Big Bang: Howard is Lonely; Battle of the Sexes

by Amy K. Bredemeyer

So... looks like Stuart is sticking around!  I'm kinda excited about that upgrade, though with he, Amy, and Bernadette all regulars at this point, we've pretty much doubled the original cast! I also wonder how long we'll get to keep Stuart after he and Raj realize that they're becoming closer than they think! Looking at just this episode, though, I must say that it was a bit disappointing. I thought that Bernadette being sick was an awkward way to welcome back Howard, but I guess it fed into the rest of the storyline - nobody had time for him. Odd, as it's not like he was gone for a year or more! On the flip side, I really enjoyed the Pictionary game between the other couples - I was laughing so hard at polish/Polish!

The Big Bang Theory "The Re-Entry Minimization" (S06E04): With Howard returning, Sheldon tries to boot Stuart from the group, only to cave as soon as he's offered a 30% discount at the comic book store.

Bernadette welcomes "Payload Specialist Wolowitz" at the airport, and because he gets off the plane alongside Howie Mendel, he thinks that there is paparazzi for him! [HILARIOUS moment!] Back at her place, they begin to become intimate when her allergies act up and knock her out. [aww.] So, Howard goes to see his mother... but she has been hooking up with the family dentist. So, he moves on to seeing Raj, but he and his ROOMMMATE, Stuart, are headed to a The Sound of Music sing-along. [okay. I was really intrigued when I saw that episode of Will and Grace with such a sing-along, and now I really have to find one to attend!] Howard heads to Leonard and Sheldon's, but they're having a pie-eating contest with Amy and Penny so he goes to a diner (in his NASA jacket) to wallow in self-pity. 

What's with the pie-eating contest, you ask? Well, what began as a friendly game of Pictionary morphed into a Battle of the Sexes in everything from Physics Fiesta (you play the game in Spanish) and Where's Waldo to Dizzy Bats with long division and wrestling! [and you think THESE are bad... some of the failed suggestions included darts, water polo, and real-life operation on cadavers! I particularly loved Sheldon drawing the current moment in the room for "present" !! also, how do they have two copies of the same Waldo book? and, lastly, I thought Penny and Amy kissing Sheldon's face was hilarious!]

Photo: Michael Yarish/Warner Bros.

The worst part about the pie-eating contest? We don't see who won!