It finally happened. Well, Penny and Leonard got briefly and not really back together. But that’s not what I’m talking about. Not at all. We “met” Penny’s father and he turned out to be Keith Carradine. But that’s not what I’m talking about either. I’m talking what we’ve all been discussing for more than a few years — the repressed homosexuality in the Raj and Howard relationship.
Before I get to that, I’ll touch a bit on the premise for the episode. Okay, we all know Penny’s bad taste in boyfriends (other than Leonard who just seems a mismatch). She likes bad boys. We’ve seen a few of them. Well, her father wants her to be with a “nice” boy, get married, live happily ever after not in a double-wide and not be with Riff Raff.
Leonard is the first “nice” boy she was ever serious about and then they broke up. However, she went and told her father that she was back with Leonard just to get him off her back. For the visit, of course puppy dog Leonard was more than thrilled to be her man once again.
Meanwhile, while that rouse is in motion … Howard, Raj and Bernadette are over at the lab where Raj hopes to spot a new planet with a telescope based in Hawaii. Since Bernadette is kind of cute, Raj needs his alcohol encouragement to talk to her. (Yes, the alcohol story crutch once again! Didn’t I just mention that last week?) He got drunk and screws up his chance of scientific genius for the evening.
But he did get a kiss! He was talking his woe-is-me story and about how no girl wants to kiss him and Bernadette, dear that she is, told him lots of girls want to kiss him. Really? Their eyes meet … Raj moves in ever closer … he purses his lips for the kiss … NOOOO! Howard leaps in and it’s Raj and Howard’s big kiss! Perfect! About time even if it’s a “mistake.”
Back to the Lenpenny situation, Sheldon started freaking out when he saw they were back together. Obviously, they couldn’t tell him it was just for her dad’s benefit. He’s Mr. Loose Lips himself, sinking a slew of ships whenever he’s told a secret. So he had to make up a whole new roommate agreement with fines for Penny’s annoying mannerisms and behaviors.
Then that Penny decided she couldn’t keep lying to her father and told him the truth. Poor Keith Carradine. He didn’t take that easy, not easy like Sunday morning. He doesn’t want Leonard to give up. He’s sick of losers.
For me, the best line of the night belonged to Raj. “Dude, why didn’t you call me this morning?” I can’t help but think that, in a way, Raj’s big telescope touched something between the two friends. That said, I don’t want them to write out Bernadette. I enjoy her. How did you like this episode? It gave Raj a bit more airtime although most of it was defending himself against racism. That’s not so cool.
Clacked by Jackie Schnoop 
on Nov 18, 2010 @ 21:23 EST5EDT
Best part of the episode for me was Bernadette imitating Howard’s mom. That was SO spot on.
But what I also liked was that this episoded showed that, with Bernadette present, Howard and Raj can play off of each other and deliver joke after joke. Bernadette is what made it possible. Without her, the whole situation in Raj’s lab would’ve been awkward from the start. And I thought that part of the show was better than the Penny/Leonard part. I wouldn’t even consider that one the A story and Raj/Howard the B story but rather both of them the A story. They were equal IMHO and that’s real progress for the show, it being great and funny without needing Sheldon or better the Sheldon story not overshadowing the “other” stories (B or C stories). Very good.
THE EPISODE!
Anyway, it was good, if way they decided to bring this up with Bernadette in the room. I did miss Shelly in this ep, but it was okay and was made up for by Raj and Howard.