The Big Bang Theory "The Prom Equivalency" Review: A Night to Remember Indeed!

The Big Bang Theory S08E08: "The Prom Equivalency"

In this hit-or-miss eighth season of The Big Bang Theory, the thought of an episode that would recreate prom sent shivers of terror down this reviewer's spine, the way Dandy over on American Horror Story only wishes he could. After all, like Penny said, "Prom is never as good as you want it to be." Prom doesn't even have to be particularly bad to be a disappointment. I went to mine both junior and senior years, and they were both okay. No Carrie moments or anything. But in retrospect, I kinda wish I'd just gone bowling with the other losers. It's just not that big of a deal after high school, even for popular kids like Penny—maybe especially for popular kids like Penny.

For the dorks who never made it, who never had their bubble burst with papier-mâché and mediocrity, it's easy to understand why prom still holds this mythical status as the most magical night of a high schooler's life. Just look at the pop culture surrounding it! Raj brought up Sixteen Candles. Lip service was paid to Carrie. Every major teen movie of the last two decades features prom or homecoming in some essential way: 10 Things I Hate About You, Never Been Kissed, Mean Girls, Saved... the list goes on and on and on. Even The Big Bang Theory itself, while pushing Penny's blasé attitude toward prom as a thing that doesn't really matter, positioned the rest of the gang as fully grown adults who had, however intentionally or unintentionally, missed out on a valuable part of growing up because of their "lesser" prom experiences. That Sheldon, Raj, Wolowitz, Leonard and the girls seemed to have built their entire prom knowledge base on movie plots and trends only reinforced this notion.

Prom isn't all that magical to those in the know (at least in hindsight), but for the men and women of The Big Bang Theory who approached the event as just one more thing they'd been denied through their quirkiness, the rite of passage hadn't yet been experienced and still held some meaning. Even in science, when something appears to be magical, it usually just means we haven't figured it out or come to understand it yet... and that was especially the case this week with Sheldon.

While the others approached prom as a fun experience or a an amusing experiment, Sheldon took his prom-date duties overwhelmingly seriously, ultimately leading him to back out and hide in his room. Even his old standby coping mechanism—pretending to be an alien observing humans—couldn't help Sheldon deal.

Amy could, though.

Time and again, we've seen Amy prove how sincerely she cares for Sheldon, not just by tolerating his awkward tendencies, but by embracing them, accepting them, and finding ways to make their relationship work within Sheldon's boundaries while keeping them both satisfied.

There was a time when I couldn't watch Sheldon/Amy interactions without feeling a pang of regret for Amy, who's constantly forced to compromise her wants in the name of Sheldon's needs and demands. It was noble, sure, but it also wasn't fair. I found it difficult to see Shamy as a healthy couple, even by TV standards.

In the past two seasons, however, The Big Bang Theory's writers have worked hard to ensure that Sheldon puts just as much effort their relationship as Amy has in the past. And in the loveliest moment of "The Prom Equivalency," Sheldon finally admitted that he finds value in it. He loves her. He really loves her. We know because he said it, even though we've known it for awhile now because he's shown it in his own way. The thing is, sometimes you just need to hear it and Amy had waited a long time to hear it.

Sheldon doesn't say what he doesn't mean. He has no time to waste time. And with that in mind, it's true that everyone has picked up on Sheldon's dedication to Amy long before this, simply because he doesn't care enough about social perceptions and expectations to put so much effort into a relationship he didn't really want.

Still, to hear Sheldon say "I love you"—and not just to say it, but to say it first—was cathartic and perfect and uggggh my feelings. I have so many of them. I'd say that if The Big Bang Theory could give us more of these moments more regularly, then I'd probably be more willing to return to caring about its characters. But then again, it's the rarity of these moments that make them so special.

Kinda like prom itself! Today, it doesn't really matter that my hair was frizzy or that my gloves got dirty or that the whole night was actually kind of boring to the point where I eventually crawled under the bleachers to take a nap (my school wasn't cool enough to have prom anywhere other than in our stinky gym). At the time, in the moment, it was the most important day of my 16-year-old self's life, and that's what made it special.

THE STRAY OBSERVATION ADDENDUM

– So the Wolowitzes were definitely the best dressed, right? (Even if those facial expressions in their photo are unfortunate.)

– Pretty much any dialogue about Alien Sheldon's reproductive system was amazing.

– "Lots of people wear matching pajamas who aren't dating." "Like who?" "Like you and your dog." IDK, Howard. You know how Raj is with his dog.

– Prom horror story time! Let me see your shame: UM. Junior year I went to prom with the janitor in a stolen car that I didn't realize was stolen at the time. Pure class, right here.

– How are we feeling about the ongoing Stu/Mrs. Wolowitz/Howard triangle of rage and weirdness?

– "I sent them a bikini shot years ago." I love how adorabs and comfortable with each other Leonard and Penny are these days. :)

What'd you think of "The Prom Equivalency"? How are you liking Season 8 so far?