The Big Bang Theory: The Launch Reflection

Posted by: S.P. Young • May 11, 2012 @ 10:29pm

"Howard and Bernadette. I know you two planned on getting married in a big fancy wedding. But when you're in love, it doesn't matter where or how these things happen. It just matters that you have each other."

Closing the fifth season of The Big Bang Theory, was "The Countdown Reflection." As the title suggested, this episode was told in a flashback with Howard in the rocket cockpit awaiting take-off in Kazakhstan. As the cosmonaut spoke of the gas leak, Howard tried to take his mind off it, by thinking back to his big day with Bernadette.

One of the best Howard moments was when he gave Bernadette the star necklace, only to say that he needed it back, so that he could take it into space for her. This gave Bernadette sufficient motivation to rush the wedding date so that it would happen before the launch.

Bernadette and Howard decided to go to city hall to get married, but not without Amy making a stink out of her not getting to have a formal wedding to wear her bridesmaid dress at. Hence, why she wore the dress to city hall.

Keen viewers will notice the tiara on Amy's head from "The Shiny Trinket Maneuver."

City hall had too much of a line-up, so the couple could not get married. As per Raj's suggestion, the wedding could take place on the apartment roof, so that it could be photographed by the Google Earth satellite.

	Fast forward to the wedding. Bernadette's father could not resist taking a jab at Howard's mother. "She's got a bigger moustache than me." On the topic of moustaches, make sure to click here to see our top ten list of best moustaches.
	Due to Howard's mother being an unseen character, she had to sit far away (off-screen) from where the wedding was taking place. This resulted in her heckling "louder," prompting Bernadette to yell back at her (in the Howard's mom voice). By this time in the episode, Howard had already accidentally referred to Bernadette as his mother twice.
	Raj, Leonard, Penny, Sheldon, and Amy all got themselves ordained as ministers, so they could make the marriage official. Raj was the first one to give a speech, but he choked up and could not finish it. With luck, it was not due to Raj still having feelings for the bride.
	Last episode ("The Launch Acceleration"), Leonard blurted out a marriage proposal to Penny in the middle of sex. The tension from this incident made its way into the speches that both Penny and Leonard gave.
	Amy saw much more importance in her being a maid of honour, than in the significance of the marriage for the couple. "Bernadette. I want to thank you for allowing me to be your maid of honour. I also want you to know, that I will be happy to do it again if this marriage craps out."
	Despite Bernadette having told Sheldon not to give a speech in Klingon, he still did. Bernadette stopped him, so he had to give it in English. "The need to find another human being to share one's life with has always puzzled me. Maybe because I am so interesting all by myself. With that being said, may you find as much happiness with each other, as I find on my own. The Klingon would have made you cry."

Flash forward to the present. Everybody was sitting down watching the live broadcast of the rocket lifting off. They were all concerned for Howard: Mrs. Fruit Loops held onto Raj's hand. Penny then held onto Leonard's hand. And surprisingly, Sheldon did the same with Amy -- a move that she did not seem to expect.

That concluded the fifth season of The Big Bang Theory. Next season will see Howard's return from the International Space Station, and what his future living arrangement will entail. Leonard and Penny will likely continue to have the same thing going on. Sheldon holding onto Amy's hand was very much unlike him, and showed some actual human growth in him, which should also hint as to what is to come.

Tags: First Orbit, International Space Station, cosmonaut, NASA, astronomy, The Launch Acceleration, The Shiny Trinket Maneuver, The Launch Acceleration, Star Trek, The Big Bang Theory