It was a dark episode all around, or at least dark by Big Bang Theory standards. The episode also hinged on the inevitable day of reckoning Wolowitz faced - appease his mother and remain in her house or finally move in with his new bride? He's lucky he made it this far without having to deal with the fallout of his lie on board the International pace Station. Ultimately, though, Wolowitz got off incredibly easy. Given all the references to his masturbation habits this week, I guess I should say, "No pun intended." One simple anecdote about performing magic for his mother and suddenly the Wolowitzes are all back under one roof? The entire conflict felt underdeveloped and seemed very much the B-plot to Sheldon's temporary crisis, despite being the far more interesting one of the pair.
The drama of the episode was under-cooked, and so was the humor. Viewers have generally been able count on Raj for quick comic relief all throughout this season, but both he and Leonard were barely present as the other two confronted their relationship woes. Penny instead was cast as the comic relief, and that worked out about as well as you'd expect. Penny rarely has anything to add to the equation other than sarcastic, exasperated quips. There was plenty of that, along with a heaping helping of self-deprecating remarks about her terrible waitressing skills. Sometimes you really have to wonder what Leonard still sees in her. Too many gags fell flat this week, and even Sheldon's Long Island Iced Tea-induced drunken tirade wasn't really as amusing as it could have been.
Honestly, the highlight of "The Habitation Configuration" was the last-minute LeVar Burton cameo. It was no more substantial than his previous appearance in "The Toast Derivation," but still a welcome surprise. One thing this show and Community have taught us is that Burton loves him a free meal.
Season 6 has been fairly uneven so far. While I was initially glad to see this episode shifting focus on the underlying character drama, the execution felt flat and dull. That said, it's a safe bet that neither the Wolowitzes nor Amy and Sheldon are completely tension free after "The Habitation Configuration." Jesse is a writer for various IGN channels. Allow him to lend a machete to your intellectual thicket by following @jschedeen on Twitter, or Kicksplode on MyIGN.