The Big Bang Theory 5x06: The Rhinitis Revelation

Original Air Date: 20 October 2011

Storyline: Sheldon's mother stops by for a visit before embarking on a Christian based cruise. Sheldon is excited about her visit if only to have his Mommy do Mommy things for him, like cook and clean. But Mary seems to spend as much of her energies helping Sheldon's friends as she does Sheldon and prefers to go sightseeing than go to a lecture with her son. Amy provides some insight into Sheldon's emotional turmoils.Best Quote:

Mary: You think maybe the reason why you're having trouble finding a guy to settle down with is because you're letting 'em ride the roller coaster without buying a ticket?
Penny: Oh, they don't always get to ride the roller coaster; sometimes they only get to spin the teacups.

Review: Mary Cooper is back and with her, "Soft Kitty". And her complete lack of political correctness, not to mention that the episode is a satire on the extreme religiousness and it focuses on Sheldon, so what's not to like?

Fro a long time now we've seen the characters split into two groups - the guys and the gals - so it was refreshing to see Penny back with the boys, though it would have been fun to have actual interaction between her and Sheldon.
Mary Cooper prefers to go sightseeing than make fried chicken for Sheldon, do his laundry and attend a lecture held by a Nobel prize winner. Go figure! Actually, she's been trying to get him to grow up for a while, but Sheldon is still stuck in a permanent toddler state when it comes to his relationship with his mother. Mary was by far the funniest character this week (though she always brings a unique element every time she's in the show), with her Christian cruise featuring themed events like "gunning with God", her church sightseeing and relationship advice to Penny and Leonard. "It's like they say, a cat can have kittens in the oven but that don't make 'em biscuits."
I was particularly amused by the religious humor - refreshing, given the extreme focus I see these days about religion on TV - and Raj cracked me up with his "none of our gods have abs like that", followed by Howard's comment on Jesus being the last Jew to do sit-ups.
Leonard's Loch Ness reference in relation to the relationship to the Shamy was one of the best lines we've heard from him in a good while, let me tell you! And he continued to be a solid supporting character throughout this episode, making Mary Cooper stand out even more with her unveiled remarks.
One of the best moments was Sheldon's encounter with the "common" man, but will all this make him grow up and realize he may be smarter than anyone else, but not when it comes to basic human interactions? I seriously doubt that, and it's not something I'd want to happen anyways. 
The Big Bang Theory 5x05: The Russian Rocket ReactionBack to Season 5