THE BIG BANG THEORY “The Pulled Groin Extrapolation” Review

THE BIG BANG THEORY “The Pulled Groin Extrapolation” Season Five Episode 3 – Nothing makes me happier than character growth and I think “The Pulled Groin Extrapolation,” this week’s episode of The Big Bang Theory will be remembered as a turning point in the arc of Sheldon Cooper.

When Sheldon is unwilling to go to a wedding with Amy (as there would be no other scientists his age), Amy invites Leonard instead. She even buys a corsage for him to give to her; it’s not surprising, but still a little sad, that she couldn’t even get her cousin to take her to her prom.

Still moping over Priya’s move to India, Leonard turns out to be kind of a sucky date. It takes all of Amy’s charms (plus a mustache she drew on her finger) to get him onto the dance floor. If not for the pulled groin he suffers doing the hokey-pokey, he would have actually had a very good time. He even kisses Amy goodnight (on the cheek) which of course fuels her belief that Leonard is falling for her. I hope they don’t let that idea die in upcoming episodes; I want to see it played out.

Especially considering Sheldon’s reaction to hearing about his roommate’s evening with his sort-of girlfriend. There’s always some inconsistency with Sheldon regarding sex; some writers paint him with a knowledge of it, but no interest, while others write him as completely, virginally clueless. Still, I was impressed when, after jumping to a conclusion about how Leonard sprained his groin, Sheldon went off and karate-chopped his roommate’s shoulder, declaring that Amy was off-limits.

Is Sheldon finally acknowledging that Amy means more to him than just a girl who happens to be a friend? Might this mean we’ll see their relationship turning up a notch this year? Or was this episode just written by someone in the first camp of writers mentioned above, and next week we’ll return to a Sheldon who doesn’t know what it means when two people emerge from a bedroom tousled and wrapped in sheets?

I choose to believe the former because, as stated above, I live for character growth.

Which is why Howard frustrates me so much. I love him, all four feet and fifty pounds of him, but I sometimes feel like his arc is more like a circle. Yes, he has grown up a bit, in so much that he’s abandoned his Starbuck fantasies and proposed to a real woman who loves him. But in the end, he’s still the mama’s boy he always was; he even expects Bernadette to be open to the idea of living with his mother after the wedding!

I want to see Howard cut the umbilical cord. I guess there’s always season six.

Let me also mention how much I love that Amy is getting some of the best lines of the episodes, but I think there could be a better balance. I don’t want to see Penny get less screen time just because Mayim Bialik is awesome. They’re not at that point yet, but I worry it might head in that direction. Adding Amy and Bernadette was a wonderful move on the part of The Big Bang Theory, but I’m far more invested at this point in Penny and the boys.

Best Lines:

Leonard: This wedding just reminds me of my kinda-sorta girlfriend 9,000 miles away
Amy: I have a kinda-sorta boyfriend who’s playing with a model train right now…you don’t hear me bitching about it.

What did you think of this week’s episode? Doesn’t Leonard look great in a tux? Do you think Sheldon will ever give in and have sex? Let me know below!