Season 1, Episode 4
The Luminous Fish Effect (15 Oct. 2007)
The story opens with our two heroes dressed up in suits and ties (not costumes, with these guys it could go either way.) Sheldon says he is working on time travel and Leonard asks if he has reached a dead end with invisibility. Sheldon’s pants and coat of his suit or two DIFFERENT plaids. As they walk down the stairs, Sheldon says he is not going to enjoy this party. And he did not enjoy the last party where he was cornered and talked about caves for a few hours, Sheldon asks Leonard if he knows what is interesting about caves and then Sheldon answers his own question “Nothing, nothing is interesting about caves. “ We find out they are going to a work party to meet the new department head. It is obvious that Sheldon has a lot of contempt for the new head of department and does not feel like he is qualified.
We arrive at the office party to see Raj loving the buffet, which is better then buffet in India because it has bagels, while Sheldon and Leonard pick a few things off of it to. Howard walks in with a beautiful girl; who when Howard puts his arm around her, tells him touching is extra. The new department head walks up and Howard introduces himself. The new department head makes the GRAND mistake of turning to Sheldon and saying “and you are?” Sheldon responds he is a real scientist….pan to the guys walking up their stairwell with Sheldon holding a box of stuff , not believing he has been fired.
The next morning and Sheldon is making eggs. Sheldon tells Leonard he hasn’t had a day off in decades and he is going to enjoy it. We find out, Sheldon is not just making eggs but experimenting with eggs and water but when he takes his first bite he realizes he needs fresh eggs. Penny knocks- she is going to the grocery store and wants to know if the guys need anything. Sheldon answers that he needs four dozen assorted eggs but in a much more convoluted way, then decides Penny will never get it right so he will just have to go with her to the store…Penny is not excited about this.
Sheldon and Penny are in Penny’s car. Penny asks why Sheldon isn’t working and after his explanation is long so she asks if he got canned and the answer is yes. Sheldon wants Penny to slow down and then explains to her why he wants her to slow down which has a lot to do with we are going to hit the car in front of us because we weigh so much we can’t stop in time.
Grocery store- Sheldon is excited about being at the grocery store (which is weird, who has been doing his grocery shopping, he is a grown man…kind of). Sheldon likes be around ordinary people. Sheldon shares that tomatoes are a fruit even if they are shelved with the vegetables…then as Penny picks out vitamins, Sheldon lets her know all they are going to do is make her pee expensive.
Sheldon and Penny are back in the foyer at their building, Sheldon has enjoyed the trip and wants to know if they can go to one of the big warehouse stores tomorrow and Penny thinks she is going to need awhile to recover from this trip. Sheldon lets her know that some things should be bought in bulk including her tampons. When he starts asking personal questions about her menstrual cycle, Penny closes the door in his face.
Leonard walks in to the apartment with mail and Sheldon is feeding different bowls of fish. When Leonard wants to know what is up with the fish. Sheldon explains about luminous jellyfish and turning the gold fish into night-lights and during this explanation, you can see that Sheldon is starting to CRACK (and with his unique personality, he really doesn’t have to far to go). Leonard is obviously worried and tells Sheldon he should apologize and get his job back. Sheldon speaks some more and the conversation ends with luminous tampons….(Anyone else read One Flew over the Cuckoos’ nest)
We pan to Leonard walking up the stairs with a woman and then we find out it is Sheldon’s mother (so he isn’t a robot as Howard and Raj led us to believe last episode). Sheldon is sitting at a loom weaving. Sheldon is freaked that Leonard called his mother. Sheldon starts freaking out and ends with he is a grown man and doesn’t need someone telling on him to his mother. He ends it with he is going to his room and no one can come in, sounding like a 5 year old. We find out that Sheldon gets his temper from his daddy, his eyes from his mother and “all that science stuff comes from Jesus” all delivered in a Texas accent. Sheldon’s mom made dinner and the whole gang is here including Penny. Howard hits on Sheldon’s mom who blows him off but tells him to keep trying…she also tells Raj she has made chicken and hopes that is not one of the animals his people think are magic…Leonard changes the subject to are they going to do something about Sheldon. Mom says we have to take our time. Penny wants to know if Sheldon has freaked out like this before and the answer is
YES=is anyone really surprised?
Last time it was over yellow cake uranium. Mom says Leonard and Penny make a cute couple, mom realizes she has poked a bear. They are all eating, Sheldon comes out of his room and mom says don’t spook him. Leonard loses it and hollers at Sheldon who doesn’t say a thing but scurries back to his room.
Mom walks into Sheldon’s room where he is building a dna strand model. Mom makes Sheldon get dressed and tells him he is going to apologize and get his job back.
Mom drags Sheldon into the department heads office where she stands there while he apologizes. Sheldon does apologize or as close as Sheldon is going to get and the head introduces himself to Sheldon’s mom and starts flirting. The Head asks Sheldon if he should be working. Sheldon goes out of the office and Leonard is waiting. When asked if he got his job back Sheldon is not sure and admits it involved the human experience that has always eluded Sheldon. Apparently that does not narrow it down. Cut to Mom tucking Sheldon in and Sheldon asking if the head of department is going to be his new daddy. We shall see is the answer. She turns out the lights, Sheldon rolls over and we see the luminous goldfish!! Pretty cool.