‘The Big Bang Theory’ season 7, episode 17 review: Sheldon and Howard bond

When you have a show that is the highest-rated comedy on TV, we understand that there could be a certain temptation to just sit around and rest on your laurels. Luckily, “The Big Bang Theory” is showing that they have no real interest in doing this.

We’re a little later than usual for our review of Thursday’s episode (we’ve been busy giving the site a new look), but there are a few things in this particular story that make it worth discussion. For one, we’re still a very big fan of the show trying to pair together characters that don’t often spend a ton of time around each other. The entire Sheldon plot was, in a way, the origin story of his relationship with Howard Wolowitz. We learned why they are never really that nice to each other, and Sheldon also admitted just how jealous he really is that Howard is an astronaut and he is not.

Also, this is a part of a larger story that will carry over to next week … a rarity for the show. Sheldon is going to still be in Texas, and he will learn something new about his mother there.

As for if the other stories could carry over, we have a hard time thinking so when it comes to Raj getting spurned by a woman he found over the internet. What in the world happened to the vet that he got a phone number for earlier in the season? Maybe he doesn’t have the confidence to call her, but this entire story felt almost like revisionist history.

Meanwhile, Leonard finally got it together and produced what we feel like was one of the best moments of his relationship with Penny: Him surprising her with a car to use after her old one broke down. We didn’t see this as him spoiling her in any sense; it was more about the representation of this car as a way for her to continue pursuing her dream … which Leonard has not always been that supportive of. So hats off Leonard, and cheers to the writers for showing some personal growth … and giving us a few laughs along the way. Grade: B+.

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Photo: CBS