…is that you’re not wed to one format, one way of doing things, or one style of communication. So, for example, Sheldon has had lovely character arcs, fun adventure arcs, pokes at literature or pop culture, non sequitorial children’s literature, fake magazines, nods to pre-War comic strips, post-war industrial films, and the surreal.
So don’t worry: Today’s strip is not Sheldon turning into an editorial strip. Like all the other genres and styles listed above, it’s just nice for a cartoonist to try out a different arrow in the quiver, from time to time.