The Desperation Emanation Season 4, Episode 5 -  Aired October 21, 2010

The Desperation Emanation

When Leonard realizes he's the only one without a girlfriend, in a group that includes Sheldon, he asks Howard to set him up with one of Bernadette's friends. Meanwhile, Sheldon is trying to lose his "girlfriend", Amy Farrah Fowler, after he misunderstands her request for him to meet her mother.

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Guest Stars: Melissa Rauch as Bernadette, Mayim Bialik as Amy Farrah Fowler, Kevin Sussman as Stuart, Carol Ann Susi as Mrs. Wolowitz, Charlotte Newhouse as Joy, Annie O'Donnell as Mrs. Fowler

Writers: Bill Prady (Story), Lee Aronsohn (Story), Dave Goetsch (Story), Chuck Lorre (Teleplay), Steven Molaro (Teleplay), Steve Holland (Teleplay)

Director: Mark Cendrowski

Viewers: 13.05 million Households Rating: 7.9/13 Adults 18-49 Rating: 4.1/13

Available on iTunes

Episode Notes

  • The title refers to Amy's statement that desperation can actually cause a smell, giving credence to the idea of a "stink of desperation".
  • Penny was written out of this episode because Kaley Cuoco suffered a broken leg in a horseback-riding accident the weekend before the episode was taped. Originally, Brian Thomas Smith was cast in the episode as Zach, Penny's less-than-genius date from the last episode of season 3, but his character was cut when Kaley couldn't appear in the show.

> Bazinga

After Sheldon and Amy webcam with her mother and deceive her into thinking they are in a sexual relationship, Sheldon tells Amy "I find myself wondering if we should actually engage in coitus at least one time in our relationship. Bazinga!"

Episode Quotes

Leonard: What would you be if you were attached to another object by an inclined plane, wrapped helically around an axis?
Sheldon: Screwed?
Leonard: There you go.

Amy's Mom: It's nice to meet you too Sheldon, I honestly didn't believe Amy when she told me she had a boyfriend.
Sheldon: I assure you, I am quite real and I'm having regular intercourse with your daughter.
Amy's Mom: What?
Sheldon: Oh yes, We're like wild animals in heat. It's a wonder neither of us has been hurt!
Amy's Mom: Amy? What is he saying?
Amy: You wanted me to have a boyfriend, mother, well here he is! Have to sign off now. My hunger for Sheldon is stirring in my loins.
Sheldon: Oh yes. It's time for me to make love to your daughter's vagina.

Sheldon: We no longer live at 2311 Los Robles. We live at 311 Los Robles. [holds up number 2 fixture]
Leonard: You changed the address on the building? What about mail?
Sheldon: No worries. I explained our predicament to our letter carrier. He was sympathetic. His exact words were, "Got your back, Jack. Bitches be crazy."

Leonard: Have you considered telling her how you feel?
Sheldon: Leonard, I'm a physicist, not a hippie.

Sheldon: Proxima Centauri's the nearest star. The celestial bodies that follow are:
Alpha Centauri A, Toli, Barnard's Star, Wolf 359, Laland 21185, Sirius A, Sirius B, BL Ceti, UV Ceti, Ross 154, Ross 248, Epsilon Eridani, Lac 9352, Ross 128, EZ Aquarii A, EZ Aquarii B, EZ Aquarii C, Procyon A.
Those are the stars that are nearest to me,
Tra la la and fiddle dee dee.

News Stories

Title Date Posted
Episode 4.05 Ratings October 22, 2010

The ratings for October 21st's episode are out.  Full story

CBS Announces Episode 4.05 October 13, 2010

CBS has announced the details for the fifth episode the new Big Bang Theory season.  Full story

Recap

When Leonard and Sheldon are watching the Hulk movie, Leonard's question about Sheldon's relationship with Amy prompts him to suggest Leonard is jealous of his relationship. At the comic book store, Leonard's feelings of loneliness increase when he finds out everybody, including Stuart, now has a girlfriend but him. Raj suggests Leonard invoke his pact with Howard and get Bernadette to set him up with one of her friends. Back at the apartment, Amy gives Leonard a nuerobiological consult over webcam, declaring he's giving off a "stink of desperation".

At the end of Amy's web cam chat, she mentions to Sheldon that she would like him to meet her mother. Sheldon rushes down the stairs to get Leonard's advice on what it means. Leonard says he won't be able to refer to her as his girl who is a friend but not girlfriend any more. Elsewhere, Leonard's attempt at picking up women at the Genius Bar came up empty, so he goes to Howard in desperation and invokes the girlfriend pact.

Back at the apartment, Sheldon is working to remove his digital footprint from the Internet in a bid to hide from Amy. When Amy knocks on the apartment door, Sheldon tells Leonard to pretend he's not there. Later, Leonard is on his double date with Howard, Bernadette and her friend Joy. The friend keeps joking about the 100 ways she has learned to pull a guy's nuts off. At the end of the night, Leonard tells Howard this was pretty much the worst date he'd ever been on. When Joy mentions her cousin's wedding the next weekend and the open bar which means she'll be "giving it away", Leonard agrees to be her date.

As Sheldon walks down the apartment building stairs, reciting stars nearest to him, he finds Amy and runs back up the stairs. He tries to walk past her in disguise, but she recognizes him and asks why he's avoiding her. Amy assures him that she wasn't asking to take their relationship to the next level, she was merely pretending to her mother that she's in a committed relationship. They decide to return to their boy/friend/girl/friend status. Later, Amy and Sheldon pretend they are having "regular intercourse" during a webcam chat with Mrs. Fowler.