The Big Bang Theory is a show about four science geniuses, but it’s not often that we get to see them doing what they know best. Lately, it’s been about them dealing with girlfriends and ex-girlfriends and wives, which is always fun to watch because we get to see four science geeks coming out of their comfort zone every week. Still, one of the best parts of this show lies at the heart of the show; science. This week we see the boys resolving the conflict with just that. No relationship agreements, no relationship problems, but their knowledge of science and the world.
We begin at the boys’ apartment. Seeing as Leonard and Penny eloped, the boys didn’t get the chance to throw Leonard a bachelor party, and so they declare a kidnapping is about to take place. They’ve got a van waiting outside and everything. However, Sheldon is a bit skeptical. Every kidnapping needs a blindfold and duct tape, but they weren’t finished. They’re here to kidnap Sheldon too since he’s the one who creates a problem for everything, and lo and behold, there’s a blindfold and duct tape waiting for Sheldon.
There’s a lot of protesting coming from Sheldon’s end, but Howard then reveals the van was owned and driven by Sheldon’s personal physics hero: Richard Feynman. Sheldon hates the van at first, but after hearing this, he loves that his butt is being cradled by Richard Feynman’s very own butt dent. Howard then reveals their destination has spicy food and diarrhea. It’s not India, but Mexico! Again, Sheldon is not happy about this, but the theme of the weekend is Richard Feynman. They’re driving in Feynman’s van to Feynman’s vacation house that he bought with his Nobel Prize. Good thing Sheldon got his yellow fever inoculation last year before visiting Epcot.
Unfortunately, the party is over before it even begins. A flat tire leaves them stranded on the side of the road, and Howard knows how to change a tire, but he’s only able to take three out of the four lug nuts out. After a brainstorming sesh with plans involving a Star Trek laser, Superman’s heat vision, and the Green Lantern’s ring, the boys finally settle on science to solve the problem.
Scientific Principle 1:
Percussive Shock: Leonard tries to loosen the lug nut with slow, steady hits, but instead of loosening the tire, he induces a full on belt out from the boys as they start singing to the beat with “We Will Rock You.” The absolute best surprise of this scene was Sheldon singing out an entire verse of the song, hitting all of the high notes. He has an eidetic memory, which he claims is sometimes a curse, but this was anything but a curse for us.
Scientific Principle 2:
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Thermal Expansion: This attempt at loosening the lug nut involves lighting a tortilla chip on fire to hopefully make the lug nut expand. If you were thinking this sounds like it wouldn’t work, you’d be right.
Scientific Principle 3:
Accelerated Corrosion: Third attempt continues with the burning of Mexican themed food. This time it’s salsa. One time Howard saw this on mythbusters, but it turns out, this was actually a myth.
Scientific Principle 4:
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Exothermic Reaction: Finally, Sheldon tries to melt the lug nut by scraping some rust off the hood of the van and lighting it with a flame. He’s successful! The lug nut finally comes off, but so does the rest of the van. The whole van catches fire, and they’re left carless.
This whole scene with the boys was great to watch. Their group dynamic is entertaining, especially when they tease each other. Plus, in this episode we got science as well as comic book talk.
While the boys were attempting and failing to go to Mexico, the girls were having a celebration of their own. Penny doesn’t really want to go to a strip club though. If she wants to see a naked man dancing, all she has to do is flush the toilet while Leonard is showering. Still, Amy is in the mood, and she shows up with aptly shaped treats: Cookies in the shape of male genitals. What’s more is that the cookies are anatomically correct. They have gummy worms for veins and everything.
Bernadette eventually asks Penny how married life is treating her. According to her, it’s all right, but she really wants Leonard to tell Sheldon he’s moving into her place. Bernadette then asks Amy how single life is treating her, and she says she was thinking about changing her wardrobe. Penny and Bernadette immediately bombard her with suggestions. Shoes, hair, clothes! But what Amy really wants is to get a piercing. She grew up believing piercings were for whores, pirates, and genies. Her mother was the type of person that locked her up in a “sin” closet. Afterwards, the relationship agreement forbade her from getting cosmetic surgery (piercings) unless it was to look like a Klingon. So now is her time to get wild, and Penny offers herself to take Amy’s ear virginity.
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After a while, they get into Facebook relationship statuses. Both Penny and Amy have yet to change their statuses online because they still haven’t told their families. Penny calls her dad, but Amy has to call her mother afterwards. When Penny breaks the news to her father, he’s surprisingly okay with it, and that’s because he had some news of his own. One year ago, he killed her pet pig, Moondance. At least they didn’t eat the pig. He’s buried in the backyard with Penny’s great-grandmother.
Amy can’t bring herself to break the news of her breakup to her mother, but no worries, Penny quickly takes the phone and informs her that Amy broke up with Sheldon, got her ears pierced, and is eating penis-shaped cookies. Naturally what comes next is Amy being punished and locked in Penny’s closet for the next few hours.
The next couple of episodes are going to be interesting to watch, especially with this week’s revelation that Penny is itching for Leonard to move out of his apartment and into her place. Sheldon is always uncomfortable with change, so we’ll see how he deals with this life-altering event.
Best Bazingas!
“Boy, if my mom could see me now, she’d lock me in the sin closet.”—Amy
“Lock up your daughters, or Sheldon might lecture them about the North American Free Trade Agreement.”—Penny
Episode Rating: 9/10
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