Tonight’s episode opens with Penny, Sheldon and Leonard returning home from a trip out for Icee’s and a visit to the Container Store, all done to butter up Sheldon to prepare him for the news that Leonard is moving out to live in Penny’s apartment now that they are married. Sheldon is outraged, he thought they were friends, which is why he had considered letting Leonard have a sip of his Icee (if only Leonard had brought his own straw!), and now he is utterly disheartened.

Following the news, Sheldon seeks refuge at the Wolowitz house, speaking with Bernadette about his troubles (lucky for her she was his 7th choice of confidantes, meaning she made the top 10!) She reminds Sheldon that he had roommates prior to Leonard, and should seek another roommate to fill the void. She tries to get Stuart to move  in with Sheldon, but Stuart makes it perfectly clear he enjoys living/mooching off the Wolowitz’s, and is going nowhere.

Meanwhile, at the Comic Book Shop, Stuart arrives and begins thinking about getting a musical element to the store, which might encourage more shoppers to come in. He needs it to be free though, as he has no money, and lucky for him, Howard and Raj volunteer, as they have always wanted to start a band, playing Filk music (check out what FILK music is here). All goes well for the new band as they write their first Rock Epic, ‘Thor and Dr. Jones,’ until Raj plays it for Emily, who calls it cute and says she does not like it because she cannot dance to it. Raj returns to Howard and tries to change the song, and Howard suspects that his friend has been swayed by his girlfriend’s opinion. Angry, they both quit the band, with Howard telling Raj to leave. Fortunately, not a second after Raj leaves Howard runs after him, just as Raj runs back in, and they hug, their bromance stronger than the end of their band.

Sheldon goes on a roommate search (since that Hollywood phony Chris Pratt never tweeted him back), crossing off potentials who do not agree with his views on overhyped elements, have unique odors, dared to interview while wearing a bandaid on their arm, and finally landing on the perfect candidate, in the form of Amy, who never applied and does not understand why Sheldon ran her credit. Sheldon and her discuss how he used to not have feelings like this, that they were brought out by her, Penny and Leonard, and he wishes for simpler times when he was more robotic in nature. Therefore, Sheldon decides to regress to 2003, furniture and flip-phone included, so he can regain his stoic lifestyle. Penny and Leonard learn about the plan while going out for Thai food (Leonard cannot help but keep to the food schedule Sheldon forced on him all these years), and eventually the group decides that, in order to help Sheldon through the rough time with all the changes, they will continue the current living situation, with Penny pointing out that Sheldon could be like their dog (which he oddly agrees with, pointing out how happy he is when they come home, and his fear of fireworks.)

At the episode close, Raj and Howard’s band, ‘Footprints on the Moon,’ plays ‘Thor and Dr. Jones’ at the comic book store, to perplexed and bewildered looks from everyone in the gang in attendance. As the song ends, Stuart demands a song they can all dance to, thus ending the run of Howard and Raj in music.

QUOTES OF THE NIGHT:

SHELDON: (on learning Leonard was moving out to live with Penny) You know what they don’t sell at the Container Store? Something large enough to contain my disappointment……Although if someone did it would be them.

HOWARD: (pitching the name of his new band) Footprints… On the Moon.
RAJ: I just got chills.
STUART: Me too….. But I might have lime disease.

PENNY: (as Leonard hesitates to sign the form ending his roommate status with Sheldon) What’s the matter?
LEONARD: It’s harder than I thought.
SHELDON: Let me help you. L-E-O-N-A-
LEONARD: No nope. (hastily signs the form)

SHELDON:  (complaining to Amy about his newfound feelings) You, and Leonard and Penny all poisoned me with emotions. I was like the Tin Man, perfectly content, until that evil Wizard gave him a heart.
AMY: I don’t think that was the point of that movie.
SHELDON: Fine, then I was like Pinocchio before that jerk Gepetto went and made him a real boy.
AMY: (beat) …. There ya go.

HOWARD: I’m quitting the band!
RAJ:Me too!
HOWARD: Then get out of my house!
(Raj leaves, slamming the door behind him)
HOWARD: (looks up regretfully, then runs to the door) Raj wait!
RAJ: (re-entering at just that moment and hugging Howard) What took you so long?

STUART: Play something we can dance to! (crushing the dreams of ‘Footprints on the Moon’)

While it was a pretty solid episode, I do wish that they would have moved forward with Leonard moving out and having Sheldon move on, as they have danced around the issue for 2 seasons now, and I cannot help but wonder how long they can realistically have a married couple living in these circumstances. My hope is that eventually Amy will come around to being together with Sheldon again, and in that scenario, she will then agree to move in with him, and then they can get engaged. Based on Amy’s talk with Bernadette tonight, I’m guess something like that is in the works, as she defended Sheldon to Bernie, and made it clear she still has some feelings for him.