The Big Bang Theory season 6 episode 18: The Contractual Obligation Implementation
This week's episode of The Big Bang Theory is sweet but forgettable. Here's Kaci's review...
This review contains spoilers.
6.18 The Contractual Obligation Implementation
In this week's episode of The Big Bang Theory, Raj and Lucy go on a nearly silent date that somehow manages to be one of the cutest things I've seen in a long time. After seeking the girl's advice, Raj sets up a date tailored to work around both his and Lucy's various neuroses and the result is actually kind of brilliant. For her, a sparsely populated library, and for him, nearly all communication done over text message. It's pretty rare to see an actually original romantic relationship on TV these days, but their date was definitely unique. I especially liked the ending of their date, where she works up the nerve to ask if she can be brave about one more thing and give him a kiss goodbye, only to have a panic attack and have to leave. I wasn't sold on the Raj and Lucy thing before, but this episode really made them work for me.
The rest of the guys, meanwhile, are asked by the university to come up with ways to get more girls into careers in science. I'm not going to lie to you — I spent most of the episode wishing the assignment had been given to actual female scientists (since, after all, that would give the prospective scientists a role model they could look up to) only to have the show acknowledge that in the end. It was pretty funny to watch the guys completely fail at their task (Leonard's rap was... truly a thing of awkward, failing beauty) but it was also pretty great to see Sheldon finally realize that the best idea was just to call Amy and Bernadette and let them speak to the girls instead. After all, if anyone knows what it's like to be a female scientist, it's... well, a female scientist.
Meanwhile, the girls decide to play hooky from work and head to Disney, where Bernadette is completely terrifying in her possessiveness of Cinderella. It results in the girls looking absolutely lovely as the Disney princesses, and while I've never really gotten the Disney obsession, it was a fun little runner throughout the episode. The ending, in particular, was great, with the boys' reactions to them. The fact that to Howard, Bernadette calling him "Prince Charming" somehow equals taking off his shirt is priceless and beautifully in-character with the Howard we knew before Bernadette came into his life.
All in all, a decent episode, although I have to say other than Raj and Lucy's date (which stands out for its originality), it was somewhat forgettable.
Read Kaci's review of the previous episode, The Monster Isolation, here.
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The guys being asked to do the job for the university rather than the women scientists who work there is pretty much the point. Brilliant episode. After so long playing Amy as utterly dowdy, Mayim Bialik looked stunning as Snow White.
Forgettable episode, although the text date was cute. Thought the girls looked hideous as Disney princesses when they're usually quite attractive, but that might just be because I never got the whole Disney princess thing.
The scenes at school made me cringe big times. I wish there would have been some actual scenes with the girls at Disney instead. Lucy and Raj were adorable. All in all you are right - a forgettable epsiode.