- Sheldon is forced to teach a class as a Junior Professor. Meanwhile, Amy plays both sides when tension arises between Penny and Bernadette.
- Sheldon learns from Mrs. Davis in Human Resources that the university has come up with a solution to change his area of research from string theory to dark matter. They will promote him to junior professor, which has no strings to funding whatever area of research, but that it will require him to teach a graduate level class. After speaking to his friends, Sheldon agrees. However, his reputation precedes him as no one signs up for the class. As such, Howard, who has been thinking about working toward his doctorate, decides to enroll in the class as Sheldon's only student. While Howard truly wants to learn from Sheldon, Sheldon in turn only has one contrary goal in mind in being Howard's professor. Meanwhile, Bernadette and Penny are having a quiet feud over Penny seemingly not taking her new job as a sales rep at the pharmaceutical company where Bernadette works seriously. They both turn to Amy, who, for the first time in her life, feels like the popular kid in high school. As such, Amy tries to use her new position to divide and conquer to retain that special place in both their lives.—Huggo
- While having dinner, Sheldon is describing a World War II project where Soviet Union Premier Joseph Stalin wanted to have human women impregnated by gorillas to produce super soldiers. Leonard suggested hippos would make pretty bad-ass soldiers. Howard counters that when they are hungry-hungry, they could be stopped by marbles. Sheldon says a Koala army would be so cute that it couldn't be attacked. Penny's job starts next Monday and Bernadette is pushing Penny to finish studying the background material she has. Penny feels that they will teach her everything she needs to know; however, Bernadette just feels that they would be impressed if she was already familiar with the material.
Sheldon has a meeting with Janine Davis (Regina King) of Human Resources. Sheldon assumes that she wants to reopen their dialogue on him changing his field of study: Janine says that while he was away, the university worked on his problem and came up with a solution. His current grant is for researching string theory; however, promoting him to junior professor he can work on anything he chooses though he will have to teach a class. Sheldon describes their solution as giving him a promotion and paying him more money so he can impart his knowledge to the next generation.
Amy is back to working with starfish when Penny comes over to have lunch with her. She is stimulating the pleasure centers of the starfish. Penny didn't invite Bernadette to join them since is constantly bugging her to study. Amy figures that Bernadette thinks that she wants her to do well since she might not due to her poor performance as a waitress. Amy says that sharing negative feelings can be a powerful bonding force between two friends. In the spirit of science she asks: What is that little bad person's problem?"
In the cafeteria, Raj is trying to come up with a cute couple's nickname for him and Emily, like "Emipali" or "Koothremily". Her last name is Sweeney and Raj doesn't like "Koothrapeeny". Sheldon shows up and describes the awful situation with his new promotion. He doesn't want to babysit a bunch of grad students who think that dark matter is what is in their diapers. Leonard tells him that it is a way to let him go on and study dark matter. Sheldon has had many heroes who took people under their wings. Richard Feynman. Albert Einstein. Professor Xavier. Some of Doctor X's students really had wings, Sheldon notes and was the only one laughing. He plans to use that joke in his class after everyone fails the midterm.
Amy is continuing her pleasure center research with her starfish (You like that, don't you?), when Bernadette Skypes in. She invites Amy out for a drink without Penny since she is frustrated with her. Amy asks if she is mad because Penny isn't trying hard enough. Also, via Instagram, Bernadette saw that Penny went out to lunch and got a manicure. Amy adds that it's like Penny doesn't even care and that Amy is there for Bernadette, now playing both sides of their fight.
Leonard, Raj and Howard find Sheldon in his empty classroom. No one signed up because Sheldon has a reputation for being obnoxious. Now Sheldon can devote all his time to the study of dark matter. Howard volunteers to take his class since he wants to start work on his doctorate. Sheldon thanks Howard, but doesn't think he would understand anything about it since it was a graduate level class. Howard insists that he is more than smart enough; he is an engineer. Sheldon throws three physics questions at him that he answers correctly.
Walking up the stairs Amy tells about Penny calling her to complain about Bernadette and then she gets a text from Bernie. Sheldon is trying to prepare his lesson plans for Howard. Amy loves being in the center and now feels like she is the popular girl. Sheldon wants to figure out how to intellectually emasculate Howard.
Late at night, Leonard comes in finding Sheldon creating a lesson plan that will make Howard feel lost. Leonard can't understand why Sheldon has to prove that he is smarter than Howard. Sheldon finds that a pleasure that, that is his job as a teacher.
Howard comes into Sheldon's classroom and tells him that Leonard warned him that he is going to make the course very hard, in order to belittle him. Should Sheldon make an effect to be a good teacher, Howard would give the class a shot. Sheldon agrees, then jumps on him when he finds something he doesn't know. Howard plugs in his iPod to ignore him. Since Sheldon is a bad teacher, Howard plans to be a crappy student. Then Howard makes a spit ball shooter and propels one into Sheldon's mouth. The ball goes down his throat and Sheldon flees in fear.
Amy is enjoying being in the middle of Bernadette and Penny calling up Penny to go out and bad mouth Bernadette. Penny is now studying to do well. Amy then calls up Bernadette to go out. Bernadette is planning on helping Penny study and thinks that they are being too hard on Penny. Everything is now good between Penny and Bernadette. Then she calls Sheldon who is trying to deal with the spit ball in his mouth.
In the apartment, Leonard is looking down Sheldon's throat. Leonard assures him that his uvula doesn't have an STD. Howard goes back to confront Sheldon after Sheldon reported him to Human Resources; Wolowitz says that he dropped the course. Howard tells Sheldon that just because he asks him things he doesn't know, that doesn't make him smarter. Howard could do the same thing to him with questions about engineering. Sheldon answers the first two questions from Howard but when he gets to the third one is left speechless as he doesn't know the answer. Howard proceeds to taunt Sheldon at his lack of knowledge on engineering. At this point, Sheldon finally coughs up the spitball from his mouth.
Bernadette goes to help Penny and finds that she understands the background material she was given. Since they are done, she decides to call Amy since she really wanted to go out. She is listening behind the door and runs down the stairs to take the call.
Finally, the guys keep asking each other scientific questions, feeling proud that they are so smart, but lamenting that they still didn't get girls in high school. They were awkward, weird and couldn't play sports. Another right answer!
Title reference: The solution that allows Sheldon to keep working at the university is becoming a Junior Professor.
Contribute to this page
Suggest an edit or add missing content