Didn’t see a thread, so I’m starting one.
This episode was a big steamy pile of suck. Hated it. The A plot revolved around a “Sheldon’s annoying” gimmick. Total waste of guest appearances by Bob Newhart and Bill Nye.
The B plot seems to be sewing seeds for Raj to come out of the closet. Meh. Will admit I laughed at Amy’s “They’re (Howard and Raj) gonna have sex before Sheldon and I do” line.
I didn’t think it was that bad. The light-saber belt buckle gag was inspired.
But they really need to do something about Penny’s hair. The way they had it in the tag was just plain repulsive. Either hire a hair-dresser or shave her head.
Penny would have got glue in her hair if it was down.
I think the only thing they haven’t done to Raj to make him a Eunuch is actually make him a Eunuch.
I didn’t like Newhart’s character last season and I didn’t like him tonight. Making him a pathetic and cynical old man is a waste of his talent IMO.
Did anybody catch the Two and a Half Men that followed it? Priceless silliness. More than amply made up for a mediocre BBT.
I replayed that line several times.
But if you need a “pathetic and cynical old man,” who could do it better?
Probably the worst of the season. They went way overboard with annoying Sheldon, they might as well put Raj in a skirt, Leonard might as well have phoned it in, Nye’s cameo was wasted, Newhart was just sad, and there was zero Penny skin factor.
Abe Vigoda
Hell…me! 
I thought it was a good episode, excluding the Raj subplot.
Regarding Raj, if they are planning on having him come out as gay, isn’t it a bit insulting to gays that they telegraph that he’s gay by having him be the kind of guy who want so “share his feelings” and “make bracelets”? Not all gays are like that and not all people like that are gay.
It would be much more “pioneering” for this sitcom if they showed Raj being like this, and then getting a steady girlfriend, thus lambasting the stereotype of “shares his feelings, he must be gay”.
I agree. I would like to see him interacting with a new girlfriend. Lambast those stereotypes!
Not only would it be insulting, but it just doesn’t make sense. Raj was really tore up after losing “Hyper-anxiety” girl. If he were really gay, I don’t think he would be quite that heartbroken.
Plus, Raj really likes having sex with girls. He’s done it again and again. He writes poetry about girls sucking him off. He sleeps with Penny’s drunk friends. He picks up overweight women at bars and has one-nighters with them. He tried to have sex with Penny and was so excited by her he finished before he started.
I don’t find Raj effeminate at all. He likes to make jewelry, cooking and musicals-- so what? Penny can’t make jewelry, likes football and drinking. Does that make her a closeted lesbian?
Amy’s Secret Wish!
But we have been taught by Pop Culture that all women are only one bottle of tequila away from pillow fights and lesbian orgies. Don’t tell me we’ve been lied to?
Seconded.
It was funny, but I feel like they came up with that gag first, then wrote an entire episode to justify it.
And a very similar joke was used in Brooks’ “Space Balls” back in the 80s.
What was the movie where two guys wearing glow-in-the-dark condoms get in a fight and all you see are two brightly lit boners flying around the screen? And then they get arrested for “cockfighting.”
All I recall is that it starred John Ritter, and had some chick from American Gladiators topless at one point.
I thought it was Real Men, but apparently it was Skin Deep. You can watch the scene here:
If it’s any consolation, “Real Men” was a better movie.