Big Bang Theory - The Electric Can Opener Fluctuation

Network: CBS

Time: Mondays, 9:30-10:00pm

Cast: Johnny Galecki, Jim Parsons, Kaley Cuoco, Simon Helberg, Kunal Nayyar

Creator: Chuck Lorre, Bill Prady

Summary: At the end of season two, the boys left for a research study in the Arctic. Before they went, however, Leonard and Penny shared a moment, and Penny realized how much she was going to miss him.

Review: Season 3 of Big Bang is off to a, well, bang. The guys are back from the Arctic, and they're finding their own ways to keep warm. There are some mild spoilers ahead, but nothing you don't find out in the first five minutes of the episode.

Spoiler/Major Plot Device #1 - Sheldon. Turns out, the guys lied to him about the results they were finding on his study. In other words, he had squat. Too bad he'd already told everyone about his miraculous findings. Oops. Well, after he finds out his friends had destroyed his dreams of a Nobel Prize, he takes off running all the way to the opposite of the Arctic. That's right, Sheldon goes home to Mama Cooper.

Spoiler/Major Plot Device #2 - Leonard and Penny. That's right, 'shippers, it's finally happened. Leonard comes back from the frozen tundra of the Arctic circle to see that Penny's clearly missed him... a lot.

Now, I'm as big a fan of Leonard and Penny as anyone, and I've certainly been rooting for their relationship since episode 1, but I had some problems with that aspect of this episode. When the boys left, there was a moment. You remember, Penny shut the door to her apartment and said, "Don't go," to the air? And then they've probably had no contact for three or four months while Leonard was in his own personal frozen hell? Then... they're making out? It seemed a little fast to me, despite the fact that we've been waiting for this for two years. And then, to make matters worse, it's awkward. For a fan who's been anticipating this relationship, the actual situation was a bit of a let down.

However, there were certainly more positives than negatives about this episode. The writing, as always, was stellar. The timing between the actors was great, and Sheldon, as usual, could not be matched. Jim Parsons has a way of taking already-good dialogue and pushing it up a notch with his spectacular grasp of Sheldon's character. In this episode, he alternated between the affronted, superior scientist who looked down on his friends, and the teenage boy he must have once been when dealing with his mother. Parsons played both parts brilliantly.

All things considered, Big Bang is clearly making a move to become a top-rated CBS sitcom. Up until now, Two and a Half Men and How I Met Your Mother have been the Monday night draws. Big Bang Theory was something you watched because it was in between (well, not me, but, you know, other people). But with the new time change came a new attitude, and Big Bang clearly wants to be a ratings frontrunner now. Personally, I think they've got a good chance. For a program about really smart people (which, let's face it, is rarely a selling point for a sitcom), there is something about this show that appeals to people of all intellects... whether you understand the geek-speak or not.

Rating (for this episode):

[1] Run in the other direction

[2] Don't bother

[3] Worth a watch if you've got nothing better to do

[4] Definitely try it out

[5] A total keeper