I started watching the new season on Australian TV Last Night. the episode was where Penny and Leonard have a dispute over some money Penny got from selling a car Leonard gave her which leans them to visit Howard and Bernadette to ask them about how they deal with money as a couple while Raj and Sheldon do an emulation of a mine in the steam tunnels. [Season 8 Episode 6](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Big_Bang_Theory_%28season_8%29#Episodes)

Now I haven't seen every episode so I may have missed something but from my understanding Raj is unable to talk in the presence of women unless he drinks alcohol (which explains why he is able to talk freely to Penny, Bernadette and Amy when the 4 go out for a Girls' Night)

However, in the episode I saw at the beginning when Leonard, Sheldon, Raj, Howard and Penny are eating over at Leonard and Sheldon's, I don't see any drinks and Raj is talking just fine. He is also talking just fine in front of Amy at the end of the episode after he gets out of the steam tunnel after Sheldon abandoned him to deal with a "family of Rats" (and despite his comments Sheldon still expresses his annoyance in pointing out the obvious), though this could be passed off as one of those moment where he doesn't realize a woman is present (I remember in one episode is starts explaining something, someone points out Penny is present then he starts whispering to Howard instead).

I am wondering, when did Raj start being able to talk in the presence of women without the need for alcohol consumption? Or did I miss the presence of alcohol?