Leonard and Penny go on a double date with Howard and Bernadette on Valentine's Day, while Sheldon and Amy search for the perfect presents for each other. Meanwhile, Raj and Stuart throw a party for single people at the comic book store.

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Guest Stars: Margo Harshman as Alex, Josh Brener as Dale, Kate Micucci as Lucy, Briana Cuoco as Gretchen

Writers: Chuck Lorre (Story), Bill Prady (Story), Steve Holland (Story), Steven Molaro (Teleplay), Jim Reynolds (Teleplay), Tara Hernandez (Teleplay)

Director: Mark Cendrowski

Viewers: 17.89 million Households Rating: 10.5/18 Adults 18-49 Rating: 5.5/18

As Leonard and Penny chat in her apartment, Leonard is disappointed that Penny isn't more excited about spending Valentine's Day together. Leonard assures her that, as a romance ninja, he will make the night special. Meanwhile, as Sheldon and Amy walk back to the apartment, Sheldon is keen to steer their discussion away from Valentine's Day. Elsewhere, while Howard and Raj visit Stuart's comic book store, Raj suggests Stuart opens the store late on Valentine's Day and has a party for people who don't have dates.

Sheldon tasks his assistant, Alex, with finding a suitable Valentine's gift for Amy. When Leonard visits Howard's lab to pick him up for lunch, Howard shows Leonard his gift for Bernadette. It's a tiny heart one-thousandth the size of a grain of sand he wrote their initials on. Howard gloats to Leonard about how his gift is better than Leonard's plan of a romantic meal at a restaurant. When Howard drops his gift, Leonard invites him and Bernadette to dinner with them.

Back at the apartment, Alex is showing Sheldon the gifts she bought for Amy. Sheldon is disappointed by most of the gifts, except for a signed drawing of a brain by the father of modern neuroscience, Santiago Ramon y Cajal. Sheldon is so impressed by the last gift that he chooses to keep it for himself. At the restaurant, Penny and Leonard's romantic dinner is going well until Howard and Bernadette arrive angry. Bernadette, who has been working late every night, is angry at Howard for playing video games instead of cleaning the apartment and doing laundry, so she hid his Xbox.

Penny recognizes a guy she used to date who cheated on her with her best friend, Gretchen, who is with him tonight. Leonard tells Penny not to let it ruin their evening, but it gets worse when the guy proposes to Gretchen, who accepts. Leonard, seeing an opportunity to propose to Penny, drops to one knee but she tells him right away to get back up. Meanwhile, Raj and Stuart are spending their Valentine's Day at the comic book store.

Back at the restaurant, Leonard is getting annoyed that Penny won't just enjoy their date instead of obsessing about her ex and Gretchen. When Penny admits Valentine's Day sucks, Leonard accuses her of ruining this one. In comparison to Leonard and Penny, Howard and Bernadette feel better about their relationship, and make up. Howard suggests they go home and he'll do the laundry, so Bernadette reveals where she hid the Xbox - in the washing machine.

Over in the apartment, Sheldon and Amy are exchanging gifts before heading out to dinner. Amy reveals that she has planned an nontraditional Valentine's celebration for Sheldon, a night of takeout pizza and watching Star Wars/Trek. Sheldon tells Amy that's the most thoughtful gift anyone's ever given him. Sheldon then hands Amy her gift, a Caltech University form which lists her as Sheldon's In Case of Emergency contact.

When Leonard and Penny return their terrible meal, Penny tries to apologize to Leonard. Penny says she has commitment issues and as things have been going so well between them lately, she can't help but think he's going to propose, she'll say yes, they'll get married, and the whole thing just freaks her out. Leonard promises not to propose to Penny again and that, when she's ready, she must propose to him. Back at the comic book store, after a girl congratulates Raj for throwing the lonely Valentine's party, he takes her out for coffee.