In the universe of The Big Bang Theory, the biggest hot spot isn’t the local bar, the gym, or even Stuart’s comic book store. Lately—especially if you ask Raj—it’s the local planetarium, where he’s pretty much batting a thousand when it comes to meeting women. As for the long-term potential…well, the outlook isn’t great, but, hey, it’s a start.
In tonight’s episode—titled “The Separation Triangulation”—a woman named Nell (played by 2 Broke Girls‘ Beth Behrs) approaches Raj after his presentation to ask for a picture and gush over his work. We later find out that even though that was the extent of their encounter, they somehow met back up, went on a date, and started sleeping together. Things seem to be getting off to a promising start, until Nell admits she recently (as in less than two weeks ago) separated from her husband. Raj immediately realizes the odds of this turning into anything serious aren’t looking too good.
To make matters more complicated, Nell’s ex, Oliver (guest star Walton Goggins), shows up at the planetarium and demands that Raj tell him the extent of his new relationship with Nell. Oh, and he wants her back. Raj tries to stay out of the drama, but he can’t. (This is a sitcom, after all.) He tries to keep things going with Nell, but every time he’s with her he can’t seem to stop thinking about Oliver. Eventually, the whole thing gets to be too much for Raj, who ends things with Nell but continues a friendship with Oliver (insert eye roll here). By the end of the episode, Oliver and Nell seem to be back on the road of reconciliation and Raj’s single status remains in tact.
The episode as a whole felt redundant, but the Raj/Nell/Oliver story was relatable for anyone who’s ever been on a date. Whether you swipe, click, or get set-up, we’ve all encountered someone who seems available in theory—but really isn’t. In this situation, there was nothing Raj could have done to know Nell’s history upfront. I mean, perhaps he could have handled things a bit better once he did, but then we’d have no show. For once, it was refreshing to see another honest portrayal of how shitty dating can be in the 21st century.
That brings me to my next point, which is Raj’s love life in general. As Big Bang prepares to possibly end after season 12, it’s nice that the writers aren’t rushing to find Raj’s forever love. In the last few seasons, he’s had dates or relationships with Emily, Claire, Lucy, Ruchi, to name a few. But instead of making a gimmick out of his rotating list of women, each relationship has been handled authentically to the character. What’s unusual—especially with a well-known actress like Beth Behrs playing a potential love interest—is that often means the character will stick around for a story arc. But for the moment, that’s not the case. Instead, we’re seeing these women come into Raj’s life and sometimes—as with Nell, or Isabella the cleaning lady—leave as quickly as they entered. While it’s a bummer for Raj, or anyone who wants to see him find a long-term partner, it’s nice to see that his love life isn’t being rushed just for the sake of coupling him up.
