As I had hoped, ‘The Big Bang Theory’ ended the first half of the season on a high note. The episode had a lot of laughs, a lot of heart, and character moments that were great to see, and a few twists that seem like the perfect launching point for many future storylines.
Picking up right where the last episode left off, we find Howard, Raj, and Stuart rushing Bernadette to the hospital after her announcement about being in labor, with Howard leaning heavily on his friends for support in the stressful situation. Luckily he’s got Raj behind the wheel, showing off his Indian driving skills getting Bernie to the hospital, even though they arrive only to find out that they are way too early as Bernie’s contractions are still way too far apart. They return home, and Raj accidentally lets slip the sex of the baby, pissing off the new parents, who throw him out of the house, leaving Stuart alone to look after the anxious couple.
Meanwhile, Sheldon awakens Amy at midnight for her birthday, presenting her with a gift of an MRI of his brain (claiming he played Sudoku right before the picture so he would look “ripped”), and prepping for the annual birthday coitus. However, just as they get down to business, Penny bangs on the door to the apartment to announce Bernie is having the baby, interrupting the mood, and the gang prepares to the head to the hospital, running late as Sheldon first needs to find his bubblegum cigar so he can participate if Howard hands out cigars after the baby is born. At this point Penny learns that the Wolowitz’s have gone home as it is too early, and as she throws out ideas of what they could do to kill time, Amy is trying to get back to the bedroom with Sheldon, and is saved by Leonard reminding Penny that it is time for Amy’s birthday sex. Back in the bedroom, Amy and Sheldon are having trouble reconnecting, so Amy pulls out the big guns and dresses in a Harry Potter costume she bought while visiting the Wizarding World, which initially angers Sheldon as she went without him, but he quickly gets over it as it is her birthday. Raj shows up at Penny and Leonard’s just as they are about to get amorous, and they throw him out after he spills the beans again about the sex of the baby, and just as Sheldon and Amy get down to business they are interrupted by Raj knocking on their door, which Amy quickly shuts down, opening the door just enough to tell Raj to scram. Unfortunately for her, just as the door closes Penny calls from across the hall that Bernie’s water broke, and Amy yells in anger, complaining later that the Wolowitz baby is ruining her sex life.
At the hospital, Stuart is banned from the hospital room for eating all of Bernie’s ice chips, and the couple discusses baby names, reminiscing about Howard’s mom as they think about naming the baby after her, with Howard reminding his wife that while his mother would have been an amazing grandma, she always hated her name. I definitely felt some real emotion from both actors in this scene, most likely thinking about the actress who voiced Howard’s mom on the show, Carol Ann Susi, who passed away in 2014. In the waiting room, the gang reminisces about the past 10 years and their accomplishments, with Raj lamenting that unlike the others, he has nothing to be proud of (and Stuart’s lack of accomplishments do not count as he is just an ancillary friend who only owns a comic book shop. Wasn’t there a point where Raj was close to Stuart? He seems awfully cruel to him this season) Penny reminds Raj that 10 years ago he was so shy he could not speak in front of women, but Raj doesn’t count that as a major accomplishment. Fortunately for him, at that moment Howard enters the room and announces the birth of his daughter, Halley, and names Raj as the godfather, which is more than enough for Raj, as he exclaims “IN YOUR FACE” to Stuart and all is right in his world once more.
In the episode’s final moments, the gang, sans the Wolowitz’s, gather at the window outside the nursery to see baby Halley, but they are not sure which one is Howard and Bernie’s little girl. That is until the child starts crying, and its wails are unnervingly reminiscent of Howard’s mother’s voice, and suddenly they all know exactly which one is Howard’s baby. And lastly, at the episode’s end, we learn that following the hospital visit Sheldon and Amy went to the Wizarding World, and Sheldon even got to report someone for cutting in line, which apparently is more than enough to get him all riled up, as when they return home he is good and ready to resume his annual tradition with Amy, marshaling her into the bedroom while waving his new toy wand with the incantation “Hankeous pankeous.”
QUOTES OF THE NIGHT:
SHELDON: (giving Amy her birthday present) I was going to wrap it but touching scotch tape gives me the heebie-jeebies.
AMY: I’ll put it on the list with peaches and felt.
NURSE: (on seeing Raj, Stuart, and Howard with Bernadette) Now I see three of you, do we know the father? Or is this some ‘Mama Mia’ nonsense?
AMY: (heading to change in the bathroom) I might have a little something to help get us… back on track.
SHELDON: Is back on track a hint that it might have something to do with trains?
AMY: No.
SHELDON: …. Because if it did have to do with trains-
AMY: (yelling through bathroom door)-It’s not about trains!
SHELDON: Not even a cozy sleeper car-
AMY: STOP TALKING ABOUT TRAINS!
RAJ: (knocking on Penny and Leonard’s door) (in a sing-songy voice) Hellloooo? Howard and Bernadette kicked me out because I told them they were having a girl…… ooopsie I did it again!
PENNY: (whispering) Maybe if we’re quite he’ll go away.
RAJ: (still in singsong voice) You’re going to have be quieter than that!
STUART: (after Raj comes back after taking a walk around the hospital floor) Hey? Still a loser or did you turn things around while you were gone?
I loved the baby wail reveal, everything to do with the Sheldon and Amy having sex again storyline, and I really enjoyed the show calling back to Howard’s mother during the labor scenes, as she was Howard’s only family, and it would make sense for him to think of his mom in those moments (though it did make me wonder why the show did not bother to get Bernie’s family there). Looking forward to seeing how the show handles a baby in the equation now, and what other surprises they have in store for the rest of the season, and if they can keep up this hot streak after the break. See you back here then!
Nick is a freelance writer based in Los Angeles, who belongs to the privileged few who enjoyed the ending to ‘Lost.’ For more of Nick’s thoughts and articles, follow him on Twitter (@starfro67)
