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(S03E03) So we get our first episode of Leonard and Penny together, and it's... weird. She's in their apartment, making French toast, and somehow I feel nearly as uncomfortable as Sheldon when faced with the prospect of eating French toast on a Monday. It's kind of odd seeing Leonard and Penny acting all boyfriend/girlfriend-y. I've gotten so used to their casual banter, that them talking about breaking beds is kind of weirding me out.

However, what really struck me as odd about the opening scene is how mean Sheldon is to Penny. Now, obviously Sheldon would hate having his space invaded, especially by someone who doesn't understand that Mondays are for oatmeal. But the way he and Penny interacted was like early season one. Since then, between Leonard Nimoy's DNA and "Soft Kitty," they have formed somewhat of an uneasy bond. I understand that they need to have conflict at the beginning in order for the rest of the episode to make sense, but it didn't need to be so heavy-handed.

I will say though, after the opening scene, the episode got a lot better for me. Leonard and Penny became more like the Leonard and Penny we know, and Sheldon's positive reinforcement experiment was HILARIOUS. I don't know why, but that joke completely tickled me. I giggled every single time Sheldon offers Penny a piece of chocolate. Seriously. Every single time.

Not only was it funny, but the experiment fit. Of course Sheldon would try to modify Penny's behavior to better suit his needs. He's Sheldon. In fact, I'm pretty sure that this is a sign that he's growing as a person. Before, he would just throw a fit and make everyone really uncomfortable. At least now, Penny's getting some chocolate out of the deal.

I wasn't thrilled with Wolowitz and Raj's Goth bar storyline. I liked the bit with the tattoo sleeves, and just seeing Wolowitz dressed like that was good for a couple of laughs. Overall though, the rest of the storyline fell flat for me. It was more of Raj and Wolowitz trying to pick up girls, coming off as creepy, and failing. We've seen it all before. Maybe next time they go out, Sheldon should follow him with his spray bottle-- maybe then they'll learn.

Some of my favorite lines from this episode:

Penny: "I give up. He's impossible!"
Sheldon: "I can't be impossible; I exist! I think what you meant to say is, 'I give up; he's improbable.'"

"Oh man, did the KISS Army repeal 'Don't Ask, Don't Tell?'" --Penny

"They're called tattoo sleeves... Put them on, have freaky sex with some freaky girl with her business pierced, take them off, and I can still be buried in a Jewish cemetary." --Wolowitz

"Yes, she's pushy, and yes, he's whipped-- but that's not the expression." --Wolowitz

Leonard: "Sheldon, you can't train my girlfriend like a lab rat!"
Sheldon: "Actually, it turns out I can."

"Interesting. Sex works even better than chocolate to modify behavior. I wonder if anyone else has stumbled onto that." --Sheldon

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