"The Romance Resonance" is the sixth episode of the seventh season of the The Big Bang Theory. It first aired on October 24, 2013. Directed by Mark Cendrowski. Teleplay by Steven Molaro, Steve Holland and Maria Ferrari, based on a story by Eric Kaplan, Jim Reynolds and Tara Hernandez.
Sheldon discovers a way to synthesize a very heavy element. After a Chinese research team publishes an experiment that seems to confirm Sheldon's theory, he realizes that he misread a table in a book. Now he's ashamed of his dumb luck and asks everyone stop praising him.
Howard writes a song for Bernadette and gets Amy, Leonard, Penny, Raj and Sheldon to join him in rehearsing the song. But by the time they're ready to perform it for Bernadette, she winds up in quarantine because of an accident at work. Everyone goes to the hospital and they sing the song for Bernadette.note
Penny frets that she has never made a romantic gesture for Leonard, or indeed for any man. Penny promises to make a grand romantic gesture (sex doesn't count, Leonard stipulates) but fails. However, Leonard discovers that Penny has saved a few mementoes of their relationship, something which he finds to be quite romantic.
Tropes
- All Just a Dream: In the end Amy and Sheldon are shown together and Sheldon states he wants to kiss Amy, however it's quickly revealed that Amy is just in the zone and having a daydream.
- Brick Joke: At the beginning of the episode Bernadette casually mentions the crossing of a virus from raccoons to humans. At the end of the episode an accident with that virus puts her in the hospital under quarantine
- Grand Romantic Gesture: Penny tries to do this for Leonard by buying him a first edition of his favourite book, however, he already had bought it leaving Penny upset. She then reveals she saved every gift Leonard gave her as a memento, this turns out to be more than enough for Leonard and they lovingly embrace.
- I've Heard of That — What Is It?:Sheldon: I've got to find a way to stop this thing.
Leonard: Buddy, I don't think you can. I mean, once it's out there, it's out there. This thing is like the science equivalent of a sex tape.
Sheldon: You know, frankly, I'd prefer the sex tape.
Leonard: You don't know what a sex tape is, do you?
Sheldon: No. - My God, What Have I Done?: A two part example:
- Sheldon has this reaction after realising he misread the table and the Chinese team shouldn't have discovered the element.
- Penny after realising she bought Leonard a book he already has.
- Noodle Incident: Sheldon compares his mistake to the time Leonard let Raj wax his eyebrows.
- Plague of Good Fortune: Sheldon experiences one after learning his discovery was a mistake
- Shout-Out:
- Penny buys Leonard a first edition copy of The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy.
- To the Communist Party of China after a team in Hubei discovers a new element based on Sheldon research.Sheldon: They call it the greatest thing since the Communist Party, although I'm pretty sure the Communist Party made them say that.
- Many sci-fi sources are referenced in Howard's song like Star Trek and Doctor Who.
- Silly Love Songs: Howard's song to Bernadette "If I Didn't Have You" is this.
- Unit Confusion: Sheldon realizes that when he discovered the new element, he misread a table, which was in square centimeters, as square meters and was off by a factor of ten thousand.
