Sheldon’s grandmother caused conflict with Amy, while Raj fell in love with someone else on The Big Bang Theory 9×14.
The episode, titled “The Meemaw Materialization,” continued The Big Bang Theory‘s time-honored methods of giving Amy grief and fundamentally disrespecting women. All in an evening’s work, really.
The first order of business is accomplished when Sheldon’s grandmother, the oft-quoted Meemaw, came to visit her “Moonpie” of a grandson. Meemaw is the epitome of a sugar-sweet Southern granny to everyone who meets her — until Amy arrives. As Sheldon’s girlfriend, she gets the full dose of suspicion, veiled insults, and general mistreatment; all things which should be familiar to Amy, as she receives them so often from Sheldon.
To Sheldon’s nominal credit, he is distressed by the tension between Amy and Meemaw, but he is unwilling to take a side — and the situation gets worse when Meemaw spills the beans that Sheldon has her engagement ring.
When the two women are left alone, Meemaw offers Amy a ridiculously thin explanation for her behavior — her own husband was a jerk too, and she doesn’t want Sheldon to be hurt again by Amy leaving. Apparently, we’re meant to accept that those two things are connected.
Sheldon is forced back into the fray by Penny and Leonard, and reluctantly takes Amy’s side. He throws an insulting trope at Meemaw, claiming that she made his grandfather a better man (because that’s what women do!) and proclaims that he is doing the same for Amy. Steam rises out of Amy’s ears (matching our own) but Meemaw reluctantly allows Sheldon and Amy to get engaged.
Inexplicably, Amy is hopeful, but Sheldon isn’t interested at this point.
Not to be outdone by the parade of ridiculousness on display with Meemaw, The Big Bang Theory 9×14 also gives Raj the opportunity to be every woman’s mid-level nightmare. He and Howard meet Claire, an aspiring screenwriter at the comic book store. Claire is doing research for an animated film, and asks him to consult on scientific elements of her story. The two exchange numbers and part like humans.
This should be a normal exchange between two adults (and that’s what Claire believes it is) but alas, this is The Big Bang Theory. When called upon by its facile stories, every male character becomes an inexplicably justified megalomaniac, and this is the fate that befalls Raj.
You see, because Claire is hot, Howard convinces him that the two of them were flirting at the comic book store. Raj believes this, and — feeling guilty about Emily – calls Claire to cancel their meeting. Claire is like, “Err, I just wanted to ask you about science?” so Raj browbeats her into admitting that there was a “vibe” between them.
Defeated by the all-consuming male ego, Claire agrees, so that she can write her screenplay. The two meet, ostensibly as sane adults, while Raj daydreams about marrying a woman who has absolutely no interest in him.
Seriously, women love that kind of thing.