Welcome back, folks! We start this week with some sad news - the actress playing Mrs Wolowitz, Carol Ann Susi, has unfortunately passed away. As one of the funnier characters in the show, she was a very memorable performer and will definitely be missed. For tonight, let's watch this episode and have a laugh. I cannot think of a better way to honour all the talents who have worked to bring us this series.

Amy and Sheldon play the "celebrity-on-your-forehead" game, which is ruined because Sheldon keeps thinking it's him. Leonard walks in with big news - he has to have a deviated septum repaired. Sheldon, resistant to any change and worried that Leonard will die on the table, completely flips out, though all his friends beg him to be reasonable. Opening credits, and I can already tell this one's going to be a winner.

Sheldon interrupts Leonard's sleep by sneaking into his room to listen to him snore. See, he finds the racket comforting. Leonard is understandably terrified. He reiterates his fears about the operation, though Leonard isn't a bit concerned. Even statistics cannot change his mind.

Raj's parents are having their 40th anniversary, which prompts Howard to make his usual insensitive remarks. He's looking for a gift, but his parents' marriage is on the rocks, so there's a little extra challenge this year. Sheldon continues to crunch numbers, and concludes that Leonard has a 1 in 300 chance of dying. Again, nothing changes his mind. Finally, Leonard claims he'll think about it, though one can tell it's really just appeasement. Howard goes to visit Raj, who is devastated to learn that his parents are getting a divorce. He puts on a brave face nonetheless, which quickly cracks.

Penny and Leonard go to the hospital without telling Sheldon what's going on. Amy, meanwhile, is stuck taking Sheldon to work, and finds herself quickly having to cover when Sheldon questions Leonard's excuses. Finally, she confesses. Sheldon's heart is crushed. He demands that Amy drive him to the hospital so he can check on his friend. And, of course, say "I told you so" if he happens to die. Penny is shocked to see them show up in the waiting room, but they put things aside as much as possible with Sheldon around. Unfortunately, Sheldon keeps trying to discuss funeral arrangements. Bernadette tries to provide some comfort of her own to Raj, bringing him a tray of muffins. In the process, she's given some truly cringeworthy dialogue.

Sheldon continues to complain while Penny begs him to take things easy with Leonard. Surprisingly, Sheldon's predictions come true when an earthquake rocks the hospital. Yeah, that happened. And the power goes off to boot. Sheldon falls over and breaks his nose. The women run to his aid. Bernadette and Howard discuss the longevity of marriage. This immediately leads to a raucous argument. Oh, and the revelation that Howard went to couple's therapy with his mom. Leonard and Sheldon are released from hospital, sporting identical nose bandages. Their girlfriends alternately care for and make fun of them. Bernadette and Howard decide to talk about the things they love about each other, which is almost instantly passive-aggressive in nature. Raj arrives, because he was apparently a guest, and tells them how the divorce is going (badly).

A package arrives at Sheldon and Leonard's. It's an engraved urn in case of Leonard's death, with this message: "Here lies the ashes of Leonard Hofstadter. He thought he was right, but his roommate knew better."

The episode ends with a tribute to Carol Ann Susi, instead of the usual vanity plate. Too bad my channel flattened it so badly you could barely see it.

This week offered some great comedy, and some excellent moments of character development, particularly for Raj. It was nice not to have the eternal guy-girl division this time. It was slight, but it was amusing, and I quite enjoyed the moments of good old conflict between Sheldon and Leonard - it hearkened back to the glory days of Season 1. Maybe this season's getting back on track. Time will tell, but I'll be glad to see it through.

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