Impressions

Impressions—assumptions, judgments, and literal impersonations—ruled Big Bang Theory tonight in a more plot-moving manner than the last couple episodes or so. Who else was shocked to hear Penny going back to school?! I hope she finishes the season on a degree track—even if I puzzled over what this could mean for the future of Big Bang.

Either way, I’ll dissect the episode into favorite moments based on all the ways we see “impressions.” Not counting being personally impressed.

Sheldon’s first-impression of Steven Hawking takes a slip off the bunk-bed slide when he discovers the professor’s poor losing side. At first I thought some random player stole Steven Hawking’s name and that would be the end of it, but with the episode’s progress came new questions: does Steven Hawking just have an account, or a whole Facebook? Doesn’t that make you wonder? Not to mention, who took Dr. Hawking as the smack-talking type? Although the look on Leonard’s face after each “neener-neener” made staying the last two minutes of the episode completely worth it.

Penny shakes the show moreso when she uses—and abuses—Leonard’s over-reaching need to help. No, he wasn’t right to read her paper behind her back; I actually spent that part of the episode yelling at him to stop through my TV. Penny, likewise, shouldn’t have wrangled Amy and Bernadette into helping her redo her paper, no matter how much Amy reveled in the possible popularity.

Actual impersonations peppered the half-hour the most thoroughly. Some returns to old favorites—Raj’s American accent and Howard’s Steven Hawking impression—along with new attempts—Howard’s Indian accent and Penny’s mimicry of Leonard. Why copying became the name of the game, I’m not sure, but it added new, subtle dimensions to an already incredible episode. I wish I could say the same of the confusion behind the name of THIS game: “Words With Friends.”