The Junior Professor Solution Season 8, Episode 2 -  Aired September 22, 2014

The Junior Professor Solution

After the university finds a way for Sheldon to change his field of research, he is promoted to a Junior Professor and must teach a class. When nobody signs up for Sheldon's class, Howard surprisingly enlists. Meanwhile, Amy plays Penny and Bernadette against each other as tensions rise over Penny's new job at Bernadette's company.

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Guest Stars: Regina King as Mrs. Davis

Writers: Steven Molaro (Story), Eric Kaplan (Story), Steve Holland (Story), Jim Reynolds (Teleplay), Maria Ferrari (Teleplay), Tara Hernandez (Teleplay)

Director: Mark Cendrowski

Viewers: 18.23 million Adults 18-49 Rating: 5.4/16

Available on iTunes

Episode Notes

  • The title references the university's solution to Sheldon's request to change his field of research, as was set out towards the end of Season 7, by making him a junior professor.

> Sheldon's Knock

Sheldon uses his knock once when he goes to Mrs. Davis' office. After the first round of knocking he says "Mrs. Davis", after the second he says "Guess who?", after which she answers. Finally, Sheldon says "That's right, good job." after the third round of knocking.

Episode Quotes

Sheldon: The correct animal for inter-species super soldier is the koala. You would wind up with an army so cute, it couldn't be attacked.

Sheldon: You shot your spit in my mouth!
Howard: Is that gonna be on the test? Because I don't think I can do that again.

Leonard: Sheldon, I promise, your uvula does not have an STD.
Sheldon: Are you sure? It just doesn't feel as innocent as it used to.

Amy: You better watch that attitude, buddy. You're dating the popular girl now.

Sheldon: Wow, pouting and running away actually worked. I must say that may not be a lesson you want to reinforce with me.

News Stories

Title Date Posted
'The Junior Professor Solution' Pictures September 10, 2014

Pictures from the second episode of The Big Bang Theory's eighth season, "The Junior Professor Solution", have been released. The episode airs as part of an hour-long season premiere on Monday, September 22 at 8/7c on CBS. Check out the stills from the episode in our gallery.  Full story

Recap

Sheldon has a meeting with Janine Davis of the university's human resources department to discuss his desire to change his field of study. While Sheldon was away, the university worked out a solution to let him retain his grant and change his field by becoming a junior professor. Elsewhere, there's tension between Penny and Bernadette as Penny starts her job at Bernadette's company. Since Bernadette got Penny the job, she feels Penny should try her hardest to learn the material before she begins work or else it might reflect badly on her.

Penny goes to Amy's office to meet her for lunch and mentions she needs a break from Bernadette, who has been pushing her hard to study for the new job. Although Amy's initially uncomfortable talking about somebody else behind their back, she soon realizes sharing negative feelings about a third party can help people to bond. Having lunch in the cafeteria, Raj tries to think up a cute couple's name for him and Emily: Emipali or Koothrapemily.

Back at the office, Amy is experimenting with a starfish when Bernadette Skypes in and invites Amy out for a drink, without Penny as she's frustrated with her. Amy joins Bernadette is criticizing Penny, playing both sides against each other. Elsewhere, Leonard, Howard and Raj visit Sheldon and find his classroom empty as nobody signed up for his class. Howard volunteers to take Sheldon's class, but Sheldon dismisses this and claims the class would be too advanced for Howard. Sheldon eventually relents and lets Howard take the class. Later in his apartment, Sheldon works on his class plan in a bid to make Howard lost, while Leonard wonders why Sheldon tries so hard to prove he is smarter than Leonard.

When Howard turns up for Sheldon's class, he tells Sheldon that Leonard already warned him that Sheldon was planning to make the class overly complicated just to belittle Howard. Since Sheldon isn't going to be a good professor, Howard decides not to be a good student and promptly fires a spitwad right into Sheldon's mouth. Later in the apartment, Howard and Sheldon spar over engineering and physics trivia. After Bernadette and Penny patch things up, she helps Penny study for her new job.