Plot
Leonard and Raj discover a Russian paper that might disprove their super-asymmetry theory. Howard translates the paper, confirming that the theory was considered flawed in 1978. This sends Sheldon and Amy into a deep depression.Meanwhile, Bernadette resolves to learn how to play Fortnite after her initial defeat to Howard.
Tropes:
- All for Nothing:
- The concept of "Super Asymmetry", which Sheldon and Amy came up with on their wedding day and spent many months afterwards working on, turned out to have been brought up before being disproved, as Leonard and Raj find out in a Russian book that Howard translates for them. Not surprisingly, Amy and Sheldon are both devastated when Leonard tells them, especially after Leonard hands them the translated copy of the section regarding the "Super Asymmetry" concept.
- Played for Laughs with Bernadette's subplot. She spends the entire episode training to be good at Fortnite and challenges Howard to a rematch at the end of the episode... only for Howard to immediately kill her character.
- All Men Are Perverts: Bernadette thinks if she was Howard she'd be looking down her own cleavage all the time.
- "Blind Idiot" Translation: At the library, Leonard and Raj find the paper "Examinations of a Super-Asymmetric Model of the Universe" by Vasily Gregoripolipopivich, but the paper is in Russian. Since neither of them knows Russian, Raj puts the paper through Google Translate, which gives the title as "Examinations of moose chowder in lemon parachutes." That's why the app is free, Raj concludes.note
- Brick Joke: When Penny spots Bernadette playing Fortnite in office and Bernadette informs her the intention of having a rematch with Howard after losing to him, she suggests for Bernadette to remind him the fact that she makes more money than Howard as a quicker way to get even. Late in the episode, Bernadette says precisely that to Howard after losing to him in said rematch.
- Continuity Nod: Penny's knack for immediately getting the hang of shooter video games comes into play once more when she briefly gives Fortnite a try.
- Continuity Snarl: We know that Leonard's memory is not as reliable and precise as Sheldon's, but in this episode everyone seems to have forgotten about Ramona Nowitzki and how her pursuit of a romantic relationship with Sheldon prompted Sheldon to propose to Amy.Amy: Well, I am a little hurt that you weren't gonna tell me my husband was having an affair. I thought we were friends.Leonard: I didn't really believe him.Amy: Why not? You don't think other women find him attractive?Leonard: No.
- Curb-Stomp Battle: Bernadette has been practicing playing Fortnite for days and is ready to play against Howard. She gets killed within seconds.
- Downer Ending: Sheldon and Amy discover that the Super Asymmetry theory they had been working on for months not only had been proposed before, but was also disproven in the same paper.
- Drill Sergeant Nasty: Bernadette's Fortnite training session segment ends with Denise talking loudly and using disparaging words and demeanor on her due to Bernadette repeatedly failing to find the X Button on the game controller.
- Failed a Spot Check: During Bernadette's training session for Fortnite, Denise asks her at one point to press the X Button, but Bernadette keeps missing it, causing Denise to lose patience with her.
- "Freaky Friday" Flip: Referenced when Penny finds Bernadette playing Fortnite.Penny: Is this a Freaky Friday situation where you're actually Howard?
Bernadette: If I were really Howard, I'd be doing this. *looks down her blouse* And I'm telling ya, he's not wrong. - Humiliation Conga: Sheldon suffers from this by the end. First the work he and Amy put into for months turns out to have been done and disproved, and then he gets a few things wrong (such as skipping work because he thought it was Saturday when it is Friday), which prompts Leonard correcting him. Finally, when he requests dinner, Leonard, nudged by Penny, gives him the take-out Thai food Leonard was going to have... except the dinner in question doesn't include the mango sticky rice Sheldon likes.Sheldon: And the hurt just keeps on coming.
- Product Placement: A really blatant one with Fortnite and Bernadette trying to learn how to play it.
- Sore Loser: Bernadette acts in this manner when Howard beats her at Fortnite, as she reacts to her loss by rubbing her higher salary on Howard's face before storming off in a huff.Raj: You got yourself a good one, buddy.
- Tempting Fate: When Penny watches Bernadette trying to play Fortnite in office and struggling to defeat her targeted opponent, Penny asks to give it a try, with Bernadette telling Penny "good luck", as Bernadette herself has been struggling for a while. Cue Penny scoring a kill within ten seconds after she starts playing, which prompts Bernadette to cast a sideways Death Glare at Penny out of sheer frustration.
- Timed Mission: Leonard references this when he says he has to look up all the citations in the dusty library before he runs out of asthma inhaler.
- Unsportsmanlike Gloating: Bernadette's behavior is quite smug when she beats Penny at Fortnite at the end of the episode. Judging by Penny's apathy though, both at losing and the game itself, it's implied she threw the game on purpose to get it over with.Bernadette: You lost and I won. Hoo! What a rush.
- What Does She See in Him?: Discussed between Bernadette and Denise regarding Howard and Stuart, respectively.Bernadette: You and Stuart... why?Denise: I don't know. My parents own a funeral home. Read into that what you will. [...] Let me ask you a question: Howard... why?Bernadette: You got eyes. What do you think?
