The Big Bang Theory - The Conference Valuation - Review

When San Diego is mentioned on The Big Bang Theory it’s usually because Sheldon, Leonard, Howard and Raj are on their way to comic con. It’s a convention this time as well but not for comic and TV enthusiasts but for fans of drugs.
Since Penny and Bernadette have teamed up and work together on promoting the new anti-inflammatory drug, they are presenting it at the pharmaceutical sales convention in San Diego. Penny is doing an outstanding job promoting their product. A pharmaceutical representative from another company is rather taken by Penny’s abilities. Bernadette is annoyed. She knows the guy. He is trouble. Still Penny takes his business card when he offers it to her. It is inevitable that the two ladies end up arguing. Especially Bernie is rather nasty, taking credit for Penny’s achievements as she was the one who made her head of the sales team. Penny storms out of their room and meets with the pharmer rep from their rival company for drinks. He thinks Penny would be a great fit for his firm. Just as he is about to make her an offer Bernadette interrupts them. Suddenly she is full of praising words for Penny and makes it clear that she won’t let him steal her away. Penny declines his offer, she never really intended to take the job anyway.

While the ladies are away the boys are at home and play. Howard invites the guys over for a game night. Sheldon initially declines as he does not want to come too close to Howard's sticky children. However, he changes his mind when he finds a book about experimenting on babies. So, he and Amy show up at Howard’s place to join the gang. Howard is skeptical at first but eventually agrees to let Sheldon try out some experiments on his kids. After all they are pretty harmless and more like games for the children. Sheldon is having the time of his life. This is when Raj figures out that it was not a coincidence at all that Sheldon found the book on experimenting with babies. It was Amy who made her husband "find" it. She wants him to spend time with children so he realizes that he wants children of his own! Sneaky Amy.

Raj: So you really think you can trick Sheldon into liking babies?

Amy: I slept with him; I married him. You want to bet against me?

Turns out Amy’s plan really was successful. Sheldon indeed wants to have children now: "Either five sets of triplets or three sets of quintuplets... You know what? It doesn't matter as long as they're healthy. And divisible by three."

Watching his friends' experiment on the babies, Leonard realizes that this was what his entire childhood looked like. He had been nothing but an experiment to his mother. Even at his sleepaway camp his cabin was called “control group.” Upset about his realization he facetimes his mother (yay! Always great to see Christine Baranski pop up on TBBT!). She assures him his childhood has not just been one big experiment. It were thousands of small experiments.

 

Leonard: So that's all I was to you, a-a test subject?

Beverly: No, you were my baby and I found you fascinating.

Leonard: Really?

Beverly: Yes, watching you develop, tracking your progress. I know I'm not the warmest of parents, but it was time we spent together, and, honestly, those are some of my fondest memories.

How did you like the episode? And how are you dealing with the fact that the show is about to come to an end? Let us know in the comments!