"The Workplace Proximity" is an episode of The Big Bang Theory that first aired on October 17, 2013. Directed by Mark Cendrowski. Teleplay by Chuck Lorre, Eric Kaplan and Jim Reynolds, based on a story by Steven Molaro, Steve Holland and Maria Ferrari.
Sheldon has mixed feeling regarding Amy coming to work at his job while Bernadette gets mad at Howard for saying that he wouldn't like Bernadette working with him.
Tropes
- Comically Missing the Point: After Sheldon claims that Howard thinks too much of her is mind-numbingly tedious, Bernadette announces she needs to go talk to Howard. Sheldon tells her to "keep it short" because Howard doesn't want to be around her for long.
- Exiled to the Couch: Bernadette exiles Howard to Raj's couch.
- Here We Go Again!: At the end, Howard ruins his chance to amend his relationship with Bernadette by stating the new Batman video game is more important than her.
- Mistaken for Racist: Zigzagged. Sheldon tries to break the ice with a Swedish professor by cracking jokes about Swedes and their cultural stereotypes. He later claims to genuinely believe ethnic humor is the best kind of humor.
- Never My Fault: As per usual, Howard tries to blame someone else for Bernadette being angry at him with it this time Sheldon but Sheldon has none of it and tells Bernadette that Howard is getting "bored" of her. At the end, Howard blames Raj this time for Bernadette walking out on him again.
- Nice Job Breaking It, Hero: Howard should've kept his big mouth shut when he tries to dissuade Sheldon from accepting Amy being his co-worker, only to be in hot water with Bernadette. Then again, there wouldn't be an episode.
- The Stool Pigeon: Sheldon is an unintentional case as he tells Bernadette about Howard not liking it if she was his co-worker.
- Strange Minds Think Alike: Sheldon visits Amy at her lab while she is conducting an experiment with a monkey, showing it pictures and gauging its reactions. As the experiment continues, Sheldon's reactions to the pictures exactly mimic those of the monkey.
