The Big Bang Theory 5x01: The Skank Reflex Analysis

Original Air Date: 22 September 2011

Storyline: The gang deals with the fallout from Penny and Raj's night together. Amy counsels Penny when she considers moving back to Nebraska due to her failing acting career. Sheldon takes charge of the paintball team.Trivia: Kunal Nayyar (@kunalnayyar) live-tweeted during this episode, revealing that the paintball scene was filmed on the Warner Bros. studio backlot and that the paint on Sheldon was actually added in post-production.Best Quote:

Leonard: Got any advice?
Beverly Hofstadter: Yes. Buck up.
Leonard: Excuse me. You're a world-renowned expert in parenting and child development, and all you've got is "Buck up"?
Beverly Hofstadter: Sorry. Buck up, sissy pants.
Leonard: Thanks, mother. I feel much better.
Beverly Hofstadter: If you need any more help from me, my books are available on Amazon.
The Science: You can't blame yourself. When your prefrontal cortex fails to make you happy promiscuity rewards you with the needed flood of dopamine. We, neurobiologists, refer to this as the skank reflex.

Review: A new season of maybe my favorite all-time sitcom is back on the air and it's one I've especially been anxious to see how it starts, given the events in last May's finale. 

The story picks up the same day Penny and Raj are caught by the others sneaking out of Leonard's bedroom after their drunken love-making. The episode follows everyone's reactions to what had happened. By far, Sheldon's is the funniest: he spends all the way through lunch trying to figure out what Penny meant by "it's not what it looks like", not even considering that she might be lying, but instead coming with a fantastic explanation about Raj maybe having pinworms. 
There are a couple of revelations that might just change the friendship dynamics between everyone involved. An angry Leonard tells Howard about Raj's "clumsy penis metaphors" regarding Bernadette - which leads to an angry Bernadette storming into Raj's apartment to confront him. Also, Raj confesses to Penny - who just wants them to be friends - that they didn't really have sex in the conventional sense, leading to one of the funniest scenes of the episode.
Penny and Amy together is something that needs to keep going on. Amy is hilarious when she puts the her entire social life on being friends with Penny. 
I didn't care much about the paintball subplot, nor about Sheldon's ranking diatribe and his "sacrifice". Also, Beverly's appearance - though led to my favorite dialog of the episode - could have been explored further. I'm not satisfied with the short video chat appearance, she must visit the guys again. Overall, not a bad episode, but with the show could have worked more with Raj and Penny and make it funnier.
The Big Bang Theory 4x24: The Roommate TransmogrificationBack to Season 5