"The Wheaton Recurrence" is an episode of The Big Bang Theory that first aired on April 12, 2010. Directed by Mark Cendrowski. Teleplay by Bill Prady, David Goetsch, Jim Reynolds and Maria Ferrari, based on a story by Chuck Lorre, Steven Molaro, Nikki Lorre, and Jessica Ambrosetti.
After having sex, Leonard tells Penny that he loves her. Instead of saying it back, Penny just says "thank you." This upsets Leonard, and in turn Penny's upset by Leonard making a big deal about it.
Sheldon would not care about anyone's relationship problems except for the fact that Penny is on Sheldon's bowling team and they've got an important match against Stuart's team. Stuart (Kevin Sussman) has Wil Wheaton (As Himself) on his team.
So Sheldon does what he can to get Leonard and Penny back together, and it seems to work. At the bowling alley, Wheaton figures out a way to use the tension between Leonard and Penny to cause Sheldon's team to lose.
Tropes
- Accidental Declaration of Love: Leonard accidentally tells Commitment phobic Penny he loves her in bed before she was ready. It causes them to break up...for the time being anyway.
- Ambiguous Syntax: Sheldon has named the team the Wesley Crushers, indicating that they are going to crush Wil Wheaton (who played Wesley in Star Trek: The Next Generation). The others, however, point out that it also makes it sound like they are big fans of Wheaton.
- Bested at Bowling: Played with in that the guys acknowledge that Penny is the best bowler among them. In the end, however, Penny forfeits after psychological manipulation by Wheaton.
- Bowling for Ratings: The guys bowl against Stuart, who has Wil on his team.
- Downer Ending: This is the episode where Penny dumps Leonard, all thanks to Wil Wheaton.
- Heartbreak and Ice Cream: Discussed. After her break-up, Sheldon brings Penny some ice cream.Sheldon: This is for you. I've been familiarizing myself with female emotional crises by studying the comic strip Cathy. When she's upset, she says "Ack!" and eats ice cream.
Penny: Um... Ack.
Sheldon: If you were a cat, I would have brought you a lasagna. - Humiliating Wager: Since Sheldon's team lost the wager, they have to show up at Stuart's comic book store dressed up as women superheroes:
- Howard as Batgirl,
- Leonard as Supergirl,
- Raj as Catwoman and
- Sheldon as Wonder Woman.
- The "I Love You" Stigma: The whole thing starts with Leonard telling Penny "I love you" and her answering with "Thank you".
- Innocent Innuendo: Sheldon is getting ready to bowl.Sheldon: I am the ball. Its thoughts are my thoughts. Its holes are my holes.
- Jumping Off the Slippery Slope: This episode is perhaps the absolute lowest and worst thing Wheaton had ever done on the show: When Penny is brought on to Sheldon's bowling team as a ringer, he psychologically manipulates her into breaking up with Leonard leading her to leave the team. Wheaton had no compunctions against destroying an entire relationship and potentially ruining a couple's lives just to get one over on Sheldon.
- Karma Houdini: Wil Wheaton breaks up Leonard and Penny to win his bowling match with Sheldon, and walks away victorious.
- Relationship Sabotage: Will Wheaton wrecks Leonard and Penny's relationship just to win the bowling match.
- Square-Cube Law: Discussed when the boys talk about giant animals they would like to ride. According to Sheldon, giant rats and rabbits are possible.
- Your Mom: Sheldon once again tries trash talking.Sheldon: You bowl like your momma! Unless, of course, she bowls well, in which case you bowl nothing like her. That is what is referred to as a burn on you.
