The Big Bang Theory – Was there a Wolowitz wedding?

As the weeks leading up to the season five finale of The Big Bang Theory titled “The Countdown Reflection” came and went, my boyfriend and I had loads of speculations about the impending nuptials of Howard and Bernadette. “Would they or wouldn’t they?” was the burning question. Although we were given a glimpse of the two resplendent in their bridal gown and tux several weeks ago, we were also teased by the show’s producers that just because we saw a wedding photo didn’t necessarily mean we would see an actual wedding. It was also said by one of the show’s producers that the episode’s ending made him cry every time he saw it.

Oh, the reasons we speculated for not seeing a wedding ranged from plausible to ridiculous to the decidedly melodramatic. Our most believable theory was that Howard would launch into space before saying “I, do.” A more melodramatic theory involved the death of Howard while in space, perhaps blowing up in a fiery launch explosion similar to The Challenger while the gang looked on in shocked disbelief. An even grimmer plot we tossed around was the possibility of Howard’s mother finally kicking the bucket and as a distraught mama’s boy unable to deal with his grief properly, Howard postponing or canceling the wedding and breaking Bernadette’s heart at the altar.

Another reasonable theory was that Howard or Bernadette would simply chicken out at the altar. Or more fantastical yet, maybe Raj would steal the scene out of The Graduate and object loudly during the ceremony, since he once had deep feelings for Bernadette. But then again, an action such as that involving a personal speech in front of women would be so totally out of character for Raj that it was quickly and easily dismissed unless he’d been drinking heavily before the ceremony.

OK, so what really happened? Well, for starters, we all knew deep down there would be a Wolowitz wedding so the season finale would end with a bang, and like Bernadette said in her vows, it was short and sweet like Howard. While it may not have been a girl’s lavish dream wedding, it was a simple, sweet and meaningful affair.

I liked that only their closest friends were there to share their special moment and each person’s speech was unique and fit their personality. Sheldon’s was a tad condescending, Penny’s meant well, Amy’s was awkward and Leonard’s was well, perfect. And the heart with the arrow through it that could be seen from the Google Satellite above? That was really cute.

The groomsmen got what else, but vintage mint-condition Fantastic Four comic books. Stan Lee would’ve been proud. While nothing majorly melodramatic happened, it was a unique fit for the show and the two characters getting married and overall I liked it. Were you disappointed it wasn’t a big, flashy wedding like TV weddings past?

The final moments of the episode were not exactly what I would call tear-jerking, but I did like the closeness of everyone holding hands and anxiously watching Howard’s launch into space.

Memorable Quotes:

Raj: “You’re nervous? I’ve been stress-eating for four days. Look at me, I’m wearing my fat pants.”

Howard (to the Russian astronauts): “Quick question. I missed it in the briefing. How much urine do these things hold?”

Howard (to Bernadette about the star necklace he gave her): “But I’m gonna have to get it back from you so I can take it to the International Space Station. That way when I come home, you can have a star that was actually in space.”

Howard: “When I eat Fruit Loops, the other astronauts make fun of me.”

Amy: “No, no, no. This is not the wedding I wanted. I want to wear my maid of honor dress and walk down the aisle with 100 eyes on me while a string quartet plays ‘The Way You Look Tonight.'”

Leonard: “Sheldon, it will be fun.”
Sheldon: “That’s what you said about the Green Lantern movie. You were 114 minutes of wrong.”

Howard (after hearing Leonard proposed to Penny during sex): “Did you get down on one knee or were you already there?”

Howard: “I told you we are not recreating the wedding from The Sound of Music.”
Raj: “Yes, you made that brutally clear to me. What I was going to suggest was that if you are willing to wait until Sunday morning, the Google Satellite will be over Pasadena. You can have a wedding photographed from space.”

Raj: “If I wasn’t an astrophysicist, I would have been a party planner. It was always a coin flip.”

Howard (to his mother): “You’ll fall through the roof before you fall off it.”

Bernadette’s Dad: “Here you go.”
Bernadette: “Here you go? What am I, a football?”
Bernadette’s Dad: “Like that guy could catch a football.”

Sheldon: “I think the Reverend Hofstadter is making an ironic connection between your statement of love and your rejection of his proposal in the bedroom.”

Leonard: “Howard and Bernadette, you are lucky enough to be best friends who love each other and that’s the strongest kind of love because at its core it has kindness, patience and respect. Qualities that are hard to find in people these days.”
Sheldon (to Penny): “Would you like some aloe vera? You just got burned.”

Sheldon: “Fine, I’ll do it in English but it loses something. The need to find another human being to share one’s life with has always puzzled me. Maybe because I’m 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. “

Clacked by Kim Tibbs
on May 10, 2012 @ 22:55 EST5EDT