THE BIG BANG THEORY Has a Russian Rocket Reaction

Leonard and Sheldon are at the comic book store when Wil Wheaton stops in and invites them to a party at his house. Leonard readily accepts the invitation, much to Sheldon’s dismay. Meanwhile, Howard is selected for a three-week mission in space.“The Russian Rocket Reaction” gets its title from Bernadette (Melissa Rauch)’s reaction to Howard’s news. Leonard, Sheldon, and Raj were happy for Howard, as they’ve always dreamed of going into space. Penny and Amy were supportive, but Bernadette, oddly, was not. She explained that her father was a police officer, and the family always worried whether he’d make it home. She had the same concerns about Howard, which were not helped by Howard’s description of Russian rockets as compared to NASA’s counterparts.

This was clearly a big opportunity for Howard, and Bernadette tried to come to grips with it. She told him she didn’t want to be the one to stop him from going into space, but then told his mother about the mission, and she freaked out. Up to now, Bernadette has been a calming, supportive influence on Howard. It was nice to see she had flaws and anxieties, too. Her knee-jerk reaction was a serious threat to her relationship with Howard. It was also a good mirror for how Sheldon felt betrayed by Leonard.

For most of the episode, Sheldon claimed to be unsure whether Leonard was still his friend. He employed the principle of Schrodinger’s cat, responding as if Leonard were both his best friend and a bitter enemy. For example, Sheldon brought Leonard a bottle of water when he asked for it, but slapped the bottle away as Leonard reached for it. It had to be tricky to work these opposite reactions in smoothly. Well done, Jim Parsons.

Given how Wil Wheaton has been portrayed in previous Big Bang appearances, I thought his inviting Leonard and Sheldon might be a trap. Sheldon did not go to the party with Leonard, but showed up later in an effort to salvage their friendship. I expected the worst until Wheaton gave Sheldon an autographed, mint condition Wesley Crusher action figure. This was an olive branch, as Sheldon’s hatred of Wheaton began when Wheaton failed to show at a Star Trek convention Sheldon had traveled hours to attend.

Sheldon had just declared Wil Wheaton a friend when Brent Spiner (who played Data on Star Trek: The Next Generation) horned in and took the action figure out of the packaging, vastly decreasing its value. Sheldon responded by making Spiner his new sworn enemy, even though, according to Leonard, he previously loved Spiner.

Wil Wheaton has appeared in four episodes of Big Bang including this one. I don’t think fans would have minded if he continued as Sheldon’s nemesis, but it’s also smart to use him sparingly for best effect. I’d like to see Brent Spiner appear in a few episodes as the new focus of Sheldon’s wrath.