RECAP: The Big Bang Theory 9×02 – “The Separation Oscillation”

Warning: This post contains for spoilers for The Big Bang Theory 9×02. Do not read if you do not wish to be spoiled. Someone really ought to put The… read more
RECAP: The Big Bang Theory 9×02 – “The Separation Oscillation”
Warning: This post contains for spoilers for The Big Bang Theory 9×02. Do not read if you do not wish to be spoiled.
Someone really ought to put The Big Bang Theory, and its viewers, out of their misery. This week I decided to wax my facial hair and watch “The Separation Oscillation” at the same time, and the forceful ripping of hair from my face was far less painful.
“The Separation Oscillation” was a slight improvement on last week’s dreary season opener “The Matrimonial Momentum“. This is largely due to a cracking scene at the start of the episode which will make your drink re-emerge from your nostrils. Leonard is unable to sleep following the immediate failure of his and Penny’s quickie wedding, and Sheldon suggests Penny might find comfort in the lips of another man to even the score. Penny agrees. Sheldon grabs Penny in a passionate clinch, while Leonard stares on blankly before waking to realise it was all a dream.
It’s a great scene, worth a watch even if you are one of the wise few who gave up watching a couple of seasons ago.
Unfortunately, then TBBT returns to the far less exciting real lives of the gang. Leonard and Penny have fallen out over Leonard kissing another woman. In non-dream-world, Sheldon suggests Leonard introduces Penny and the lady he kissed, Mandy Chow, to reassure Penny he won’t be straying again. This doesn’t actually happen, but we do meet Chow, when Leonard decides she’s cheaper than a relationship councillor and spills his emotional woes. Chow is mostly just glad she didn’t sleep with him, before making the profound observation that Leonard is trying to sabotage his relationship with Penny.
Meanwhile, Sheldon and Amy are exhausting to watch, for all the wrong reasons. Sheldon is attempting to fight his way back into Amy’s life. He shows up at her door with a box of her old belongings – including Penny’s bra, in a transparent attempt to garner jealousy – as well as making a rude episode of Fun With Flags for her benefit. Amy is unimpressed when Sheldon compares her genitalia to Czechoslovakia on the show and comes round to yell at him for it.
As has become custom, Howard, Raj and Bernadette provide the only fodder for entertainment in the episode (aren’t you glad now that Helberg and Nayyal accepted the lower pay rate in the pay saga last year?). Raj is angry that Howard didn’t tell him about Leonard’s infidelity, while Bernadette is angry that Howard did tell her about it and she’s had to spend two years hiding it from Penny. It leads to one of the episode’s better scenes when Bernadette is forced to reiterate how surprised she is at the turn of events every other sentence to avoid arousing Penny’s suspicion.
Leonard and Penny finally chat and decide they were both intentionally damaging their relationship because they secretly feel the other is going to run off with someone more suited. I’m pretty sure they’ve had this argument several thousand times before. Having made up, they head off to consummate their marriage. Does anyone actually care anymore?
The misery continues in brand new episodes of The Big Bang Theory, currently airing Monday nights on CBS in the US.