With the pretty epic season finale coming up, this week's episode of The Big Bang Theory could have been merely filler, but instead it seems like they've been saving this episode for just this week.

Why do we say that?  Well, for starters, the episode was clearly written for earlier in this season when Penny and Leonard were still together.  There's no way given their current status they'd be painting each others' toe nails.

Plus, not to get too technical and at the risk of sounding like a complete tool, but the show referred to Firefly being on 7 years ago.  That would put this episode in 2009, so the show would have been on in 2002.  As opposed to a 2010 episode which takes us back to 2003, when the show's cancellation would have already been known. Only The Big Bang Theory would be accurate enough on something like this for us to predict an intended air date.

Anyways, network shuffling of episodes aside, this was a fun episode.  Why?  Because after three years of wondering why the elevator was broken, we finally learned why during "The Staircase Implementation."

In addition one of the most nagging questions we've had was finally answered: why would Leonard ever be friends with Sheldon, let alone be willing to live with him?  The question was definite sufficiently answered during a more than entertaining episode.

Definitely worth three years in the making.  Now we can't wait for next week when a possible Sheldon love interest is introduced and our minds are sufficiently blown.

As usual, our favorite Big Bang Theory quotes from the episode are after the jump.

Sheldon: Roommates agree that Friday nights shall be reserved for watching Joss Whedon's brilliant new series, "Firefly."
Leonard: Does that really need to be in the agreement?
Sheldon: Might as well settle it now; it's going to be on for years. | permalink

Leonard: What am I doing in your spam folder?
Sheldon: I put you there after you forwarded me a picture of a cat playing the piano entitled, "this is funny." | permalink

Sheldon: I assure you, you'll be sorry you wasted your money on an iPod when Microsoft comes out with theirs. | permalink

Sheldon: Are you asking me or telling me?
Leonard: Telling you? | permalink

Eric Hochberger is the programmer of TV Fanatic, so please forgive his mediocre writing. His programming is far better. Follow him on Twitter and/or email him. Just don't request threaded comments. They're coming.