Friday, 16 May 2014

The Big Bang Theory - Season 7 Finale 'The Status Quo Combustion' [Review]


As implied in its title, the Season 7 Finale of The Big Bang Theory brought with it chaos, as the announcement of Penny and Leonard’s engagement prompted a downwards spiral for Sheldon. Clearly fuelled by the successes of the last episode, the writers continued to be on form, bringing together all of the characters to react to Leonard and Penny’s news whilst tying off loose ends most satisfyingly.

After the surprised proposal in the last episode, this week’s finale promised big things and made sure it delivered, with plenty more surprises and twists to excite and delight viewers. Unfortunately for Sheldon, this news alerted him to the fact that things were changing, and if you are an avid viewer, you know how well Sheldon copes with change. This prompted his self-combustion as he struggled to come to terms with the reality that Leonard may move out and in with Penny. These surprising events only increased as the episode progressed, with it being announced that something happened to Sheldon’s favourite comic book store, and that the University won’t let him change his research area from String Theory. Some previous episodes of The Big Bang Theory have failed to fully cash in on the reactions of other individuals, but they made no mistake in focusing on Sheldon’s reaction to the situation, whilst incorporating the ever witty Amy into the situation, just to tip Sheldon over the edge.

Because The Big Bang Theory is set out as if it is real-time, we were all waiting for one of the characters to announce a sudden trip, and considering past performances, the likelihood was it being Leonard. However, the big shocker of the episode came with the announcement from Sheldon that he was leaving via train to try to process all the changes in his life and figure out who he is and what he wants from life. It’s rare that Sheldon ever departs from the comfort of his apartment, so this was a big step for the character, sparking speculation as to what he will be like when he comes back from his self-discovery trip. Will we see a changed Sheldon? Or will he still be the same as he has always been? The episode certainly ended on a cliff-hanger in that respect, ensuring viewers would tune in to the first episode of the 8th Season in the fall.

Sufficed to say, amidst all of the emotional departures, there were several genuine moments of hilarity, from Amy’s break-down pillow fight with Leonard to Raj’s constant rejoicing of the fact he has a sexual relationship; there were plenty of moments to sit back and laugh at. If all this wasn’t enough, Christine Baranski, Carol Ann Susi and Kevin Sussman appeared in the episode as Beverly Hofstadter, Mrs. Wolowitz and Stuart Bloom, respectively. Hilarity is always ensured when you stick Leonard’s straight-talking mum into the mix, and the announcement of Mrs. Wolowitz first name certainly marked some changes in the series (it’s Debbie!).


It’s fair to say that the Season 7 finale of The Big Bang Theory was a complete success, as the winds of change blew in to disrupt the happy status quo that certain characters are so used to. This thankfully marked that some things would indeed be changing, and meant a possible shift in character dynamic and progression for the eighth season. The finale ensures that there are plenty of events to look forward to when it returns (likely) in September.  

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