Some nice things happened in the forgettable sixth episode of The Big Bang Theory’s 10th season. And some sexist things that made me sad.
The description of tonight’s episode in my TV’s guide said, “Penny discovers her ‘Serial Ape-ist’ performance gathered fans, much to her surprise, after she is invited to attend a comic convention with Leonard.” This description pleased me, suggesting that Penny might experience a degree of validation for the acting career she worked so hard at for the first several years of the show. Alas, it was not to be.
The episode opens with Penny receiving an invitation to appear at the Van Nuys Comic Con. She decides to accept the offer to sign autographs there, hoping at least one person will show up and that she’ll make a little extra money for her trouble. Leonard accompanies her, prepared with headshots she can sell and a change belt he can use to make change.
They take their places behind a table in a convention space that looks like a hallway, with stand-up posters for both of the “Serial Ape-ist” films behind them. To Penny’s surprise and delight, men (emphasis on men – there’s nary a woman to be seen at Penny’s table) come for her autograph and are happy to pay.
The first man tells her that he loves her films because they’re terrible and wants to know if she was acting that badly on purpose. The next tells her that he loved her shower scene and has it saved in his phone. The third visitor wants to have his photo taken with her and asks if she will kiss him in the photo. This is the last straw for Leonard, who jumps up to defend his wife’s honor (or his territory?), until…
…the visitor’s incredulity over Leonard being married to Penny flatters Leonard so much that the focus shifts from Penny’s celebrity to Leonard sharing the story of his prowess with other nerds who sit around him campfire-style. (See top photo, wherein Penny’s face reflects my feelings about this situation and this episode.)
Meanwhile, Sheldon and Amy seem to have settled into living together. She mentions over dinner that she’d like to have some people over, and after initially shooting her down, Sheldon surprises her by staging a brunch. It’s not a brunch for their closest friends, though– it’s a “practice run.”
Invited to the practice brunch are hapless Stuart, Amy’s colleague Bert (Brian Posehn, who is rad) and a Romanian woman who lives downstairs and blurts out catchphrases she’s picked up while learning English from television (a tired gag that must be on every sitcom’s checklist). Stuart recognizes that the group is off somehow, and Sheldon hurts his feelings by revealing that this is a practice brunch.
Stuart is ready to leave in indignation, saying that Sheldon and Amy are like family to him, but he doesn’t even know if they think of him as a friend. Chastised, Sheldon gives a touching toast as apology, and the brunch ends with Sheldon and Stuart drunk on mimosas and complimenting each other profusely while Amy cleans up alone. (She does ask for help, but Sheldon takes advantage of this as a chance to demonstrate for Stuart how one can hurt someone else with words without cursing.)
On the C track of this episode, Howard feels the baby kicking in Bernadette’s tummy and goes on an anxiety-fueled shopping spree with Raj the next day. They catch Bernie off guard with a top-of-the line crib, bags of baby products and a MINI VAN. Although the van is just on a 24-hour test drive, Howard is making a hard sell for it, despite Bernadette making it clear that she is unhappy that he’s made so many decisions without her.
Howard and Raj show off the van’s features to Bernie, then try to unload the crib from the back. Howard throws out his back, and the three are soon on their way to the hospital with Bernadette behind the wheel. When Raj quiets the melodramatic Howard by putting on a DVD of Batman: The Animated Series while they drive, Bernadette reluctantly agrees to buy the car.
This episode fails the Bechdel Test. The three main female characters don’t share any scenes, and the time Amy and her Romanian neighbor spend together lacks conversation between the two women. That’s a big bummer for a show that passes as consistently as this one. I’m also disappointed by the way Penny’s storyline unfolded, evolving from a career win for her to a series of objectifying trials topped by her husband pounding his chest over landing her. The women were all losers in this one, and I hope it doesn’t happen again.
Read the rest of my Big Bang Theory Season 10 recaps HERE.
- WANDAVISION Finale Recap: (S01E09) The Series Finale - March 5, 2021
- WANDAVISION Recap: (S01E08) Previously On - February 28, 2021
- WANDAVISION Recap: (S01E07) Breaking the Fourth Wall - February 19, 2021
