The Big Bang Theory Review: The Separation Triangulation (Season 11 Episode 14)

On The Big Bang Theory Season 11 Episode 14, “The Separation Triangulation,” Raj gets involved with a separated woman (and her husband) while Sheldon rents his old room from Leonard and Penny.

When I saw that the words “domestic drama” were being used to define something Raj would get involved in I instantly started to speculate how this would play out. It is difficult to imagine the kind of domestic drama we often see on TV dramas playing out on a sitcom like The Big Bang Theory so I knew I should probably expect something that could be considered funny — mistaken identities, miscommunications, and so on.

What I did not expect was seeing Raj pretty much saving the marriage of two characters who have never been on the show before and who probably never will make an appearance on it again.

I have been waiting for Raj to get what he deserves for years — while that sounds very ominous, what I want for Raj are good things. While I would be totally okay not seeing him in a relationship, he himself has consistently expressed that it is what he wants.

Why can’t the writers just figure out how to give that to him. It is not like he would suddenly turn into an uninteresting character if they paired him up with someone.

Raj got a chance to shine for a few episodes when he was fighting with Howard — he got a new job, grew more confident of himself and his talent, and looked like he was having the time of his life — but now things are starting to look like they have looked in the past. Is this where his character development stops for the next few seasons?

Raj is such an interesting character and it is a shame the writers do not properly utilize all of his potential.

While Raj is saving the marriage of these two characters I find it very difficult to care about Leonard is dealing with the fact that Sheldon is not acting like himself.

That is because Sheldon is trying out empathy.

It is interesting to see Leonard so out of his comfort zone dealing with the fact that his best friend is not the kind of guy he is used to seeing him as.

The way Sheldon acts is exactly the way Leonard has always hoped him to act, but when that actually happens it looks like Leonard wants to go back to the way things were.

Their relationship dynamic has been so well defined for such a long time that Leonard now feels like he does not know what to expect.

Sheldon makes a surprisingly small amount of appearances on this episode, but once he is on screen he is the best thing about the whole episode. Seeing him light up from excitement towards his work and finding ways to be more considerate warm my heart since it shows that he has grown as a person.

I do have to admit, though, that I loved the ending and things getting back to the way they were — Sheldon bossing Leonard around.

I guess, like Leonard, I am often made uncomfortable by too many sudden changes.

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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