As with most episodes lately, "The Toast Derivation" was adequate. 

It started off on a stream of peppy Sheldon one-liners and held some promise when Sheldon went to the bar to drown his sorrows and air his angst on Penny's shoulder, but it quickly jerked away from that into a character division that was not as palatable as one might expect.

Sheldon's dalliance with a new set of friends had less spice than the pot of Tex-Mex chili Priya had brewing over at Raj's place. Kripke is one of those characters I only care to see when he's in an epic battle with Sheldon, not placating his need for companionship by sticking around and dueting Elton John and Kiki Dee with Penny's ex.

But I suppose that was sort of the point of the episode. Despite Sheldon's quirky-in-the-rear-view ways, he's a necessary part of this off kilter group of friends. 

Honestly, when Sheldon is being unintentionally condescending and oblivious to his social ineptitude, I like him. He has an earnestness that is appealing. It's when he's acerbic and harshly patronizing that I can't stand to watch him. Hopefully this little experiment in divergence of social affection, if you will, encourages him to be less flippant with the friends he already has. It's not so easy making new ones.

The best part of the episode involved Amy and Penny. I just love Amy's interactions with Penny and how she tries to be the supportive sister but inadvertently, yet good-naturedly, tweaks Penny's nose. The two are becoming my favorite 'ship, to the point where I actually don't care if Leonard and Penny ever get back together.

A final thought: With Big Bang having a Levar Burton cameo tonight, after he guested on Community last week, and a Caligula reference on both of this evening's outings, it kinda makes you wonder who's looking over whose shoulder does it not? Ponder that question and then review the best Big Bang Theory lines of the night:

Leonard: So don't watch TV. Read a book.
Sheldon: And be a social pariah? Now you know that's not my style. | permalink

Sheldon: On Thursdays everybody comes over here and has pizza, or a reasonable facsimile prepared by someone claiming to be Luigi but who sounds suspiciously like Jackie Chan. | permalink

Sheldon: Indians making Tex-Mex. Might as well have had the Chinese pizza. | permalink

Sheldon: We could also stop using the letter M. But I think that idea is isguided and oronic. | permalink

Sheldon: Oh what fun. Like hippies at a love-in.
Leonard: Just sit here.
Sheldon: Right on man, right on. | permalink

Jeffrey Kirkpatrick is a TV Fanatic Staff Writer. Follow him on Twitter.