TV Tuesday: The Big Bang Theory

Spoilers below!

Last night's Big Bang Theory, "The Precious Fragmentation," might be my favorite episode of the current third season. As you can see from the promo, the boys buy a box of unknown junk from a garage sale and find some really cool stuff, including a ring used as the One Ring on the set of the LotR films. The really funny stuff happens as the guys try to determine what to do with the ring and which one of them should get possession of it.

I actually had a revelation at the beginning of this episode as the guys were discussing their roles in the group. Sheldon called Howard the "funny one." Last season, I would have recoiled from the idea of Howard being the comic relief from within their group (as opposed to how the audience sees them). Though I've loved the show from the beginning, I've always found Howard to be slimy and barely tolerable some episodes. However, the writers have managed to make me like the little slimeball this season. Maybe its that the whole Bernadette storyline has softened him a little, made him less of a creep.

I think my favorite part of the whole episode was when Penny punched Sheldon in the face when he tried to steal the ring from around her neck while she was sleeping (Leonard gave it to her for safekeeping while the boys debated what to do with it). It was unexpected and oddly satisfying. Not that I don't love Sheldon, but it was kind of appropriate considering he was snooping into Leonard's room in the middle of the night. Part of the show's hilarity stems from Sheldon not understanding social boundaries, but every now and then, its nice to see him suffer the consequences for doing something highly inappropriate like creeping into someone's room while they're asleep.

The gag where the boys tried to determine who got the ring by seeing who could hold on to it the longest was fantastic, though I could have done without the conversation where Raj and Howard tried to get Sheldon to let go by talking about his Meemaw having sex. Todd over at the AV Club loved this bit, so I think its just one of those things that you either find it hilarious or it turns you off completely.

This show has a habit of totally dropping storylines after one episode, so I don't anticipate any resolution to the conflict, since the episode ended with Leonard and Sheldon wrestling over the ring. I'd really love if we saw it in the background later or even around one of their necks.

Best line of the night: "I pity the fool who is illogical." - Leonard, after finding a doll with Spock's body and Mr. T's head