culmination of the principal narrative thread in Big Bang’s long middle era — a crescendo that it can just never again reach. Oh, Sheldon can still be socially weird and lack the empathy that’s necessary for healthy relationships, but it’s lost a lot of its potency, for he’s significantly changed, signaled by the maturation evidenced in this situation-concluding offering. (Also, I must add that this is the finest ever use of the recurring Bob Newhart, whose Professor Proton appears again in Obi-Wan form to council Sheldon. It’s a quintessential Big Bang gag.)

09) Episode 196: “The Empathy Optimization” (Aired: 01/14/16)

After learning about empathy, Sheldon apologizes to all of his friends.

Teleplay by Steven Molaro & Steve Holland & Saladin K. Patterson | Story by Chuck Lorre & Eric Kaplan & Dave Goetsch | Directed by Mark Cendrowski

As noted, even though Sheldon has already exhibited the ultimate show of personal growth, he retains enough of his basic definition to remain a comic nuisance in episodic stories, the best of which still find him behaving in ways that are extrapolated from his premised depiction as someone who doesn’t intend to bother others but can’t help it. That’s sort of the case in this excursion, where he endeavors to practice greater empathy towards his friends and even goes around apologizing to them. Now, we’ve seen Sheldon apologize before — it’s been a sign of maturation — but never so expressly, in a plot that hangs a lantern on his need to consider the feelings of other people. It’s an explicit use of his character, at a time where that’s rare.

10) Episode 200: “The Celebration Experimentation” (Aired: 02/25/16)

The group throws Sheldon a birthday party as he seeks to get over his discomfort of them.

Teleplay by Steven Molaro & Steve Holland & Tara Hernandez | Story by Chuck Lorre & Eric Kaplan & Jeremy Howe | Directed by Mark Cendrowski

The Big Bang Theory’s 200th episode is a testament to its main character, the embodiment of its situation and its ambassador within the genre at large, as he’s literally celebrated at a birthday party featuring many of the show’s best-remembered recurring players, from Christine Baranski as Leonard’s mom to Sara Gilbert as their old colleague Leslie. In that regard, it’s as much a tribute to the show as it is a tribute to Sheldon. Although, by now (and for a while actually), they’ve essentially been one and the same… Okay, frankly, this entry is a little too self-aware in a way that feels outside the series rather than in it, but I appreciate how Sheldon’s aversion to birthday parties is explained here, as more details are filled in about his past. And his history of social dysfunction, while improved, continues to be evidenced in plot, keeping his character and thus the series’ DNA well-emphasized. (Incidentally, other guests include Stuart, Kripke, Wil Wheaton, Stephen Hawking, and Batman’s Adam West as himself.)

 

Other episodes that merit mention include: “The Meemaw Materialization,” which shows Sheldon’s childlike side in a nevertheless clichéd story with Sheldon’s beloved Meemaw, and “The Convergence Convergence,” the season finale where Leonard and Penny have another wedding ceremony and Sheldon’s mom hits it off with Leonard’s dad (Judd Hirsch). I’ll also take this space to cite “The Perspiration Implementation,” which uses both Sheldon and the series’ nerdy coloring well, “The Sales Call Sublimation,” which guests Jane Kaczmarek as a psychiatrist who zeroes in on Penny’s mothering of Leonard, and “The Line Substitution Solution,” where Christine Baranski pops up in advance of the aforementioned finale.

 

*** The MVE Award for the Best Episode from Season Nine of The Big Bang Theory goes to…

“The Opening Night Excitation”

 

 

Come back next week for Season Ten! And stay tuned tomorrow for a new Wildcard!