Quick Take: The Big Bang Theory, “The Pulled Groin Extrapolation”
“Does your mother always cut your meat for you?” – Bernadette
Review: The Big Bang Theory, “The Pulled Groin Extrapolation”
(S0503) Oh Bernadette, honey…run! Cute as a button and smart as a whip, it’s always been a bit of a head scratcher that Bernadette Rostenkowski (Ph.D.) agreed to marry the nebbishy Howard Wolowitz (no Ph.D). I love Howard as a lecherous nerd on the prowl but my protective instincts for Bernadette outweigh my concerns. Case in point, Howard off-handily tells his fiancée that he assumes they’ll move into his mom’s house after their nuptials, much to Bernadette’s horror (and ours). She says absolutely not but then agrees to a trial weekend at the Wolowitz roost.
Suddenly the hilarious bickering between the too close mother and son takes on a terrifying note as Bernadette struggles to get past Momma Wolowitz cutting Howard’s tough meat, the intrusive yelling into the boudoir, and the suggestion that she brush her teeth while Momma is on the can. The utter grimace of horror on Bernadette’s face is comedy gold but it also makes you wonder how in the hell can stay engaged to such a doofus? Bernadette’s a catch and he’s lucky to even have a girl that hot willing to sleep with him much less consider co-habitation with his mom. Even though Bernadette shifts into Jewish mother mode herself by episode end to combat the abrasive yelling, it looks like the road to the altar is going to be bumpy for these two. Thank goodness.
The other major storyline has Amy Farrah Fowler bonding with Leonard. It begins when she remains in the apartment when Sheldon goes to an H-O train meeting. She stays on the couch, much to Leonard’s chagrin, reading then looking out into space to ponder what she’s read, and then flipping through his high school yearbook. It’s great awkward stuff that ends up with Amy inviting Leonard to be her date at a wedding over the weekend. Penny perks Amy up with some “whore makeup” and Leonard cleans up nicely in a tux. However at the reception, Leonard is being a less than interesting date according to Amy’s blunt assessment. He admits he misses his girlfriend and Amy retorts that her quasi boyfriend is playing with trains but you don’t see her bitching about it. Nice.
That wakes Leonard up and he agrees to cut the rug on the dance floor. He actually just pulls a groin but admits he had a great time with Amy. With a peck on the cheek he returns to his apartment, and Amy races over to Penny’s convinced that Leonard is now in love with her. It’s a dorky, kind of trite outcome to the storyline but Mayim Bialik’s needy turn as Amy sort of makes it work. I hope it’s a short-lived comedic thread as it will easily collapse with further exploration.
