I was not going to cover any more television series this season, but It feels strange to not do so after the last few years. So I am going to pick up The Big Bang Theory. Sitcoms are not normally my cup of tea, but it has been the only exception in about twelve years or so.“The Robot Manipulation” begins where we left off last season. Howard and Raj have arraed for Sheldon to hook up with his perfect mate through online dating. Sheldon and Amy, played with splendid Asperger’s Syndrome blutnness by Mayim Biali, are going about their relationship in the only way ubermensch can--deciding immediately to procreate through donated sperm and egg in order to create a line of benign dictatorial geniuses to guide humanity into the future.
Raj quips that history will judge the gang harshly for not killing Sheldon before it is too late. Indeed.
Penny convinces Sheldon he needs to be more intimate with Amy before taking such a bi step. They hardly communicate outside of the internet. Sheldon agrees to go on a date, but ropes Penny into driving them since he has no license. Hilarity ensues as the two gang up on penny over diner regarding her love life.
Penny gets the last laugh by insisting she will tell Shelon's born again Christian mother he is planning to have a test tube baby out of wedlock. Her threat stops the whole plan right in its tracks.
In the B-story, Howard invents a robot arm that is to be used as a mechanic on the space shuttle. He uses it himself to massage his own shoulders, then graduates to…you can probably guess. Howard wins up embarrassingly I the emergency room, robot ad all, util the desk clerk solves his problem by flipping the off switch on the arm.
Howard’s predicament was awfully predictable considering the character and so was not very original. The awkward date was hilarious, however. Penny can be awfully mean spirited to the guys, as pretty girls often are to nerds. Sheldon in particular gives back as good as he gets. Brutal yes, but indeed funny.
Not a bad start to the season, but the two stories do not math up in quality.
Rating: *** (out of 5)
