After years of existing on The Big Bang Theory in name only, Sheldon’s beloved Meemaw finally made her way to the show in live-action, with Oscar-nominated actress June Squibb nailing the part completely with a whiskey in hand. As fun as she was for audiences to watch, it didn’t take long for her to cause all kinds of drama with Sheldon and Amy – as grandmothers are prone to do – and she eventually gave away that Sheldon is in possession of her engagement ring, which he’d previously planned on giving to Amy. Does that mean wedding bells are coming? Not exactly.
Let’s back up a bit. Meemaw made the trip from Texas, and had a Texas-sized chip on her shoulder in regards to Amy and the way she broke up with Sheldon last season. (I’m sure Meemaw doesn’t think of things in “seasons,” but we do.) She’s worried that Sheldon might be making a huge mistake in seeking marriage with someone who is capable of hurting him as much as Amy did, as it might disrupt his career and future. And she definitely doesn't want Amy getting her diamonds. It’s nice when people show concern, but it’s even better when they don’t let the cat out of the bag that marriage was in the cards at one point.
Now, we all know that Sheldon doesn’t see the ring in quite the same was as everyone else. Remember when Penny and Leonard freaked out when he nonchalantly admitted his jewelry-laden intentions? (By the by, Meemaw doesn’t have a problem with Penny and Leonard’s marriage, so no worries about her ruining anything there.) But that doesn’t mean he’s equally flippant about his love for Amy, and after all the harsh words come out, Sheldon deflates Meemaw’s worries by asserting his love for Amy is true and explaining how committed they are to each other again.
While that all soothed Meemaw well enough - Amy also got Meemaw a little sentimental about Sheldon's grandfather by mentioning Sheldon's weird ways - it was Amy’s turn to show some other emotions, particularly about the engagement ring. But anyone who knows Sheldon knows that this wasn’t the time for him to be a Casanova, similarly to almost every other moment in his life, and when Amy prompts him to comment on a potential proposal, he responds just as expected.
I just gave you my virginity, woman. Cool your jets.
I mean, it’s been a few weeks (or something) since Sheldon and Amy did the deed and broke some ratings records, but that doesn’t mean he’s immediately ready to go from lying in the bedroom to walking down the aisle. Now that Amy knows it’s a future possibility, we will probably see her throwing blatantly obvious hints around in future episodes. I’m guessing the Green Lantern’s ring will be at the center of one of them.
Here’s hoping June Squibb doesn’t wait another 9 seasons to return to the role of Meemaw. Maybe she could pop up in the show’s star-studded 200th episode coming up, although I guess we can be patient enough to wait for her to return for the eventual wedding.
The Big Bang Theory airs Thursday nights on CBS. What did you guys think of Meemaw’s debut?
