Sheldon and Amy finally went to bed together, the rest of the gang saw The Force Awakens, and revelations were had all around on The Big Bang Theory 9×11.
With “The Opening Night Excitation,” The Big Bang Theory delivers one of the series’ best episodes in… yeah, let’s say years. From the hilarious Star Wars-cribbed opening crawl to the sweetly funny closing moments, the episode acts in a really impressive harmony with itself, beautifully unifying disparate story threads.
This is especially fitting as harmony and union are themes powering both The Big Bang Theory 9×11, and the Star Wars movies from by which the episode is inspired. Most crucially, Sheldon reaches the decision to not only skip opening night of The Force Awakens to be with Amy — but he decides he is ready to be with Amy.
In the biblical, coitus-having sense.
Though it’s not entirely clear when Sheldon became comfortable with the idea of intimacy, The Big Bang Theory 9×11 handles his choice and hesitation beautifully. Sheldon’s subconscious calls upon his personal Obi-Wan Kenobi, Professor Proton, giving him the confidence to carry through with Amy.
“The Opening Night Excitation” is particularly adept at handling Amy’s response to the situation. Always the more sexual of the relationship, Amy is initially ecstatic to learn that Sheldon wants to sleep with her. But when the moment arrives, her nerves nearly get the better of her — allowing Sheldon’s occasional tact to surface, and assure her that they will pass through this epic milestone together.
The other plotline of the episode is more frivolous, but still appropriate to the tone. Howard, Raj, and Leonard ask Wil Wheaton to take Sheldon’s ticket to Star Wars; Wheaton shows up in full Star Trek garb. He is the inharmonious element of the episode, that works directly in counterpoint with the episodes’ intent. Even Wheaton’s devil-may-care attitude cannot mitigate the bliss experienced by the geeky gang after The Force Awakens ends.
Ultimately, “The Opening Night Excitation” is about allowing life to make us happy — even things we didn’t expect ever to be possible. It’s fitting that The Big Bang Theory 9×11 itself so skillfully achieves the goal of making its characters and its audience happy as well.