‘The Big Bang Theory’ Recap and Reaction: “The Cohabitation Experimentation”

Astro
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The latest The Big Bang Theory episode, “The Cohabitation Experimentation,” which aired Monday night, is by far the best of season 10 so far. It has the best of all worlds — comedy, science, and most importantly, an incredible new Shamy storyline.

Shamy Move in Together

shamy - Sheldon and Amy sit on a bed together

A busted water pipe in Amy’s apartment causes her to need a new place to stay for five weeks. This leads to an arrangement Shamy fans have been waiting for – Sheldon and Amy agreeing to live together. The scale of this moment is huge. For one, it shows a tremendous amount of growth on Sheldon’s part, surprising even Amy. And two, it opens up a whole new world of possibilities to explore the couple’s relationship and compatibility even further.

This episode itself delves into some of those possibilities with their first night living together in Penny’s apartment (a neutral space). Amy asks Sheldon how he feels about sharing a bed. He tells her that he’s concerned and a little scared, but most importantly, excited. Plus, in an effort to make him more comfortable, Amy suggests they take “coital expectations” off the table for the time being. In response, Sheldon says, “If it didn’t get you all worked up, I’d kiss you right now.” Commence the Shamy fan-squealing.

However, their first night sharing a bed doesn’t go so well. Sheldon sleep-talks, moans, and squirms around so much that he pushes Amy right off the bed. The next morning, while in Sheldon and Leonard’s apartment, Amy says that she’s not sure if she can continue living with him. This leads to an intense and sassy argument between them, filled with one hilarious “science diss” after another. Finally, however, Amy asks if he wants to go across the hall to make out, and Sheldon answers, “Does Stephen Hawking roll in the quad?” They then both hurriedly make a beeline for the door. Let the fan-squealing intensify.

A Place of Their Own

cohabitation experimentation Sheldon holding laundry basket and Amy with luggage at the door with Penny and Leonard

Since Sheldon and Amy move in together in Penny’s apartment, that means that Penny and Leonard have to sleep elsewhere. They are more than eager for Sheldon to move out so they can have the place to themselves as a married couple. It’s great to see them have time alone and acting like the young, in-love duo-against-the-world that they are.

Along with their chemistry, their humor in this episode is top-notch. In the beginning, when Leonard looks proud that Sheldon complimented his use of Star Trek as “sexy talk,” he turns around and smiles proudly at Penny. Only in return, she tells him, “Don’t be proud of that,” as if it’s obvious. Then, when watching Shamy’s heated argument at the end, Penny asks Leonard if it would be appropriate to say, “Damn!” in response to Amy’s scorching scientific comeback, to which Leonard confirms. It’s a small, but funny moment, and a true testament to how great of a team they are.

The Cohabitation Experimentation

The most hilarious scene of the night comes when they celebrate the fact that they truly have the place to themselves and wonder what they should do. Leonard starts playing music and says they’re going to dance in their underwear, and then proceeds to pull his pants down and do just that. The dancing itself and Penny’s amused expression are priceless. It gets even better when she joins in on the dancing later and asks Leonard where he got his moves. He explains that everyone else may have forgotten Dance Dance Revolution, but he didn’t. He emphasizes this with a spin and Michael Jackson-style kick in a hilariously impressive display.

Indecisive Parents-to-Be

howard bernadette and raj in kitchen

The secondary storyline of the night involves Howard, Bernadette, and Raj. After a sonogram where all three of them were present, Raj reveals that he “accidentally” read the sex of the couple’s unborn baby. Howard and Bernadette aren’t thrilled about this in the slightest. Later that night in bed, they go back and forth over whether or not they want to know and end up calling (and hanging up on) Raj.

It’s extremely cute and sweet to watch Howard and Bernadette interact as the loving husband and wife that they are. They’re completely new to parenting, and they’re figuring it out together as they go. Their chemistry together is brilliant and sweet, even as they can’t decide if they want to know what their baby will be.

Raj, to his credit, seems much more knowledgeable about pregnancies than the expecting couple. What’s exciting about his scenes comes when he confusedly answers his phone over and over. Next to him on his bed, we see his dog, Cinnamon! It’s great to see that she is still alive and well since she was last mentioned in season eight.

As a fan, there’s plenty to love in “The Cohabitation Experimentation.” With only one night down of five weeks of living together, we should expect to see plenty of classic Shamy moments for the next few episodes. And since it wasn’t revealed this time, perhaps we’ll find out next week the sex of Howard and Bernadette’s baby. Or will Raj hold it over their heads for a few more weeks?

Astro
Chrissie "Astro" Miille is a Fan Contributor for FANDOM and a former admin on the Danny Phantom Wiki. When not watching animated shows or Star Trek, they're usually neck-deep in another fandom, listening to Michael Jackson, creating, or stargazing.