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'The Big Bang Theory' Season 11 Episode 14 Recap: Raj's Love Life Takes a Turn


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.



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'The Big Bang Theory' Season 11 Episode 13 Recap: As Usual, Penny Has the Most Common Sense


We’re now halfway through the season 11 of The Big Bang Theory and one thing has become clear: Thank God for Penny. Seriously. Even in episodes in which nothing really happens—like tonight’s, for example—she’s the best part. It’s why I still stand by my theory earlier this season that The Big Bang Theory will end with the reveal that Penny is a world-renowned psychologist and the past 200-plus episodes were all a dream.

If you watched tonight’s episode, it all makes sense, right? Sheldon found Penny to be a surprising source of scientific inspiration during a lull in his career, to the shock of pretty much everyone but Penny. (And FYI, she came to the rescue of the men once again. Just saying.) No offense to Young Sheldon, but I’d love to see a spin-off of Young Penny next.

In fact, I had plenty of thoughts during tonight’s episode, which is why I decided it was time to make a list. Here, five things that struck me during “The Solo Oscillation.”

1. Even though Raj and Howard are friends again, I’m thrilled the writers decided Raj should still wear his hair naturally curly. If you remember, Raj revealed that he straightened his hair all these years because Howard did, and he wanted to fit in when he came to the United States. By not going back to the hair straightener, Raj continues to establish his self-worth and own who he is.

2. I care more about young Sheldon than I do about adult Sheldon. Season 11 Sheldon is more of an annoying child than Iain Armitage’s young Sheldon will ever be. In tonight’s episode, adult Sheldon admits that he berated Leonard to conceal the fact that he’s not working on anything at the moment. And as anyone who has watched every episode of this season knows, it’s like the 100th time Sheldon has insulted, crossed, or acted immaturely toward someone he loves. Enough. (Unless you’re Amy, who doesn’t seem to mind.)

3. Are we ever going to revisit a potential romance between Sheldon’s mom and Leonard’s dad? Every time I see Laurie Metcalf on screen as Mary, I wonder if we’ll ever revisit that potential romance between Mary and Alfred during Penny and Leonard’s wedding. After all, it’s not like Judd Hirsch isn’t still in the CBS family…he stars on the network’s Superior Donuts. So where’s the cameo?

4. This show makes me hungrier than any food commercial on TV. Case in point: I’ve been battling a sore throat and don’t have much of an appetite, but the minute Penny and Sheldon started eating pizza together tonight, I’m ready to order Domino’s, Pizza Hut, and every local chain within a five mile radius. Same with Chinese food every time the group breaks out the chopsticks and plastic plates.

5. Amy needs to have a long, hard look at her relationship. Nothing new here, but the Amy from previous seasons would totally not stand for Sheldon’s antics now that they’re engaged. When she asks Leonard if marriage feels different and he replies not really, she acts relieved since “Sheldon and I are in a really great place right now, and I don’t want anything to mess that up.” I’m sorry, but “a really great place?” Leonard reminds her that the reason she’s not with Sheldon right now is because he kicked her out of the apartment to be alone. As I was saying…



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Here's the Very Likely End Date for 'The Big Bang Theory'


All things must come to an end, and love it or loathe it, hit show The Big Bang Theory is one of those things. After more than 10 seasons of dumb blond jokes (poor Penny), tone-deaf cracks at Raj’s accent, and, more recently, the revival of that terrible trope of men being jealous about their wives’ work success and colleagues of the opposite sex, we now know when the sitcom will probably tie off its storylines and ride off into the Netflix archives.

The show, of course, has only been renewed for one more season following its current eleventh reincarnation, so the end of season 12 is a pretty natural point for Big Bang Theory to wrap up. On Saturday at the Television Critics Association’s winter tour, Johnny Galecki, who plays Leonard, gave a hint that appears to confirm the above.

“The only manner in which the cast has discussed wrapping [the show] has been that we’re all going to be very sad when that day comes,” Galecki said. “But I think at this point everyone’s very comfortable with 12 seasons being a good time to go home and see our families.”

The show, according to TV Line is TV’s “top-rated, most watched comedy,” so it might be a little bit of a blow to CBS. Luckily, its cast is pretty much set for life: The lead actors are now reportedly taking home $1 million per episode. Now that’s some Friends money right there.

Related Stories:
–Anyone Who’s Ever Been a Bridesmaid Will Relate to Tonight’s ‘Big Bang Theory’
–Penny and Leonard Have a Major Discussion About Their Future on Tonight’s ‘Big Bang Theory’
–Two ‘Big Bang Theory’ Characters Broke Up Their Friendship Tonight for a Very Good Reason



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'The Big Bang Theory' Season 11 Episode 12 Recap: Amy Chooses Her Maid of Honor


If you’re hanging on to every detail that Sheldon and Amy make in advance of their wedding, then tonight’s episode of The Big Bang Theory was the most monumental since their engagement. Although it often feels like Shamy takes one step forward and two steps back, it seems—for now—that their choices for best man/maid of honor are set in stone. The winners? Penny and Leonard Hofstadter. The only problem? Amy made the wrong choice.

I get that this is a show—and Amy and Sheldon’s decision was interesting enough material for 22 minutes—but the future Mrs. Fowler-Cooper has two best friends in her life. So why did the episode have to become about choosing one over the other? Bernadette, who even campaigned for the honor, was left in the dust, presumably to play the role of bridesmaid. But easy choice—and the only choice, really—should have been to just have two maid of honors.

I’ve never planned a wedding, but “The Matrimonial Matric” particularly hit home for me. When my best friend got married, she—like Amy—had two best friends in her life. I was probably the closer friend—especially in her adult years—but she ended up choosing the other woman as maid of honor, basically because they had been friends since kindergarten. It didn’t matter that she and I had shared so much of our lives together—including living together—or that my parents treated her like another daughter. Instead, I was asked to be bridesmaid. It sucked. By declaring one of us a little more important than the other—even if my best friend didn’t see it that way—was a harsh reality that affected me more than I wanted to admit. And to top it off, the maid of honor used every opportunity to make it clear to me that she had a higher position. So you can see why I declared back then to never have a maid of honor in my own wedding one day.

PHOTO: Sonja Flemming/CBS

While I don’t usually subscribe to the “everyone gets a trophy!” sentiment, choosing only one maid of honor if there’s two or three equally deserving people is an outdated practice that rarely results in a good outcome. In this era of be kind, love one another, and support other women, it forces you to think about what those sentiments really mean. The Big Bang Theory had a great opportunity to bring all three women together on Amy’s big day. Instead, they turned it into a ridiculous competition. Bernadette should consider herself lucky that she doesn’t have to deal with the Fowler/Cooper antics.

There was one winning moment, though, and it came courtesy of Mayim Bialik’s hilarious reaction to Penny telling Amy that she’s her best friend, too. That bit of perfection almost made up for Amy’s choice. Almost.



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'The Big Bang Theory' Season 11 Episode 11 Recap: Penny and Leonard Contemplate Their Future


The Big Bang Theory has never shied away from uncomfortable and necessary topics—take last week’s Raj and Howard fight or Bernadette’s pregnancy concerns, for example—but tonight the writers finally tackled the most annoying holiday tradition ever: the year-in-review letter.

You know what I’m talking about: the two-sided note from the friend/old co-worker/cousin you haven’t talked to in years. The one that brags about their kids’ achievements, a summer vacation to Fiji, a huge promotion, or surprise engagement—sometimes all of the above! Then there’s always that sentence at the end that goes something like this: “Hope your year has been as wonderful as ours! Thinking of you always!” And, of course, it’s accompanied by a staged photograph with everyone dressed in the same color scheme or matching pajamas. [Insert eye roll here.]

On the mid-season finale of The Big Bang Theory—titled “The Celebration Reverberation”—Leonard is the unwilling recipient this time, thanks to a Christmas letter from his brother who just built a hospital in Rwanda. That’s wonderful, of course, but it brings me to the part no one thinks about when they send those letters: You start feeling down about everything that hasn’t happened for you. Leonard is no different and starts obsessing over achievements he can put on his own list, err, dry-erase board.

PHOTO: Michael Yarish/Warner Bros.

So, Leonard asks Penny if she can think of a single cool thing they did this year. Penny mentions that they both have great jobs, but Leonard reminds her that the Air Force took his project away and she’s not crazy about selling pharmaceuticals. “I’ll just write down, ‘still employed!'” Leonard deadpans. The Hofstadters also celebrated their second anniversary, but they both forgot about it. “Maybe write down, ‘still married,'” Penny suggests. Leonard asks what else, but Penny says that’s probably enough before going through old photos to jog their memory.

By the next morning, Leonard still can’t stop thinking of his year-in-review list. The only new entries on the board, though, are “built Ikea desk” and “kept fern alive.” I don’t know about you, but I’d totally consider construction and saving a plant worthwhile achievements. Still, Leonard’s not impressed. Even though Penny says the whole thing is silly and their lives are great, he feels like everyone’s moving forward and they’re stuck. “We’ve been married two years,” he says. “Should we think about what’s next? Like buying a house or having a baby?”

While you can’t fault Leonard for thinking about what’s next for him and Penny, the fact that society pressures us to categorize big life moments as achievements anyway is perhaps part of the problem. Having kids is wonderful, but that shouldn’t take anything away from the person who decides it’s not for them. Penny notes that she wants to do “all those things someday, but there’s a bunch of stuff I want to do first.” Leonard asks what that is, and she responds, “Stay thin and have money.” Penny’s comment was funny, but it spoke to a larger truth that oftentimes there’s joy in the status quo. In fact, we should celebrate that more often.

Another thing to celebrate: Instead of using the moment to embark Penny and Leonard on a life change they’re not ready for yet, the writers kept the moment small, with Penny suggesting they go on a big trip outside the confines of Pasadena. It was a strong baby step for a couple that hasn’t always been on the same page. Which brings me to another important moment: Achievements aside, it showed that Penny and Leonard have gotten really good at communicating with one another. Last season, Penny and Leonard were often at odds with each other. This season, though, they’re stronger than ever. So kudos to the writers for showing the real ups and downs of a long-term relationship—honestly, Leonard should a year-end letter about that.



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'Big Bang Theory' Star Kunal Nayyar and His Wife Neha Kapur Nayyar on Their Whirlwind Love Story


“The first time I saw Kunal, he was wearing a trucker hat, cutoff gloves, hipster glasses, and a scarf,” fashion designer Neha Kapur Nayyar recalls of meeting Big Bang Theory star Kunal Nayyar in 2009. “It took me a while to find him among all that.” Though she wasn’t impressed with her future husband’s accessories and was oblivious to his fame—“I had never seen the show,” she admits—Kunal was already a goner. “My first thought was, This is the most beautiful woman I’ve ever seen,” he says. “My second thought was, She’s way out of my league.” The two married in New Delhi two years later. The cutoff gloves stayed home. Here, we asked the so-gorgeous-it-hurts duo some very personal questions.

How do you each define love?

Neha Kapur Nayyar: Selfless.

Kunal Nayyar: Love is not perfect, and that’s OK.

Fill in the blank: Our love story began on….

NKN: December 24, 2009. New Dehli, India.

Fill in the blank: The first thing I thought when I saw my significant other was….

KN: She’s tall.

NKN: Interesting hat. [Laughs]

Your relationship described in three words. Go.

KN: BFF. Best friends forever.

Give me two more.

KN: BFF. Not so serious. Wait, that’s not right. Light. Like, relaxed. Laughter.

NKN: Comfortable. Companion. Best friend.

The best thing I’ve ever learned from my significant other is….

NKN: Selflessness.

KN: Clarity.

Not how to dress?

KN: Oh, that’s funny. I like that answer! Can I steal it? OK, I’ll do how to dress.

The pop song that best describes us is….

KN: That’s a great question. Why are you looking at me? [Laughs]

NKN: We listen to a lot of hip hop.

KN: We gotta come back to that! It’s gotta be something good. “Baby Got Back”? [Laughs] What about “I Love You Like A Love Song?”

NKN: No. [Laughs]

One thing my significant other does not know about him or herself is….

KN: She giggles in her sleep.

Is that true?

NKN: I have no idea! [Laughs]

KN: It’s creepy.

NKN: Thanks! [Laughs] I think when Kunal is singing on his own without anyone around him, I think it’s the most beautiful thing. He doesn’t realize how good he sounds.

Photograph by Olivia Malone Stylist: Henna Koskinen

What is your significant other’s superpower?

KN: Neha has incredible ability to be inviting. She creates a beautiful, familiar, inviting atmosphere wherever she goes.

NKN: Kunal makes everyone feel very safe. Very secure. You can always lean on him. He should be the first phone call when you need someone.

What’s the secret to love that lasts?

KN: The ability to forgive.

NKN: Yeah. I’d say space.

I know that my significant other loves me when he/she does….

NKN: Kunal always wants to make sure I’m OK when I’m traveling, or with my food, so he always takes care of it one step before I even ask him. He’s got it covered.

KN: I know my wife loves me when I come home and it smells like Indian food.

NKN: Oh, is that a little nudge? [Laughs]

When did you know you were ready to propose?

KN: Oh, that’s a good question. I mean, when I went to secure the ring. When I wrote a check for the ring. [Laughs] That’s a good question.

How did you know she was “The One”?

KN: Oh, when she met my family for the first time! There was an unspoken language. She just knew how to interact, be with, give love to, put herself in a very….

NKN: It was very organic.

KN: Yes. She was very organic with my family.

And how did you know he was the guy?

NKN: I came to visit him three weeks after I met him for the first time. I can spend hours talking to Kunal, and it just felt like I had always known him, so when I came to visit him in LA, it just seemed so right. I think I was always ready to marry him.

What advice would you give to somebody that doesn’t know whether they’re in the right relationship for the long haul?

NKN: I say take time. Spend time and take as long as you want before…nothing is out of bounds, no time is running out. Just take your time.

KN: Only do it for yourself. Don’t do it for your parents, your family, her or him. Do it truly for you. That sounds bad, but what I mean is don’t do it for anyone other than yourself.

NKN: Yeah, no pressure.

What are you most proud of about each other?

KN: Neha left her country as an adult to move here for marriage, and I really commend her on her ability to start a company, to make friends outside of my circle of friends, to make a life here on her own, where redefining herself [as an adult] in a new country, she’s been very good at. It takes a lot of courage. It’s not easy at all.

NKN: I think the fact that he doesn’t necessarily play his professional life out too much to people, and how humble he stays, especially with how big the show is, and how far and wide the fans are spread. He just completely stays committed and humble and dedicated and hard-working.



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