The Big Bang Theory season premiere just aired! Check out our recap and share your thoughts on “The Locomotion Interruption” and “The Junior Professor Solution!”
‘The Locomotion Interruption’
Rude awakenings
Forty-five days after Sheldon took off, he stumbles pantsless into a station in Arizona. Everything he owns has been stolen, and he scares off several people in an attempt to get help. Sheldon calls Leonard from a police station, and wants Leonard to come pick him up. Swayed by his roommate’s plight, Leonard leaves to make the six-hour drive.
Mama drama
Howard and Raj stop by Mrs. Wolowitz’s house on the way to work, since Ma is doing better and Stuart has moved out. Howard is glad — he was weirded out by her “chummy” relationship with Stewart. Raj thinks they are having sex, but Howard resists this idea.
But it turns out that Mrs. Wolowitz invited Stuart to live with her. Howard is deeply upset by the situation, and cannot hide his feelings. Stuart later visits Howard to discuss the situation, and it turns into a weird, pseudo-familial argument with the only resolution being that these people are all a little screwy.
Drive me crazy
When Leonard and an angry Amy arrive at the police station, all Sheldon can say to Amy is, “Why did you come?” She’s hurt, and asks him to whisper what he really wants to say to her. “Shotgun!” he says, and races for the car.
In the car, Sheldon regales Leonard and Amy about his trip. He crossed the country, but never left the train stations. In the backseat, Amy is furious that Sheldon left without saying goodbye, and then called Leonard for help.
Amy sticks her fingers in her ears so Sheldon talks “privately” with Leonard. He tells him he wants to have coitus with Amy…but it’s just a test to see if she can hear him. (Drat!) The real problem is that Sheldon feels he has failed at his ride-about, and is ashamed that Amy knows this.
When he confesses this, she is touched by his honesty and promises Sheldon that it’s okay he’s not perfect. Sheldon is offended by this idea.
The Rostenkowski terror
Bernadette has gotten a job interview for Penny as a pharmaceutical sales rep. Penny is nervous and wants to cancel, so Bernadette breaks out the tough love.
Penny’s interview starts off terribly, but when she goes to leave, she asks the boss not to tell Bernadette. She’s terrified of Bernadette, and how she might react. Penny and the boss bond over their mutual terror of the blond pipsqueak, and she gets the job!
Home sweet home
Back in Pasadena, Amy reminds Sheldon that he had an adventure — the point is not for everything to go perfectly. He agrees that it was good for him — he is now Gandalf butterfly and feels open to dealing with change…until he sees Penny’s new hair.
Later, Sheldon shares his bizarre, Cloud-uploaded photos with Leonard and Penny.
Keep reading for ‘The Junior Professor Solution’!
‘The Junior Professor Solution’
For science
The gang eats dinner together and talks about human-animal hybrids. Penny is starting her job next week; tension is already growing between her and Bernadette, who wants her to do more preparation than Penny is interested in.
The next day, Penny and Amy do lunch, but Penny is annoyed at Bernadette and hasn’t invited her. Amy is uncomfortable with the situation, but invites Penny to unload to her about Bernadette.
For science.
Those who can’t, teach
At the university, Sheldon visits Mrs. Davis to work on changing his field of study. He can stop researching string theory if he becomes a junior professor. But that would require him to teach a class, which Sheldon refuses to do.
Sheldon complains to the group about his dilemma, though they point out that he is well suited to it. Later, he finds that no one has signed up for his class; Howard volunteers to take it, as he’s looking to get his PhD.
Sheldon thinks Howard is too stupid to take his class, and quizzes him on physics. Howard does very well, but Sheldon doesn’t budge.
Spitty
Sheldon plots at how to bamboozle Howard with physics. Leonard suggests that he is threatened by the idea that Howard might be as smart as he is, which Sheldon vaguely acknowledges as a valid theory.
Arriving for his first class, Howard makes it clear he isn’t interested in being played with. The class starts off well, but when Sheldon belittles Howard, he decides to act like the world’s worst student. He whacks a spitball into Sheldon’s mouth, traumatizing him.
Between friends
After lunch, Bernadette invites Amy for a drink — but not with Penny. Bernadette complains that Penny’s poor performance could reflect on her, and Amy is all ears for complaining. Later, Amy regales Sheldon with her new status as Queen Bee between Amy and Bernadette.
Amy tries to continue her lucky run between Penny and Bernadette, but the two have made up and have plans to study. After studying, Penny and Bernadette invite Amy for a drink, and they don’t realize that she has been listening at Penny’s door for updates.
Smarties
Sheldon freaks out over having Howard’s spit in his mouth; Howard freaks out that Sheldon reported him to HR. Howard tries to turn the tables by quizzing Sheldon on engineering, which Sheldon handles, and spits up the spitball.
But in the end, Sheldon, Leonard, Howard, and Raj settle down to quiz each other on science and eat chocolate, so it’s all good.