The Big Bang Theory – “The Large Hadron Collision” – review

Leonard is chosen to sub for an injured CalTech professor and visit the CERN supercollider in Switzerland. Allowed to bring a guest, he intends to bring Penny for Valentine’s Day. This predictably upsets Sheldon, but, fortunately, unlike the previous couple of episodes, he doesn’t go completely bonkers.

My favorite aspect of Big Bang has always been its intelligent banter. At times, the banter has taken a backseat to plots that could happen on any sitcom (the characters get drunk or stoned, their apartment is robbed, etc.), but the prospect of visiting CERN is one that could only come up on Big Bang.

This episode was notable as the second time Sheldon has hugged Penny. The occasion was as moving as Season 2′s Christmas episode. She agreed to talk to Leonard about letting Sheldon go to Switzerland in her place. Given Leonard’s history of going along with Sheldon’s quirks, I thought he might knuckle under yet again. He surprised me standing by his decision to take Penny.

Only an outbreak of the flu derailed things, forcing Penny and Sheldon to stay home while Leonard took the traditionally Valentine-less Raj with him. I enjoyed watching Sheldon figure out that he caught the flu precisely when he hugged Penny. Sitcom plots aren’t always this tightly written.

My favorite parts of this episode were (1) Sheldon relaying a true history of St. Valentine, a Roman priest who was stoned to death; (2) Sheldon placing Leonard with history’s great traitors, including Rupert Murdoch: “He owns FOX, and they cancelled Firefly“; and (3) Sheldon presenting Leonard with thirty pieces of silverware at the cafeteria. Once again, it’s great to see a show’s level of intelligence right where it should be–neither over viewers’ heads like last week, nor dumbed down. Just when I was worried where Big Bang might be headed, it has won me over again.