Big Bang: Deeper Feelings

With Friends off the air for about ten years now, and How I Met Your Mother also kaput, the big question is whether The Big Bang Theory is going to fill the void. Some people think it's an obvious choice, with characters who live in close proximity to one another and spend seemingly every day together. But, the series is not as Everyman as the older comedies; University scientists are much more difficult to relate to than teachers, businessmen, and lawyers. And, Pasadena is certainly not New York... not that you'd know that's where TBBT takes place, as the program rarely leaves its standard sets. The humor and situations are also a far cry from those in the more "classic" sitcoms. But, at the same time, Big Bang utilizes more popular culture references and jokes, and focuses more on single situations than ongoing arcs, at least to a certain degree. Do you think that the characters illustrating how deep their feelings go for one another helps this point?

Photo: Sonja Flemming/CBS ©2014 CBS Broadcasting, Inc. All Rights Reserved

The Big Bang Theory "The Proton Transmogrification" (S07E22): Arthur Jefferies (Professor Proton, last seen earlier this season) dies, and the funeral coincides with Star Wars Day, so only Leonard and Penny attend the event, where they get pretty weepy. They start talking about not wanting to have regrets, and Penny winds up proposing to Leonard to tie-up the score. [WHAAAAT??!?] He doesn't turn her down right away, which annoys her. [The longer this couple lasts, the less likely I see an actual marriage in their future... which may be problematic, considering the series is going another three seasons at least!]
Sheldon gets upset when Raj and Howard suggest skipping Episode 1 in their Star Wars movie marathon, and he goes to his room while the others enjoy the "holiday." Sheldon falls asleep and Arthur appears to him, telling him to appreciate people who mean something to him, and Sheldon starts by hugging Leonard. [awww!] 

In a teeny-tiny subplot, Bernadette tells Amy that she went into science because she was the smallest kid in school and wanted to grow taller. Amy just looked up what "whoring" was and took it from there. [interesting shift to neurobiology after that!]