Should you watch it, wiki it, or wait for the recap? Watch it for Amy, but otherwise you can Wiki the rest.
Sheldon is offered his choice of study in exchange for teaching a class at the university – but Howard is the only one who signs up. Meanwhile, Penny and Bernadette argue over Penny’s reluctance to prepare for her new job, leaving an ecstatic Amy in the middle. Will Howard and Sheldown resolve their differences, and how long can Amy be the popular girl in her group?
“The Junior Professor Solution” is the second episode of the eighth season of The Big Bang Theory, and it’s… underwhelming. While the women’s plot was fairly interesting, it didn’t explore Amy’s newfound status as the popular kid long enough – it was just a surface level scratch for some (predictable) jokes. The men’s plot feels like a rehash of an earlier plot, and it also feels like something that should have been done in earlier seasons.
There’s a mild thread tying the two plots together, and that’s that both Howard and Amy are reliving their student days. Still, it’s not a strong enough theme to hold this episode together. Individually, the Howard-Sheldon, Amy-Penny, and Amy-Bernadette moments hold up well. The comedy comes from their interactions, after all. But as whole, the plot didn’t seem too fulfilling.
Highlights
The dynamic between Howard and Sheldon
Sheldon has always had a superiority complex, even without giving him official power over his friends. But now, with Sheldon given the authority of a professor over his student, Howard, you can see Sheldon going into overdrive trying to exert his newfound power. It’s funny to see how seriously Sheldon takes it, and what’s even more hilarious is Howard’s reversion into a high school student when it comes to dealing with nasty teachers. His reaction to Sheldon’s overbearing attitude is what makes the moments between them a riot.
Amy playing both sides
Over at the other gender, Penny and Bernadette’s quarrel allows Amy her greatest fantasy – to be the most sought after of the girls. We’ve already seen how infatuated Amy is with Penny, so to see her diss Penny (if only to earn Bernadette’s approval) in an incredibly awkward way is good comedy. Amy’s glee here possibly overshadows her glee whenever Sheldon affords her physical intimacy, and it goes back to Amy’s secret desire to be a bimbo.
Letdowns
No comeuppance for Amy
The thing with playing both sides is that Amy has technically betrayed both of her friends – which leaves some sort of retribution in order. Yet Amy never gets punished for her actions. It’s not that I want to see harm befall Amy – it’s just that if Amy doesn’t learn anything from this plot thread, then what was the point of it? It isn’t resolved in a satisfying way – I would have liked to see Amy get caught, or to realise that it’s not a bed of roses being everyone’s confidante.
The Penny-Bernadette argument is boring
It is. Honestly. It’s a plot device for Amy to be popular, yes, but inherently this is just a snoozefest. Couldn’t they have argued about something funnier (like Penny’s choice of wine or something)?
“The Junior Professor Solution” is big on laughs but sadly small on plot. Not much happens here, there’s no real advancement or development of character or story. So while it’s a good episode, it’s not something critical to watch, and feels more like a fast food episode (though not as bad as filler) than a nutritious one.
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