The Countdown Reflection

"The Countdown Reflection"
The Big Bang Theory episode
Episode no. Season 5
Episode 24
Directed by Mark Cendrowski
Story by Bill Prady
Eric Kaplan
Steve Holland
Teleplay by Chuck Lorre
Steven Molaro
Jim Reynolds
Production code 3X6874[1]
Original air date May 10, 2012
Running time 21 minutes
Guest appearance(s)

"The Countdown Reflection" is the 24th and final episode of the fifth season of The Big Bang Theory. It first aired on CBS on May 10, 2012.[1] It is the 111th episode overall. In the episode, featuring astronaut Mike Massimino, Howard and Bernadette get married before Howard goes to space. "The Countdown Reflection" received 13.72 million views in the U.S. and garnered mostly positive reviews.

Plot

Howard is in a Soyuz capsule with Mike Massimino and Dimitri Rezinov, about to travel to the International Space Station, while his friends Bernadette, Raj, Leonard, Sheldon and Penny are watching on television at Sheldon's apartment. Howard has a flashback to the previous week. Bernadette decided that she wanted to marry him before he went to space, so they went with their friends to City Hall to get married. At City Hall, Sheldon reveals to the others that Leonard proposed to Penny during sex, making Leonard and Penny feel very uncomfortable. Howard and Bernadette fail to get married as the place closes before they reach the front of the queue.

At the Cheesecake Factory, everyone discusses ideas for Howard and Bernadette's marriage. Raj and Leonard come up with the idea that they could get married on the roof of Leonard's apartment block, when the Google Maps satellite is passing directly overhead to take pictures. Sheldon, Leonard, Raj, Penny and Amy all go online to get ordained as ministers to perform the ceremony.

Howard's mother is at the wedding, albeit off-screen, along with Bernadette's father. While there is some tension between Leonard and Penny after his mistaken proposal, the five ministers each say some words before the couple exchange their vows. The camera zooms out to show the satellite's view of the rooftop, and continues to zoom out until a picture of Earth is visible. The episode ends back in the present, when the Soyuz capsule takes off.

Reception

Ratings

The episode was first broadcast in America on May 10, 2012 on CBS to an audience of 13.72 million viewers. It achieved a Nielsen rating of 4.4/15 among the age range 18-49.[2] In Canada, the episode aired on the same day, and was watched by 4.035 million households. It was the most watched show on CTV Television Network that week.[3]

Reviews

The season finale received mostly positive reviews. Oliver Sava of The A.V. Club gave the episode an A-, saying that the season finale "feels like a significant change for the series". Sava opined that "The Countdown Reflection" was not "as funny as last week's episode", but "delivers when it comes to that quality that has always been Big Bang Theory's strongest suit: heart". He also said that "Penny and Leonard make a good couple in theory, but not so much in practice".[4] R. L. Shaffer of IGN scored the episode 9.0 out of 10. Shaffer called the framing device of Howard in the capsule "pretty awesome" and said that the show featured "a better balance of geeky jokes, relationship humor, character and Sheldonisms" than the rest of the fifth season, as well as "a decent share of touching moments".[5]

Carla Day of TV Fanatic gave the episode 4.8 out of 5, saying that "I didn't care for the flow of the episode with Howard about to blast off and the wedding in a flashback, but that last scene of the finale made it all come together".[6] Robin Pierson of The TV Critic rated the episode 41/100, calling it a "very disappointing finale". Pierson said that Howard and Bernadette "make a nice couple", but that the script was "lazy" and "uninspired".[7]

References

  1. 1 2 "Listings - Big Bang Theory, The on CBS". TheFutonCritic.com. Retrieved October 31, 2015.
  2. ↑ Kondolojy, Amanda (May 11, 2012). "Thursday Final Ratings: 'Big Bang Theory', 'Idol', 'Vampire Diaries', 'Office', 'Secret Circle', 'Grey's' Adjusted Up; 'Touch', 'Scandal' Adjusted Down". TV by the Numbers. Retrieved May 11, 2012.
  3. ↑ "Top Programs – Total Canada (English) May 7 – May 13, 2012" (PDF). bbm.ca. Archived from the original (PDF) on September 28, 2013. Retrieved October 31, 2015.
  4. ↑ Sava, Oliver (May 10, 2012). "The Big Bang Theory: "The Countdown Reflection"". The A.V. Club. Retrieved October 31, 2015.
  5. ↑ Shaffer, R. L. (May 10, 2012). "The Big Bang Theory: Season Finale Review". IGN. Retrieved October 31, 2015.
  6. ↑ Day, Carla (May 11, 2012). "The Big Bang Theory Review: Introducing Mr. and Mrs. Fruit Loops". TV Fanatic. Retrieved October 31, 2015.
  7. ↑ Pierson, Robin (October 10, 2012). "Episode 24 - The Countdown Reflection". The TV Critic. Retrieved October 31, 2015.
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