Season 5 of "The Big Bang Theory" went out with a "blastoff" when Howard (Simon Helberg) and Bernadette (Melissa Rauch) pulled off a marriage that could be viewed from space just before Howard headed off into space. The entire gang watched the liftoff as Sheldon (Jim Parsons) took his most momentous emotional step forward yet by holding Amy's (Mayim Bialik) hand.
On a side note, Leonard (Johnny Galecki) was resenting Penny's (Kaley Cuoco) refusal to take his proposal-in-coitus seriously. Thanks to Sheldon, the entire gang found out about the incident, leading to a constant barrage of Leonard-centered jokes. According to The Hollywood Reporter, Penny will continue to grow, both in a romantic sense and a career sense, but external forces may pull her away from Leonard!
Meanwhile, Howard's mom will have a love interest! While she remains offscreen, she will have a new boyfriend played by Ken Lerner. How will Howard react? Will it make him want to finally move out, or to ironically want an end to it so he can continue to be the only man in his mom's life despite being married? Whatever his reaction, you can bet it will be side-splitting.
Lastly, poor Raj (Kunal Nayyar) may have to continue his lonely existence, especially after his friend's marriage. But he may at least focus his need for companionship into other areas.
Watch the Season 6 premiere episode "The Date Night Variable" on Thursday, 9/27 at 8PM ET on CBS.
More from this contributor:
'The Big Bang Theory' Finale Recap and Review: The Wedding From Space
'How I Met Your Mother': Where we left off and -- wait for it
