“The Codpiece Topology” has the geek gang return from a Ren Fair in elaborate costumes. Everyone is happy except Sheldon. He didn’t like the inaccuracies he saw all over the event. Howard points out that the Ren Fairs are all about women boosting up their bosoms. Things get uncomfortable when Leonard bumps into Penny. She’s got a new guy. Leonard acts like they’ve moved on from their short dating period. Has he? She has a new guy and Leonard’s wearing a chainmail outfit and hanging with a bunch of guys. There’s a great joke about underwear and pillowcases before the credits.
There’s nothing sadder than trying to look good in front of an old lover while dressed like a dork. It’s one of those horrible moments where you understand why they aren’t dating you. Nobody likes that feeling of looking in the mirror and saying, “I’d dump you.”
Back in the apartment, Leonard acts like he’s moved on. When he lays out his romantic history, he discovers his dating life has been rather sparse. Raj gets a disturbing piece of his past exposed. How does anyone resist a green skinned slave girl at Comic-con? And how could you not know the gender? Howard swears Leonard needs rebound action.
Raj finally gets his moment to shine as he recounts his unfortunate encounter with the third kind. Having gone to an art school, I can assure you that sometimes it is hard to tell from a distance. It really is bad when “she” is wearing a leather choker that covers the adam’s apple area. You can’t tell till it is way too late. But that’s why God invented Tequila.
Leslie (Sara Gilbert) pops up while Leonard and Sheldon have lunch at work. Leonard thinks she wants another bout of stress release (as seen in season one). Leslie wants a real relationship, but she’s in full science mind. She defines what’s supposed to happen as if it’s a proposal for a rat experiment. Leonard has to kick Sheldon out of the apartment so he can have some privacy to execute with Leslie.
Remember to always give your roommate a list of fun things to do while you’re trying to get lucky. Give them movie tickets. Give them gas money. Give them disturbing news that they need to see their parents at a hospital 30 miles away. Makes sure they don’t lurk.
Penny finds Sheldon stuck on the stairs playing on his laptop. He blabs about how Leonard has a woman dropping by for a date. Penny is taken back, but claims she has a date. Sheldon goes on a nasty tirade about Leslie and space chimps. He doesn’t like her.
Of course Sheldon hates Leslie cause he knows about Leonard’s history with her on Roseanne. What are the chances that Tom Arnold will soon arrive on this show? Or maybe Roseanne will appear on a very special episode. Anything, but Tom Arnold playing the next door neighbor.
During dinner, Leslie acts Leonard how many children they should have. She means business in this “courtship.” Sheldon keeps interrupting their meal. Leslie is willing to accept all of her man’s genetic defects of shortness and baldness. There’s dueling goodnight kisses as Penny and her date arrive at the doorstep.
During lunch, Howard begs Sheldon to come to the Ren Fair. But the uber-geek can’t deal with the anachronistic people. Raj proposes that Sheldon dress up as a Star Trek officer who is visiting a planet that isn’t quite accurate. Leslie wants to join them for lunch. The gang moves to a larger table, but Sheldon won’t move.
Sheldon can’t stand Leslie. He realizes that the only thing he can do is reunite Penny with Leonard to get Leslie out of his apartment. When she won’t give into the genius’ plan. He unleashes Plan B.
Sheldon tells Leslie that he accepts her even though she doesn’t believe in string theory. She argues with Sheldon and demands Leonard to back up her scientific view. He won’t. She can’t imagine raising children that buy into string theory. The relationship is over. She storms out of the apartment. Sheldon tells his friend that on the bright side, there’s only 9 more months to Comic-Con.
The guys returns to the Ren Fair with Sheldon dressed as Spock. He gives us a short history lesson of why corndogs shouldn’t be at the Ren Fair.
It’s good that they aren’t rushing to reunite Leonard and Penny. Keep up the damn tension. The dynamic tension between the three characters is working. Although my biggest fear is that Penny’s going to end up in bed with Sheldon. It only makes creepy sense since she’s trying to humanize the guy. Will her messing with the unnatural lead to the truly unnatural? Or at least a dream sequence?
Joe Corey has worked as local crew on numerous reality shows including Candid Camera, Rescue 911, Battle for Ozzfest and Extreme Makeover: Home Edition. He mostly recently worked as Associate Producer on the documentary Moving Midway that should be coming to TV this Spring.
