"The Hofstadter Isotope" is an episode of The Big Bang Theory that first aired on April 13, 2009. Directed by Mark Cendrowski. Written by David Goetsch.
Sheldon resists his friends' attempt to institute Anything Can Happen Thursdays. Instead of doing anything radically different from other Thursdays, they just have Thai food instead of pizza and go to the comic book store, which they normally do every Wednesday.
Penny needs to buy a comic book for her nephew, and she's happy to rely on Leonard to choose something appropriate. But Sheldon insists Penny must come to the comic book store, too. There, she meets Stuart (Kevin Sussman), who wins her over by drawing a quick sketch of her. Then he asks her to go out on a date with him, she says yes.
The next day, Stuart picks Penny up to take her to an art gallery opening reception, Stuart is exhibiting some new artwork. Penny knows what the guys will be doing tonight: playing vintage video games. Sheldon elaborates that they're going to be playing Zork.
But now Leonard is in no mood for Zork, and begs Howard to take him to a bar and try to pick up women. Raj also wants to go to a bar. The three of them leave Sheldon all by himself to go to a bar.
Annoyed by Raj's colorful drink orders, Howard distances himself from Raj and tries to pick up women with Leonard as his "wing man." They get nowhere. Then they see Raj making out with a beautiful thick woman (Lori Anne Shields).
Meanwhile, back at the apartment building, Stuart brings Penny back and she invites him in for coffee in her apartment. It takes him a while to get the hint.
Unfortunately, Sheldon shows up and embroils Stuart on a discussion about who the next Batman should be. By the time Stuart decides to simply end the pointless debate with Sheldon and put the moves on Penny, it's too late: Penny has fallen asleep.
The next morning, Raj wakes up in bed with the beautiful woman from the night before, embraced by her. Failing to extricate himself, he decides instead to just continue to enjoy her embrace.
Tropes
- Brief Accent Imitation: Baffled by the sight of Raj making out with a beautiful woman, Howard postulates that it must be Raj's accent that does the trick. Howard tries the accent on a woman and she rejects him immediately.
- Early-Installment Weirdness: Though hardly a Casanova, Stuart has a great degree of confidence talking to women. In later seasons he would be flanderized into a pathetic, neurotic mess.
- O.O.C. Is Serious Business; Sheldon becomes concerned with Leonard when he turns off the TV in the middle of Star Trek: Deep Space Nine. And not just any episode, but the Crossover episode with Star Trek: The Original Series "Trials and Tribble-ations".
- Shout-Out to Hellblazer: Described by Stuart as being about "a morally ambiguous confidence man who smokes, has lung cancer and is tormented by the spirits of the undead."
