"The Conjugal Configuration" is the first episode of the twelfth and final season of the American television sitcom The Big Bang Theory, and the 256th episode of the series overall. The episode first aired on CBS on September 24, 2018.
| "The Conjugal Configuration" | |
|---|---|
| The Big Bang Theory episode | |
| Episode no. | Season 12 Episode 1 |
| Directed by | Mark Cendrowski |
| Story by |
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| Teleplay by |
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| Production code | T12.16001[1] |
| Original air date | September 24, 2018[1] |
| Guest appearances | |
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Plot
editAfter their honeymoon starts at Legoland California, Sheldon and Amy head to New York City. Sheldon's insistence on scheduling their marital relations stresses Amy. He says he only does it to remind himself to be intimate with her. They compromise by letting him make a schedule without sharing it with her. Leonard and Penny discover Mr. Larry Fowler in Sheldon and Amy's apartment hiding from his wife. Leonard notices parallels in his own marriage, which offends Penny. Leonard apologizes, and he and Penny reconcile. Penny convinces Mrs. Fowler to give her husband a break. When Mrs. Fowler wants to hang out with her regularly, Penny scares Larry out of the building. Raj instigates a Twitter feud with Neil deGrasse Tyson but is scared off when confronted over the phone. Neil then calls Bill Nye.
Production
editCasting
editIn July 2018 at San Diego Comic Con, it was confirmed that Kathy Bates and Teller would reprise their roles as Amy's parents.[2]
Reception
editRatings
editThe episode was watched live by 12.92 million viewers, and had a ratings share of 2.5/11, during its original broadcast.[3]
The episode attracted a total of 2,262,000 viewers within seven-days of its British premiere, making it the most watched programme on E4 for the week.[4]
Critical response
editCaroline Preece of Den of Geek complimented the guest appearance of Neil Degrasse Tyson. However, Preece criticized the episode's lack of humor and boredom, as well as the lack of character development due to the same arguments occurring.[5]
Kyle Fowle of Entertainment Weekly rated the episode C+, criticizing the "familiar nature of the episode". Fowle also noted that this episode felt like a mid-season episode, lacking the magic a premiere should have, but expressed cautious optimism about the rest of the season.[6]
References
edit- ^ a b c "Listings | TheFutonCritic.com - The Web's Best Television Resource". www.thefutoncritic.com. Retrieved December 11, 2018.
- ^ Ausiello, Michael (July 20, 2018). "Big Bang Theory Season 12 Premiere: Fresh Intel on Sheldon and Amy's Honeymoon Destinations (Plural!)". TVLine. Retrieved December 11, 2018.
- ^ Welch, Alex (September 25, 2018). "'The Big Bang Theory' adjusts up, 'The Good Doctor' adjusts down: Monday final ratings". TV by the Numbers. Archived from the original on September 26, 2018. Retrieved September 25, 2018.
- ^ "Four-screen dashboard | BARB". Retrieved December 11, 2018.
- ^ "The Big Bang Theory season 12 episode 1 review: The Conjugal Configuration". Den of Geek. Retrieved December 11, 2018.
- ^ "'The Big Bang Theory' premiere recap: Amy and Sheldon honeymoon in the Big Apple". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved December 11, 2018.