Thursday, May 15, 2014

The Big Bang Theory: Season Seven Recap and Reaction

This was a good season but not the show's strongest.
First of all, Leonard (Johnny Galecki) and Penny (Kaley Cuoco-Sweeting) are engaged! Yes, finally, after several proposals from each other, Leonard finally got down on one knee and pulled out the ring he's had in his wallet for years and popped the question and she said yes. Sure, it was largely because her career was going nowhere as she got fired from a crappy film she was shooting and was desperate for something good and permanent in her life.
Unfortunately, the gang is happier that Raj (Kunal Nayyar) had sex with a live woman who was willing and able than Leonard and Penny are engaged. Raj is happy too; it's been a long time.
Sheldon (Jim Parsons) is going through enough. He wants to change the path of his career but the university won't let him and now he will have to live on his own. On top of that, Stuart's (Kevin Sussman's) Comic Book Store burns down. Sheldon can't stand change so he decides that he must travel elsewhere. Leonard and Penny try to talk some sense into him at the train station, but Penny mentions that maybe they should just let him go, which they do. He's a grown man and finally must live on his own. Amy (Mayim Bialik) is furious because their relationship was slowly going somewhere. Sheldon is kissing her now, from time to time, but when she suggests that they also move in together, Sheldon pushes that idea aside immediately. But neither mention that they tried that already and it didn't work. Amy starts hitting Leonard with a pillow at the fact that they let Sheldon leave her in the first place.
Now, as for Howard (Simon Helberg) and Bernadette (Melissa Rauch). They are still married and are mostly happy in their own unique way that probably wouldn't work for most normal people and couples but it works for them. Until Howard's mother is injured when a treadmill (still packed away in its box) falls on her. She is a huge pain and goes through several nurses but the couple hires Stuart who embraces the job and actually really loves it despite her constant nagging and odd needs. We'll be seeing lots more of him next season.
Now, some stuff just didn't work this season. Like the constant near homosexual relationship of Howard and Raj. And what happens to the vet, Yvette (Tania Raymond)? She appeared in the Valentine's Day episode and appeared to like Raj, even leaving him a sweet note, but then we never hear from her again. Instead, Raj is too shy to even talk to a girl online, so he gets Amy to do that instead. Somehow, after a bumpy start, the relationship works out. Stuart continues to be a debbie downer, always depressed, longing for death. Like when his store burns down and a large piece of the ceiling falls down, just missing him, he laments that he can't catch a break. And he doesn't find taking care of Howard's mom to be demeaning in any way.
I also wasn't too fond of Howard being used as fodder between the new couple of Raj and Emily (Laura Spencer), as it was too gross. And further confirming that Sheldon can't stand change, when Leonard buys a table for the apartment, he doesn't use it, choosing to continue sitting in his assigned spot on the couch. But I loved when Amy ruined Raiders of the Lost Ark for the guys. That was probably one the best shows of the season. And I liked when Sheldon went to visit his mother, Mary (Laurie Metcalf) and found out that she was having sex, before marriage. He didn't take the news well and started lecturing her on safe sex. It was awkward but hilarious. Not the best, but still good. Sheldon is rude to the psychic and Penny gets mad when Amy and Bernadette go out without her. The guys are still jerks, but can also be sweet. Sheldon's ego is still enormous and can't make decisions, like what new gaming system to buy. He thinks he's the greatest thing since sliced bread. And it's getting super annoying, but it's Sheldon, he won't change. Penny has grown, finally able to commit. She is trying to focus on her acting career though that isn't going to well, but she still seems mostly happy. And Leonard is thrilled. I do wonder where the next season will go because Sheldon needs to come back and Penny and Leonard need to move forward with their wedding. And I wonder who will get pregnant first, it's bound to happen one of these days.
The acting is still great, with Cuoco-Sweeting deserving more credit than she receives and Bialik continues to steal the show. I hope she gets another Emmy nomination. Parsons probably will too. By the way, he is a total jerk when he's drunk, Sheldon, not Parsons. Still, the laugh track is super old and annoying on this show and I wish it would go, but this show still constantly delights. Grade: A-(finale); Season: B+

No comments:

Post a Comment