The Big Bang Theory season 10 finale review: Did Sheldon propose?
The questions around Sheldon’s faithfulness came into question the moment that Dr. Ramona Nowitzki surfaced after a stint in Cern. The two’s history dates back to the start of the show, and her arrival led to a series of humorous speculations from the other characters as to what was going on. Was Sheldon altogether aware of what was going on? He’s Sheldon. This is a man with zero understanding of modern social conventions. He interprets having lunch with her as hearing about her work; she may view it as an opportunity for something more.
The structure of this episode was constructed in a way to make you legitimately worried about Ramona’s intentions. She turned out eating with Raj, she went swimming with Sheldon, and then he brought her over to meet the rest of his friends. Think of these as three strikes in terms of warning signs. Most importantly, the comedy didn’t let up during any of this. Everyone stayed true to their characters; seeing Possessive Amy from afar was a fun, entertaining new wrinkle that wasn’t there previously. In the process, Possessive Bernadette showed up, especially when she chose to sit in between the two parties as dinner.
At around the twenty-minute mark, the story descended into judgment day when she followed him across the hallway into his apartment. Nobody knew quite how to handle it, and it led to Leonard calling Amy and then everyone following Ramona and Sheldon down to her car. Once again, a different dynamic for the show to explore, though one of the larger questions you can wonder is why it took someone in Penny so long to explain to Sheldon what was going on. It’s too bad he didn’t want to listen to her. For a genius of such a high regard, Sheldon still cannot see the forest through the trees.
How it all came together
After the fiasco the night before, Riki showed up for lunch the next day at his office and kissed him. As a result of that, Sheldon flew all the way to New Jersey to see Amy, tell her what happened, and to … propose! That is your cliffhanger — she doesn’t know what happened, but she may not care so much when you consider that this came about as a result of that.
Final Verdict
For its final season 10 episode, the writers went all-out in delivering some surprises. Riki Lindhome was a worthy guest star as Ramona, and this was tension that the show needed to establish more boundaries for Sheldon as an adult. Him proposing was a powerful watershed moment in his life; it offered laughs, but also that pit-of-your-stomach-feeling when something earth-shattering happens for a character you love. Grade: A-.
What’s next
Interested in hearing early The Big Bang Theory season 11 news, including premiere date speculation? The link here is the premier destination for further news. (Photo: CBS.)