The Hot Troll Deviation

"The Hot Troll Deviation" is the fourth episode of the fourth season of the US sitcom The Big Bang Theory and the 67th episode of the show overall. It first aired on CBS on October 14, 2010.^[1] In the episode, Howard and Bernadette go on a date following their breakup a few months prior. Sheldon and Raj engage in a series of "tit for tat" exchanges when working together. The title refers to Howard's virtual affair with a troll on World of Warcraft.

The episode features guest appearances by actors Katee Sackhoff (Battlestar Galactica) and George Takei (Star Trek). They appear during Howard's fantasy and later, when Howard and Bernadette are "making out" in her car. Melissa Rauch became part of the main cast in this episode.

"The Hot Troll Deviation" was watched by 12.57 million viewers with a Nielsen rating of 7.6/13 in the U.S. It received mixed reviews and ratings.

Plot

The guys go to the Cheesecake Factory and when Bernadette arrives, Howard hides under the table to avoid her. Later, Howard is having a sexual fantasy with Katee Sackhoff wearing a flight suit from Battlestar Galactica. Bernadette then appears in the fantasy; Katee says he still has feeling for Bernadette. George Takei then appears, with Katee questioning Howard's sexuality. Katee and George begin discussing their acting careers and the fantasy ends when Howard's mother starts shouting at him.

Penny agrees to help Howard if he reveals why he and Bernadette broke up. Bernadette caught him having cybersex with a World of Warcraft player, later revealed to be a male Caltech colleague. They go on a date at the Cheesecake Factory, with Penny eavesdropping on them. Although they never had sex, Bernadette claims this was because Howard never "made the move". They decide to give the relationship another try, and "make out" in Bernadette's car. Sachoff and Takei appear, giving Howard conflicting advice about whether to "make the move".

Meanwhile, Raj insists he should get a desk, while Sheldon claims he does not need one. Raj points out Sheldon has a marshmallow rifle, drawer full of Red Vines and a phosphorescent ant farm. They compromise: Raj is allowed to purchase a desk with his own money. The desk is huge and ornate, clearly designed to irritate Sheldon. This begins a series of "tit-for-tat" exchanges. They shoot at each other, Sheldon with marshmallows and Raj with a Nerf gun. Sheldon plays annoying Indian music; Raj brings a bird in the office and turns the heating up. Raj brings in aroma therapy scented candles; Sheldon tries to counter the smell by mixing hydrogen sulfide and ammonia gases, but they are flammable and there is an explosion. Raj concedes, ending the conflict.

Reception

Ratings

On the night of its first broadcast on October 14, 2010, the episode was watched by 12.57 million households in the U.S. It had a Nielsen rating of 7.6/13, with a 4.3/14 rating in its target demographic of ages 18–49.^[2] In Canada, the episode had 2.84 million viewers and a weekly ranking of 2.^[3]

In the UK, the episode aired on November 25, 2010. On E4 it had 0.72 million viewers and 0.26 million watched on E4 +1. The episode ranked second and third on the channels, respectively, with a total of 0.98 million watches.^[4] In Australia, the episode was first broadcast on February 8, 2011 and had 0.92 million viewers. This gave it a nightly ranking of 11.^[5]

Reviews

Todd VanDerWerff of The A.V. Club gave the episode a C+. He complimented the cast and the "rare" Raj and Sheldon storyline filled with "mostly funny sight gags". However, the writers were criticized, as was how the show "rarely takes chances" (perhaps because it is "such a big hit"), and how it is filled with "lazy" and "easy" jokes.^[6]

The TV Critic rated the episode 52 out of 100, concluding that there were "two good stories" but that "neither was well told". The recurring story arcs were said to "[reward] fans for paying attention" and the guest stars were complimented, George Takei for his "camp" acting and Katee Sackhoff for reappearing after a similar fantasy scene in "The Vengeance Formulation". However, the Sheldon and Raj plot "did not have time to develop properly" and Howard using his father abandoning him to pressure Penny was described as a "cheap joke".^[7]

Jenna Busch of IGN rated the episode 9 out of 10. She was "thrilled" to get a "Howard-centric episode", although sad that Leonard had such a small role. The masturbation scene was complimented, particularly for the "good cop/bad cop" roles of Sackhoff and Takei.^[8]

Eric Hochberger from TV Fanatic gave the episode 3.7 out of 5 stars. He also mentioned Leonard's lack of storylines. Bernadette's character was praised for fitting in better than on True Blood and George Takei was described as "fantastic". However, he points out that the show is "[playing] its storylines and jokes very safe", unlike in the first seasons.^[9]

References

External links

• "The Hot Troll Deviation" at CBS.com
• "The Hot Troll Deviation" at the Internet Movie Database
• "The Hot Troll Deviation" at TV.com
• "The Hot Troll Deviation" at TheFutonCritic.com
• Chuck Lorre's vanity card