The Big Bang Theory 'The Itchy Brain Simulation' Review

The Big Bang Theory returned with "The Itchy Brain Simulation" on Thursday night and in a nice bit of role reversal, Sheldon was cool as a cucumber while Leonard turned red, literally and figuratively.

Leonard stumbled on an old video (which turned out to be the hilariously terrible Super Mario Bros.) that he neglected to return seven years earlier. The bad news is that the movie was on Sheldon's credit card, so Leonard expected his roommate to turn into a supernova of nagging irritation until Leonard resolved the situation. But Sheldon remained calm and pointed out that Leonard does not empathize with his feelings; when things go unresolved, it itches at Sheldon's brain.

So he challenged Leonard to wear an itchy old sweater his aunt gave him without taking it off until he returned the video. Of course, Leonard ran into multiple roadblocks. The store was closed, the owner was dead and he didn't even have any next of kin to whom Leonard could return the movie. And all the while, Leonard's skin started to look like he rolled around in poison ivy for an hour.

And it all turned it out to be for naught as Sheldon revealed he had discovered the film years earlier and paid for it because he wanted to save it for a "teachable moment." Leonard, somehow, did not murder his roommate on the spot but just decided to put bags of peas on his red and scratched chest and storm into his room.

The payoff may have been business as usual (Sheldon is a gigantic pain in the ass) but it was fun for a while to watch Leonard go insane while Sheldon was Joe Cool. This show has gotten so set in its ways and so predictable with its characters that any sort of change is refreshing.

The B-plot of the episode focused on Raj, who reconnected with his ex-girlfriend Lucy (Kate Micucci) after Penny chewed her out at the Cheesecake Factory for breaking up with him via email. Lucy tells Raj that she is dating someone else, and Penny quickly tries to make up for it by setting him up with one of her co-workers. Of course, Raj screwed that up, too, and ended the episode by screaming, "What's wrong with you?" into a mirror.

At this point, it's impossible to tell how the writers are going to mangle Raj's character next. Is he gay? Is he just really feminine? Is he a jerk? Is he a fool? Spin the wheel and wait until next week.

Notes and Quotes:

-       "How those nipples, feelin', chief?" was easily the line of the night and might be the line of the season from Sheldon so far.

-       We got the weekly "Amy's not gettin' any from Sheldon" joke right at the end of the episode. And here I thought we might get a break this week.

-       Why in the blue hell did Leonard and Sheldon rent Super Mario Bros.?

-       How does Penny even have a job at the Cheesecake Factory at this point?