Line #7 Recap/TheBigBangTheoryS3E7TheGuitaristAmplification


1	'''"The Guitarist Amplification"''' is an episode of ''Series/TheBigBangTheory'' that first aired on November 9, 2009. Directed by Creator/MarkCendrowski. Teleplay by Bill Prady, Richard Rosenstock and Jim Reynolds, based on a story by Creator/ChuckLorre and Lee Aronsohn.
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3	While playing Sheldon's theoretical physics board game, working title "Research Lab," Penny tells Leonard and Sheldon she will pick up her ex-boyfriend Justin, a guitarist, from the airport. Justin is looking for session work in Los Angeles. Justin will sleep on Penny's couch in Apartment 4B.
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5	And that's why Leonard and Penny can't play Sheldon's board game on Sunday with Howard and Raj. Leonard is satisfied with this but then starts thinking about what it means for an old friend of Penny's to sleep on her couch. This leads to a fight between Leonard and Penny, upsetting Sheldon. At first Sheldon orders Leonard and Penny to apologize to each other but both are too arrogant and self-righteous about their own behavior to do so.
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7	At the Cheesecake Factory, during Penny's shift, Sheldon tells Penny that Leonard is bothered by a lot of faults with her such as her stuffed animals and her neglectful, reckless driving, and tries to convince Penny to apologize to Leonard, which of course she refuses to do.
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9	Sheldon goes over to Raj's apartment, where Raj is videoconferencing with his mother (Creator/AliceAmter) and father (Creator/BrianGeorge). Dr. and Mrs. Koothrappali want Raj to come home to attend his cousin Sanjay's wedding. They have arranged with the Choudri family to have their daughter Lakshmi meet Raj.
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11	But Raj does not want to attend, and asks Sheldon to confirm that Raj's dark matter research is at a crucial juncture. Upset by this other fight, Sheldon goes over to the Wolowitz home, where Sheldon's mere knocking on the door causes Howard and his mother (Creator/CarolAnnSusi) to start arguing as to who will answer the door. By the time Howard agrees to answer the door, Sheldon's gone.
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13	As Penny and Leonard are about to resume their fighting in the apartment, Penny takes more concern in Sheldon disappearing at night when it's dark. Given that Sheldon doesn't even have his own car, Penny decides to go looking for Sheldon. Leonard tags along to reprove that her driving skills are abhorrently abysmal and ensure their argument doesn't go unresolved.
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15	Leonard and Penny find Sheldon hiding in the comic book store, where Stuart (Creator/KevinSussman) flirts with Penny in an obnoxious manner, in an attempt to win her back. After finding Sheldon, Leonard and Penny go back to arguing in the store about Justin's sleeping in Penny's apartment, but Sheldon rudely interferes again with loud noises, this time from toy robots.
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17	To convince Sheldon to come home, Penny orders Leonard to buy Sheldon a toy robot. Sheldon asks if they can also include a comic book, and Penny agrees.
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19	That night, Leonard and Penny sleep in the same bed. Leonard wonders what happened with Justin. Cut to Justin sleeping at Apartment 4A, taking up the whole couch, except for Sheldon's spot. Sheldon regrets not asking for more than a toy robot and a comic book.
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21	!! Tropes
22	* ArtisticLicenseLawEnforcement: Penny somehow doesn't get pulled over by the police for running several stop signs. Even if they're disinclined to actually give a ticket to a young, pretty white woman, wouldn't they at least want the opportunity to talk to her face to face for a little bit?
23	* DoesThisRemindYouOfAnything: As Sheldon gets increasingly distressed by Leonard and Penny fighting, the situation between the three of them becomes reminiscent of a child troubled by their parents' arguing. Indeed, this is one of the first instances of the RunningGag that Sheldon is basically Leonard and Penny's child.
24	-->'''Penny''': Sheldon, please try and understand, Leonard and I are in a relationship and, occasionally, we're going to fight. But, no matter what happens between us, we will always love you. Right, Leonard?
25	-->'''Leonard''': "Always" is a long time... [Penny glares at him] Sure, always.
26	-->'''Penny''': Now, how about we buy you this robot, and then we all go home?
27	-->'''Sheldon''': I want that one.
28	-->'''Penny''': Okay, you can have that one.
29	-->'''Leonard''': Oh, come on, he's just going to play with it twice and it'll end up in his closet with all the other junk.
30	* DoubleStandard: Sheldon calls Penny out on this. Leonard overlooks most of the things that annoy him about her, but she doesn't allow Leonard's faults to slide so easily.
31	* FormerlyFat: Lakshmi, the girl Raj's parents are trying to set him up with; also a CallForward to when we see her later.
32	* GirlsLoveStuffedAnimals: One of Leonard's list of grievances include the stuffed animals on Penny's bed staring at him.
33	* HalfwayPlotSwitch: At first, the episode looks like it's going to be focusing on whether Penny's an inconsiderate girlfriend, or Leonard is an overly-controlling boyfriend. Over the course of the episode, however, the story switches to focusing primarily on Sheldon and the neuroses from his troubled childhood, with the conflict between Leonard and Penny being resolved off-screen.
34	* HappyPlace: Leonard and Penny's fighting force Sheldon to retreat to the comic book store.
35	* ItsAllAboutMe: Sheldon's not at all concerned with his friends being unhappy. Though considering how he is very tense to people fighting, this could be considered moot.
36	-->'''Penny:''' Well, I’m sorry, Sheldon, but this really isn’t about you.\
37	'''Sheldon:''' I don’t follow.
38	* LaymansTerms: When Penny and Leonard find Sheldon in the comic book store.
39	-->'''Leonard:''' He does this thing where he pretends he's in an alternate dimension that occupies the same physical space we're in but he can't perceive us.\
40	'''Sheldon:''' Don't flatter yourself. I'm just ignoring you.
41	* MamasBoy: Raj calls Howard one. Howard skipped taking a couples cooking class in favor of a juice fast with his mother.
42	* ManChild: Sheldon has always been a bit of one, but it really shines here. Sheldon does not like arguing because it reminds him too much of how his parents acted in his childhood. Thus he tries to drown out Leonard and Penny's arguing and tries to get one of them to apologize just to be done with it. When they don't stop and he sees that his others friends are having their own arguments he wants no part in, resorts to childish things like running away and ignoring everyone. When Leonard eventually tells him he needs to grow up and move on from his childhood pains, Sheldon responds by blaring an action figure in his face.
43	* NiceJobBreakingItHero: While Sheldon tries to get Penny to apologize to Leonard, he ends up making it worse by bringing up Leonard's own grievances.
44	-->'''Sheldon:''' Were you under the impression that Leonard has no complaints about you?\
45	'''Penny:''' Like what? ''(To another customer)'' Yeah, yeah, I see you, you're making a little "check" sign in the air, I got it, just hold your horses. ''(Back to Sheldon)'' What does Leonard complain about?\
46	'''Sheldon:''' Your driving, the plethora of stuffed animals on your bed that stare at him during your amorous activities, your constant tardiness, your singing.\
47	'''Penny:''' My singing?\
48	'''Sheldon:''' That's actually from my list, but Leonard would be a fool if he didn’t agree with it.\
49	'''Penny:''' [[TranquilFury Okay, if Leonard has so many problems with me, why hasn't he just said so?]]\
50	'''Sheldon:''' Because, according to him, you're oversensitive and have a temper.\
51	'''Penny:''' Oh, really? Well, then, do me a favor and tell Leonard that he can ''drop dead!'' ''(she leaves)''\
52	'''Sheldon:''' (To himself) And she wonders why she's constantly under-tipped.
53	* ScrewThisImOuttaHere: Sheldon does this three times when he had to listen to people fighting. First, he begged Leonard to pull over so he wouldn't have to listen to him complaining. Second was after he yelled at Howard and Raj over their [[SkewedPriorities skewed priorities]], and finally, he leaves his apartment when Leonard and Penny fight for a third time, sending them after him and finding him at his [[HappyPlace happy place:]] the comic book store.
54	* SilentTreatment: Sheldon refuses to talk to Leonard or Penny at the comic book store.

Context Recap / TheBigBangTheoryS3E7TheGuitaristAmplification