After Amy lost her cool in the last episode when she publically told the scientists who are about to steal their Nobel that they are imposters, she and Sheldon get called into human resources. President Siebert and the administrator of HR Ms. Davis, portrayed by the fabulous Regina King, inform the couple that they are to cancel all their speaking engagements and interviews. Siebert quite literally tells them he wants both of them to keep their traps shut from now on. The university will take over and try to do damage control. Amy apologizes repeatedly for her outburst but Siebert made up his mind: Amy and Sheldon are done talking. Ms. Davis is significantly calmer than the President and reminds Amy of what her winning a Nobel would mean for an entire generation of women. She would be only the fourth woman to ever win a Nobel prize in Physics! This is huge! This reminder makes Amy feel immensely pressured. At the same time, Sheldon is going crazy because there is simply nothing he is allowed to do. While the two scientists from Chicago are promoting themselves all over national television he has to sit at home and let the university handle everything. Sheldon needs to be distracted so Leonard suggests a sensory deprivation tank. At first, Sheldon is skeptical but it turns out it is an incredible experience for him. He literally feels like he is swimming in a sea of science filled with formulas and Mandelbrot sets. “It was like Disneyland, but the rides were in 35 dimensions.” Amy, however, does not experience anything remotely as wonderful. She can’t stop thinking about what Ms. Davis told her. She could be the 4th woman to ever win a Nobel in Physics and she is about the screw it all up. She will let down an entire generation of women.
Sheldon is starting to worry about Amy and asks Leonard and Penny for help. He has no idea what to do to calm down his wife. Penny sees where the problem lies: Since it is always Amy who takes care of Sheldon he now does not know what to do when Amy needs to be taken care of. What Sheldon understands is: “By calming down, I've taken away the one thing that gives her comfort: caring for me.” Determined to distract Amy by giving her a reason to coddle him, he barges into their apartment and announces that he is “literally losing his mind”. Amy, though, simply tells him that she has no time for his drama. Sheldon is at his wits' end and tells her he simply does not know what to do to help her. Amy admits that she has no idea how anyone could make her feel better. Still, Sheldon finds a way. He takes her into his arms and sings
Soft Kitty. I admit it, it sorta melted my heart. In the next scene, we see Amy walk into Ms. Davis office to inform her that she is capable, that she can make a difference and that she is a role model. It is wrong to keep her on the sidelines. Davis actually agrees and pours them both a drink.
In the meantime, Howard travels back in time when he sees the exact same scooter for sale he used to drive back when he was still single. Raj convinces him to buy the vehicle. Howard makes him promise to keep it a secret from Bernadette but the plan fails miserably when Bernie returns early from a visit at the park with the children. She is livid! The scooter is a death machine, he might get hurt and turn into a vegetable! She certainly won’t care for him as well as for the children. At first, Howard seemed to stand his ground but eventually, he ends up selling the scooter to Bert. The money he gets out of his sale he has to hand over to his wife in its entirety. Another scene that reminded me just how unhealthy the money-related aspects of their marriage seem to be.
What was your favorite part of the episode? How do you think the show is going to end? Let us know in the comments!
