The Big Bang Theory - Season 7, Episode 8 'The Itchy Brain Simulation' [Recap + Review]

 The Big Bang Theory is back for episode 8, and it appears things are getting itchy. Hideous-red-sweater itchy. The episode opens with Sheldon asking Leonard to rummage in a box to find some leftover prize tickets. Inside the box is the game tickets, but also an itchy old sweater with 'Lenny' embellished on it, apparently from one of Leonard's relatives. Unfortunately, also inside the box is a DVD which never got returned to the store, and Leonard is surprised when Sheldon actually remains calm about the whole thing. 

This leaves Penny notably scared, and she walks out, out of fear. Later on, Sheldon discusses the type of feeling he feels when something isn't right, and likens it to an itch in his brain that he cannot scratch. This causes Sheldon to come up with a wager, that Leonard wouldn't be able to wear the itchy sweater that he hates without becoming annoying and irritable to everyone. He then suggests that he wear the sweater until he can resolve the DVD matter.

Leonard accepts, and puts on the itchy sweater and so the games begin. Except that Sheldon now admits that the store has gone out of business. Uh-Oh. Meanwhile, at The Cheesecake Factory, Amy and Bernadette are waiting for drinks from Penny, who gets pre-occupied when Amy spots Lucy, Raj's ex who dumped him by email, sitting across on another table. 

This causes Penny to go over and interrogate Lucy as to why she broke up with Raj, whilst Amy and Bernadette look on bewildered and simultaneously get their own drinks from the dispenser. Commando Penny hammers into Lucy until (apparently revealed later on) she leaves crying. Good job, Penny. 

Back at Sheldon's apartment, the gang are having their usual take-out dinner and Leonard is becoming annoyed by his sweater, and maps out his plan to locate the owner despite the store having gone out of business. Howard calls Leonard an idiot (strangely apt). Back at Penny's apartment, Amy and Bernadette are raiding the cupboards for food as Penny never managed to get them their order. 

Then, Raj shows up and gets angry at Penny for interfering in his past relationship, until he receives a text from Lucy wanting to meet up and chat - then it's all rainbows and sunshine and Raj embraces Penny. Later on at Caltech, Sheldon is going over his work with Howard when Leonard arrives and exclaims that the owner died drunk at the bottom of a pool. This concludes, in Leonard's mind, the investigation, and Leonard begins to put on his usual t-shirt revealing several sore rashes he has developed from the sweater. This is until Howard points out that he could locate the owner's relatives and give them the late fee and poor Leonard despairs, and puts back on the jumper. 

Later, Bernadette, Raj and Howard are having a meal together discussing Raj's imminent meeting with Lucy, and it's quite clear that he hasn't got the concept of taking it slow and keeping cool, and Bernadette tries to give him some advice in order to not scare her away. Meanwhile, Penny tries to get Leonard to take off the sweater as he is in pain and itchy, but he soldiers on. At Amy's apartment, Sheldon is playing around with his squirting water flower, but fails to squirt Amy and just makes his suit all wet. Oh, Sheldon. Raj goes to meet Lucy, but it is quickly revealed that she is seeing someone and has no interest in getting back together, leaving Raj visibly upset. Raj goes to be angry at Penny some more, until she sets him up with one of her friends at The Cheesecake Factory - except, obviously, he ruins that by being the ever-so-desperately-lonely person he is. Back at Sheldon's apartment, Leonard comes back and is irate and exclaims that the DVD store owner had no living relatives and no one attended his funeral. Sheldon then reveals that he paid the store fee 7 years ago when he found the DVD and that he was merely using this for learning purposes. 

Amy looks visibly astounded and slowly backs away as Leonard practically foams at the mouth, and rips off the sweater, chucks it in the bin and compresses his sores against ice packs, and then bewilderingly walks away. Sheldon seems pleased with himself, though. The whole episode was rather clever, and seemed to just re-affirm how annoying Sheldon can be to other people around him, which is quite apt considering the premise of the whole series. It was satisfying to see what happened to Lucy and begs the question about whether she will pop up again later in the series. Poor Leonard and that hideous and itchy sweater. The next episode looks like a right hoot, as 'The Thanksgiving Decoupling' features everyone at Mrs. Wolowitz's house and apparently Penny has to deal with a past mistake. Watch the promo below: 

Reviewed by Mel.