‘The Big Bang Theory’ season 8, episode 9 review: Leonard’s deviated septum leads to Sheldon drama

Over the course of the past few years, “The Big Bang Theory” has done a very good job making almost anything silly. They had the work cut out them in a way during “The Septum Deviation.”

Of course, the entire “Big Bang Theory” community is still missing the beloved Carol Ann Susi, who passed away earlier this week. She played Howard’s mother on the show.

There was an almost-eerie quality that this passing had on the story, given so much of it tonight revolved around such subjects as death and change. Sheldon was paranoid throughout the entire episode about something happening to Leonard while he had an operation on a deviated septum, and also how he was going to adapt to it at the same time.

Meanwhile, Raj was coping with the sudden news that his parents were most likely going to be getting a divorce, and this changed almost everything for his life back home. We haven’t actually seen these characters on the show in a while (heck, we haven’t seen his sister in a long time, either), but we’re sure that this will not be completely abandoned over the course of the next few seasons.

Sometimes, there can be comedy during even some of the hardest times, and that is ultimately what we feel about this episode right now. It was probably not intending to be in the least emotional when it was being made, but we look at almost everything right now with a different perspective. Update: Take a look at the vanity card / tribute to Susi that played after the episode.

In the end, hats off to the cast for entertaining us through everything … and for telling us that Raj and Howard went to couples therapy together. Grade: B+.