Last night’s winter premiere of The Big Bang Theory was, as always, amusing. We got to see a side of Sheldon we hadn’t seen before, a side we didn’t even know existed, the boyfriend.

When they’re out on their usual date night (every second Thursday of every month or third if the month has five Thursdays), Amy tells him her big news: her paper’s being featured in a very prestigious journal. But knowing Sheldon, it all becomes about him and he neglects to congratulate her which pisses her off.

Sheldon goes home upset because of the fight and ends up drowning his misery in digital alcohol: he’s drinking alcohol in a virtual saloon in a video game. (I LOVE their nerdy jokes.) Leonard suggests that Sheldon buys something for Amy to make up with her. And he does: a tiara.

How amazing was Amy when saw the tiara? I SCREAMED “Aww!” until the scene was over. She was so happy with it; her enthusiasm was so sweet! The truth is she may be a dedicated scientist, but she’s a girl at heart. I may be a Shenny shipper, but I love Shamy, too. She and Sheldon are so weird that it actually makes them adorable.

Penny: “You look beautiful!”

Amy: (Screaming and jumping cheerfully) “Of course I do! Of course I do! I’m a princess! And this is my tiara!” (And then she kisses Sheldon ON THE MOUTH!)

I loved this storyline because they didn’t transform Sheldon to a person he’s not, something a lot of writers tend to do when their characters enter a relationship. He’s still the self-absorbed ass he always is, but he pretended to care to make his girlfriend happy. His GIRLFRIEND! Who would have thought Sheldon would someday have a girlfriend? Now that is a logical and sensible character development, and one of the things I love about this show.

The other half of the episode centered on Howard and Bernadette and how she doesn’t want kids – something they discover when they’re at Howard’s cousin’s birthday party where Howard is performing magic and Bernadette is yelling at the kids. (Ha! That scene was funny. I hate kids at birthday parties!)

When you see Bernadette, she’s chirpy, and she’s always cheerful. So you wouldn’t imagine that she doesn’t want kids, and then she screams like Howard’s mom at Howard and the kids, and you hope she never has kids. (Will we ever meet Howard’s mom, by the way?) The cool thing about the whole Bernadette/Howard thing is that with them, the show is tackling adult subjects instead of the boyish , geekish topics it always sheds light on. She doesn’t want to have kids, but he does. And he thinks of calling off the wedding. However, Bernadette comes up with a solution: She’ll work (since she makes more money than he does, anyway) and he’ll be a stay-at-home-dad. (GIVE THEM A SPINOFF WHEN THE SHOW ENDS, I wanna see if it’ll work! Plus, it would be so damn funny.)

What I didn’t like about this episode? How Leonard & Raj were merely background characters. I like it better when all the characters are involved. They make me laugh WAY more.

Favorite quotes from the episode:

Sheldon: “If we poison the critical thinking by telling them rabbits come out of hats then we create adults who believe in astrology and homeopathy and that Ryan Reynolds was a better choice for Green Lantern than lovable rogue Nathan Fillion.”

Penny: “Oh, look who’s out on a date, Pasadena’s favorite power couple: Shamy!”

Howard’s mom: “Has she tried on the vest yet?” (About Bernadette)
Howard: “I just gave it to her!”
Howard’s mom: “I hope it fits! She has a tricky figure. She’s short and stacked like me!”
Howard: “She’s not stacked like you ma! She never steps on hers!”

Sheldon:  “Hard as this is to believe, it’s possible I’m not boyfriend material.”
Leonard: “Glad I was sitting down for that!”

Shenny references: (In my head, the writers are shipping Sheldon & Penny. So every time I review an episode, I will be adding any signs from that episode that make me go: SHENNY!)

When Sheldon and Penny go to the jewelry shop to get something for Amy, the jeweler thinks Penny and Sheldon are a couple.

Penny: “Trust me, we are not a couple.”
Sheldon: “Excuse me! I don’t see why you get to snort derisively and point that out. You’d be lucky to land a fella like me”. (Yes, she would)

What did you guys think of the episode?