The Big Bang Theory season 12 episode 8 review: The Consummation Deviation

This review contains spoilers.

12.8 The Consummation Deviation

The idea of a marriage is that it’s a loving bond between two people, but everyone knows that it’s really an intense legal agreement that involves a lot more people than that. The in-laws have never really intruded on the tight world of The Big Bang Theory, but it makes sense that if any of them would make their presence felt, it would be Mr and Mrs Fowler.

To be fair to them, its Sheldon who decides it’s time to get to know his wife’s parents better after Raj points out that he’s already quite friendly with Anu’s family. It’s a largely unselfish act from someone who almost never does anything without a reward, even if Sheldon does go about things with his usual oblivious cheek.

First up is Amy’s dad, who’s as mild mannered and happy to go along with things even when he’s being led around town listening to endless trivia. That changes when he meets Howard, who for some reason not present in the text, decides to impress Larry with a close-up magic routine. Larry is delighted, and ends up back at Howard’s house refusing to leave.

And so Sheldon must retreat to plan B, and get to know Amy’s mother – now and forever known as ‘Old Lady Green Beans’. When she seems even more hostile than expected, we learn that Amy has been using Sheldon as an excuse as to why she can’t come over for dinner for often. Soon they’re bonding over the things that annoy them in their spouses, including putting ketchup on their eggs. Urgh.

Now we just need Sheldon and Amy’s mothers to have more screen time together, and the show will have had its money’s worth out of Kathy Bates.

The courtship between Raj and Anu continues to be great, with the pair this week deciding that they should probably have sex before they get married, just in case there are some ‘improvements’ to be made. It’s as matter of fact as everything else in their relationship has been, but it’s also got that touch of romance that comes from two people actively choosing each other rather than the Western tradition of blindly stumbling around until you find someone you might be able to live with.

But there are some obstacles – Raj works himself up about the date at a hotel room that he finds he cannot speak when Anu walks in. It’s a great callback and Kunal Nayyar does a wonderful job of communicating the panic of losing your confidence just when everything seemed to be coming together.

Half a bottle of champagne later, and the soon to be newlyweds opt to stay up all night talking instead. In the morning, the nerves are gone and they pick up where they left off.

Building up to the moment I loved the switch from Raj talking to the guys about it and then to the girls, massive glass of red wine in hand.

At the start of the episode Raj reveals that he and Anu will be getting married in India on Valentine’s Day. I don’t trust these writers to approach an episode in India with any sensitivity, but the news does indicate that Raj’s wedding will take place before the series finale. Any guesses as to what we can expect in the final, final episode next year?

Read Caroline’s review of the previous episode, The Grant Allocation Derivation, here.