The Big Bang Theory Review: The Emotion Detection Automation (Season 10 Episode 13)

On The Big Bang Theory Season 10 Episode 13, “The Emotion Detection Automation,” Sheldon tests out a new MIT invention while Raj gets his old girlfriends together hoping they can tell him what went wrong with their relationships.

It is probably no news for anyone that Sheldon tends not to be the most considerate person when it comes to responding to different kind of emotions and signs of distress.

While the earlier seasons of the show used this trait of his personality as an intentional gimmick to gain laughs, I think the writers have started to approach Sheldon’s reactions to emotions a bit differently as his relationship with Amy has gotten more serious.

On “The Emotion Detection Automation,” Sheldon receives a prototype of a machine created at MIT which helps him to understand what his friends are feeling. While the machine works, the readings it gives end up creating a fight between Penny and Leonard, which in turns make Sheldon question his emotional development.

The moment this machine was mentioned in the dialogue, I obviously had to Google it and see if such machine actually exists.

And believe it or not, researchers at MIT’s CSAIL (Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence Lab) have come up with a way to detect human emotions through radio signals by using a device called EQ-Radio.

I am no computer scientist or an engineer, so the workings of such a device are a mystery to me. But despite that, I absolutely love the fact that this new technology was written into the narrative.

And who better to test out a device like that than Sheldon?

Even though the device does not end up working quite as Sheldon hopes it will, the self-discoveries he makes through the use of it are extremely important.

I have loved Sheldon since the pilot, and while I have occasionally missed the single and more socially awkward Sheldon of the early seasons of The Big Bang Theory, seeing him grow as a character alongside Amy has been a real pleasure.

Amy: I love you exactly the way you are.

By the end of the episode, Sheldon realizes that he does not need a machine to detect emotions. He is capable of doing it himself — it might not come as easily for him as it comes to others, but he is willing to put in the work for his friends.

After what feels like a long time,  a storyline about Raj’s personal life is introduced to the narrative. While this might not have been the kind of storyline I was hoping for, at this point I am pretty much willing to take anything just to see more of Raj.

Raj’s decision to form a sort of focus group from his old girlfriends in an attempt to find answers to why their relationships failed reminded me a little bit of this British documentary called A Complete History of My Sexual Failures.

Even though Raj is not really comparable to the guy the documentary is about, the idea of going back to failed relationships in order to prepare oneself for “true love” is something Raj’s mission and this documentary share.

While Raj’s approach to learning more about himself through the eyes of those he has been romantically involved with might not be the most traditional approach to take, just seeing Raj in a storyline that has nothing to do with Howard, Bernadette, and the baby feels like a breath of fresh air. 

While the scene featuring the four women from Raj’s past is fairly hilarious, the way the scene concludes is a bit of a letdown.

After telling that they all found perfect guys after ending their relationships with Raj, the exes leave and the scene is closed with somewhat lazy jokes about a possible relationship between Raj and Howard.

My hope is that this process Raj goes through becomes a part of a longer storyline that allows us to see more glimpses of Raj’s personal life and his journey of finding the sort of happiness the other characters have — whether that be in a relationship or on his own.

What did you think of this episode of The Big Bang Theory? Share your thoughts in the comments below!

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The Big Bang Theory airs Thursdays at 8/7c on CBS.

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