"The Hamburger Postulate" is an episode of The Big Bang Theory that first aired on October 22, 2007. Directed by Andrew D. Weyman. Teleplay by David Goetsch and Steven Molaro based on a story by Jennifer Glickman.
Howard, Leonard, Raj and Sheldon eat at the Cheesecake Factory on Tuesday instead of Big Boy, Sheldon's approved restaurant for Tuesdays. Leslie Winkle (Sara Gilbert) shows up at the Cheesecake Factory and asks Leonard to play cello in her string quartet practice, which is to take place at Leonard's apartment.
It turns out that it was a pretext for sex. Sheldon becomes extremely confused when he sees a tie on the door to Leonard's room, and hears music by Bryan Adams playing. Sheldon goes to Penny to ask her for an explanation of "semiotics." As soon as Penny sees the tie, she knows what's going on: Leonard and Leslie are having sex.
The next day, Leonard goes to Leslie's lab and acts all amorous towards her. However, she's not interested. She needed sex, so she hooked up with him. And now she's good for a long while, like maybe for the rest of the year.
Penny's happy that Leonard had sex with Leslie, which sends Leonard into a frenzy of parsing Penny's words and speculating what she means. Sheldon can follow Leonard's convoluted logic, but does not particularly care.
Tropes
- Am I Just a Toy to You?: Leonard starts warming up to the idea of a relationship with Leslie, but she bluntly informs him that she was just scratching an itch, and that it won't need scratching again for a while.
- Blah, Blah, Blah:Leonard: Are you even listening to me?
Sheldon: Of course I'm listening. "Blah blah, hopeless Penny delusion, blah blah." - Double Entendre: Leslie speaks of Leonard's "beautiful piece of wood between your legs," and Leonard wonders if she means his cello.
- Do You Want to Copulate?: Leslie starts out trying to play it cool by inviting Leonard to stay behind and practice some more after the other musicians leave. However, when he shows no sign of getting it, she tells him frankly that she was signalling sexual availability.
- Girls Like Musicians: Leslie, who previously declared herself to have zero attraction to Leonard, upgrades him to at least one-night-stand material after hearing him play the cello.
- I Do Not Like Green Eggs and Ham: Sheldon makes a huge deal about not wanting to try the Cheesecake Factory's burger and that he would rather be at his regular Tuesday restaurant, Big Boy. As expected, he actually likes it once he tastes it, and even declares it his new Tuesday burger.
- Lopsided Dichotomy: When Penny and Sheldon see Leonard with a guitar case, he deduces that "either he's with Leslie Winkle or a 1930s gangster."
- Mundane Utility: Leslie flash freezes a banana with dry ice so she can smash it and put it on her Cheerios. This is similar to her use of a laser to heat up soup in "The Fuzzy Boots Corollary".
- Sexiled: Leonard hangs a tie on the door to indicate that Sheldon should stay clear. Sheldon has to bring in Penny to find out what it's supposed to mean.
- Ship Tease: In a surprising role reversal, in the Stinger it's hinted to the audience that Penny may like Leonard more than as a neighbour and friend.
- Waking Non Sequitur: After having to sleep on the couch, when Sheldon wakes up the next day, the first thing he says is just "Big Boy".
- When She Smiles: When Penny asks how Leonard is doing with Leslie, he explains that his and Leslie encounter was just a one night stand. Penny says "...I'm sure there is someone out there who is just right for you" and walks away from them with a hidden smile.
