photo: cbs
The Einstein Approximation
Original Air Date: Feb 1, 2010
Farrah Kaye – Associate Editor
farrah@thetwocentscorp.com
So, for those who don’t know me (which by this point is hard to believe!), my name is Farrah and I cover pretty much every genre of TV show, tell you how your shows are doing in the ratings, and sub wherever I am needed. This week I have the pleasure of recapping one of the funniest Big Bang Theory episodes in a long time. Never in a million years would I have thought I would see Lisa Simpson, a pit of balls (BAZINGA!), roller disco, and Sheldon working at the Cheesecake Factory all in one place. Want to know how that all comes together? Keep on reading …
We open with a normal morning in Sheldon and Leonard’s apartment. Sheldon keeps flashing back to his work on the dry erase board while Penny comes out to get a cup of coffee – and Sheldon hasn’t been to sleep yet. He can’t see what he’s looking for and Leonard suggests a fresh start … so Sheldon throws the white board out the window. Because, well, that’s what Sheldon does.
Still “stuck” and going on 30 hours without sleep, Sheldon is deep in thought and talking to himself. Raj, meanwhile, wants to go to disco night at the roller rink but Sheldon and Leonard decide to make a double date out of it. Poor Raj. Sheldon uses Raj’s beans as atoms and Leonard’s peas as neutrons (or something of the sort) to figure whatever he’s trying to figure out (something long and scientific about electrons and gravity on a plane). He needs round things (see where this is going??) for the particles. After roller disco, the girls are completely embarrassed by the guys who are dressed to the nines in disco gear. When they go into Sheldon and Leonard’s apartment they slip on marbles, which Sheldon is using as electrons. It’s now been 2 days since he’s slept. Bernadette brings up the science behind sleep and convinces Sheldon to go to sleep. Leonard’s creepy Joker ringtone goes off in the middle of the night and it’s to pick up Leonard from somewhere. He’s called to a place that has a ball pit and Sheldon is deep in it, in his pajamas and bathrobe. He snuck in the backdoor and is separating the balls into colors. He refuses to leave so Leonard dives in to get him and every time he moves around he pops his head up and says BAZINGA! Over and over …
In an unusual Sheldon move, he goes right into Penny’s room and knocks on her wall instead of the apartment door. Still the normal knock and “Leonard and Penny” though! He is there to tell them he has figured out how to figure out his problem: He is going to get a menial job to occupy his mind so he can keep his mind off from always concentrating on the theory. He goes to a temp agency and is assisted by guest star Yardley Smith (aka Lisa Simpson!). She suggests construction, but his idea of construction is different than what it really is (he has no clue what sheet rock is). Delivering flowers? Nope – he doesn’t drive! So she asks him what his previous job was and after he tells her his long title from the university, she calls for security. There goes that idea! So then we see Penny at work and Sheldon is busing tables. Penny asks him why he is there. Possibly my favorite line(s) of the night … he thought of the three most menial jobs and he came up with 1) toll booth attendant, 2) Apple store “Genius” and 3) what Penny does. Since he doesn’t like touching other people’s coins and he doesn’t want to devalue the word of “genius,” he went with option 3. He was never interviewed though – his theory was since he didn’t want to be paid, he didn’t need to be interviewed. He just picked up a bucket and went to work. Then he turns to serving, since that is what Penny actually does. He perfectly serves the guys when Penny takes too long (which surprises her – and me!). Sheldon drops a bucket of dishes and people clap for him but the broken dishes and glasses make him realize what he’s been looking for. Penny tells him to clean up the mess when he walks out but he doesn’t work there so he says no. I’m inserting my own BAZINGA there. Wolowitz takes Raj to the disco … thank you CBS for giving us two shows that go to the roller disco (Gary Unmarried is the other). My life is complete!
The one minute brief ending is more of Leonard and Sheldon in the ball pit. BAZINGA! BAZINGA! BAZINGA!!! And of course, Johnny and Jim laughing like crazy. I love outtakes!
Thank you for letting me lead you on this journey tonight. I had a blast watching and I hope you did, too! Did you enjoy the boys’ outfits at roller disco? How hard do you think they laughed shooting the ball pit scenes? And why do they refer to it as the Cheesecake Factory if they don’t even mock it after one? I had dinner there last week and it looks nothing like that! Leave your two cents below. BAZINGA until next time!
Add to: Facebook | Digg | Del.icio.us | Stumbleupon | Reddit | Blinklist | Twitter | Technorati | Yahoo Buzz | Newsvine
TheTwoCents 
Ball pit FTW. Bizanga!!!
Was that not THE BEST?? I would’ve paid to have been on set for that!!! And in his BATHROBE nonetheless. That will go down in BBT history.
Oh on a serious note, do you know where Lorre publishes all his vanity cards from the end of all the episodes? Maybe you’ve answered that question before, but I’m a noob.
I’m not sure what that is but I can look into it. I don’t recap any of the CBS shows usually. What are the vanity cards?
Omfg you don’t read the Big Bang Theory vanity cards at the very end of the credits? They are hand written by Chuck Lorre and oft times HYSTERICAL.
He does them on 2.5 Men too but I don’t watch that show.
OOHH. I know what you’re talking about now. I’ve just never read them. I’ll have to check them out. I didn’t know they had an official name! LOL.
I watch all the CBS shows. I just got in to Two and a Half and I LOVE it.
They are TOTALLY worth reading 99% of the time. Sometimes they’re just weird little insights into Chuck Lorre’s world. Always worth reading though.