The Big Bang Theory: Top Moments from The Comet Polarization (Season 11 Episode 21)

I never thought that an episode that centers even a little bit around Stuart could be so entertaining.

On The Big Bang Theory Season 11 Episode 21, “The Comet Polarization,” Stuart’s comic book store’s popularity grows after Neil Gaiman visits the store. While Sheldon tries to deal with the changes that come with the surge of new customers, Raj and Penny fight over the recognition of a discovery Penny makes while using Raj’s telescope.

Here are my top moments from “The Comet Polarization.”

Cameos by Neil Gaiman

Would you recognize Neil Gaiman? I wouldn’t. And apparently, Howard, Raj, Sheldon, and Leonard can’t do it either.

After Neil Gaiman tweets about Stuart’s comic book store, the guys start to wonder when the famous author had visited the store. They even express how bummed they are that they weren’t there when it happened.

In fact, they were there all along, but since arguing about comic books often makes them disregard everything that happens around them, they missed the chance of meeting one of their heroes even though he was standing right next to them.

I think the scenes with Neil Gaiman are executed brilliantly and the fact that the guys couldn’t recognize him instantly brought into my mind an argument made in one of the episodes of season 2 of NBC’s Timeless — you rarely recognize the authors behind famous books.

Obviously, Neil Gaiman is quite a figure in the worlds of pop culture and literature and there must be a lot of people out there who would recognize him instantly. The fact that not even Sheldon was able to recognize him, though, feels kind of major.

By the way, I am LOVING the cameos that have taken place so far this season and can’t wait for the Mark Hamill cameo that’s going to be shown on the season finale. I am just hoping that they actually make it so that the characters get to react to the meeting of one of their heroes.

Sheldon makes a new friend

We all know how Sheldon reacts to change. We all also know how Sheldon reacts to new people around him. Because of this, we know that one of his favorite places going through a change must not be easy for him.

After Stuart’s store suddenly gets popular Sheldon has a hard time accepting the fact that the store is no longer “like a funeral home that sells Pokemon cards.” Gone are the days of having the store all to himself.

Despite his initial and somewhat negative reactions to the changes, like the hiring of an assistant store manager Denise, Sheldon grows to accept the new reality of the store and even befriends Denise who seems to know a lot about comics.

The fact that Denise, a woman, could actually like comics comes as somewhat of a surprise to Amy. While I was kind of annoyed by this little snippet of the narrative — obviously women can like comics too which is why it feels unnecessary for the narrative to even bring up the idea that comics are something only guys like — I overall really enjoyed seeing Sheldon interacting with a new character.

Will the popularity of Stuart’s store continue? It certainly would be interesting to see more interactions at the store between the core characters and new acquaintances, but knowing the kind of luck Stuart has I have a feeling the popularity will wither down and he will once again be just as miserable as he was before.

Penny takes control

Go, Penny Go!

After Raj tries to take full credit for a discovery made by Penny I instantly started preparing myself for a storyline on which Penny gladly gives up the credit for something she does just because the narrative makes it seem so that she does not understand what is going on.

Gladly, and surprisingly, that didn’t happen and Penny was actually given the permission to take control of the situation and fight for her right to be acknowledged.

Since the very beginning of the show, the narrative has often played around with storylines and jokes that involve Penny not understanding something the guys are talking about. Since the very beginning of the show, I have been annoyed by this gimmick.

While Penny is no stranger to speaking up for herself, the storylines on which she has spoken her mind have often ended in ways which are more beneficial for the guys. Seeing Penny not giving up and fighting for her right to be recognized feels refreshing.

This is definitely something I want to see more of in the future!

 

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

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