"The Grasshopper Experiment" is an episode of The Big Bang Theory that first aired on November 12, 2007. Directed by Ted Wass. Teleplay by Lee Aronsohn and Robert Cohen based on a story by David Goetsch and Steven Molaro.
Sheldon is reviewing the contents of his wallet when Raj comes in with an open laptop for a videoconferencing call with his parents, Dr. Koothrapalli (Brian George) and Mrs. Koothrapalli (Alice Amter). The doctor and the missus want grandchildren.
To that end, they've set Raj up with Lalita Gupta (Sarayu Blue), a nice Indian woman whom Raj knew as a child and who is about to start her studies at the University of Southern California (USC).
This is a problem for Raj, because, except for his own mother, he's unable to talk to women. So Howard takes Raj's phone and makes the problem worse by calling Lalita and setting up a date.
Unbeknownst to everyone, Penny happens to have the solution to Raj's problem. For her job at the Cheesecake Factory, Penny's taking on bartending duties, which means she has to practice mixing drinks. Penny has decided she will practice on Howard, Leonard, Raj and Sheldon.
Howard and Leonard are perhaps representative of typical bar customers. Sheldon of course is not: he wants "a virgin Cuba Libra," no different from a Diet Coke in a can, except served in a glass with a wedge of lemon.
And Raj will just nod and drink whatever Penny decides to make for him, so Penny makes him "a grasshopper," some kind of green drink. After Raj has just a few sips of that, he's suddenly able to talk to Penny. So he'll just be drunk to talk to Lalita. Just to be on the safe side, the date will take place at the Cheesecake Factory so that Penny can monitor him.
Unfortunately, alcohol also makes Raj an obnoxious jerk. On the date with Lalita, he keeps harping on how fat she was as a child. Howard, Leonard and Sheldon are also at the restaurant. Sheldon is struck by Lalita's resemblance to an Indian princess in a children's book. Lalita is charmed and asks Sheldon to go somewhere else with her.
Tropes
- Brick Joke: The guys' love of Fiddler on the Roof. During the stinger, Sheldon sings songs from the play.
- Brief Accent Imitation: Howard imitates Raj to make a date with Lalita.
- Clueless Chick-Magnet: Sheldon is very charming to Lalita, entirely accidentally, when he compares her to Princess Poonchalli from a childhood story, and she leaves Raj for him.
- Formerly Fat: Lalita. Now She Is All Grown Up.
- Hidden Depths: Sheldon is shown singing on key and playing the keyboard when drunk. Later episodes shown him playing the recorder and theremin. A season six episode and Young Sheldon show that he also has perfect pitch.
- Hypocritical Humor: Sheldon rudely tells Penny that bartenders are supposed to have people skills when she refuses to give him his drink exactly the way he wants it. This is coming from the guy with the worst people skills in the entire cast. Also, him getting on Penny's case for not providing him exactly what he wants rings hollow since he himself refused to order an actual alcoholic drink so she could practice like the others did.
- In Vino Veritas:
- Sheldon becomes a regular Lounge Lizard after Penny gives him "some Virgin Cuba Libres that turned out to be a little slutty".
- Raj, of course, finds out he can talk to women when under the influence. He suffers badly from Loose Lips and generally makes a fool of himself.
- Jerkass Has a Point:
- While Sheldon is being a Jerkass, he's absolutely correct that Penny has to have people skills to deal with unsatisfied customers.
- He also accurately points out that Raj was the one who screwed up with Lalita for being, in Lalita words, drunk and boring.
- Never My Fault: Raj blames Sheldon for screwing up his date with Lalita, even though it was Raj's drunken jerky attitude that made her choose to spend the rest of the evening with Sheldon, which Sheldon rightly calls Raj out on.
- Shout-Out:
- To Doogie Howser, M.D.: Raj's parents consider the show about the boy doctor appointment television. Howard is surprised because the show has been off the air for years (in America). Leonard explains that it is actually quite popular in India, and Sheldon adds that the show "might speak to a cultural aspiration to have one's children enter the medical profession."
- To The Simpsons: Raj finds Howard's accent imitation offensive, like a certain character on The Simpsons who is not even mentioned by name.
- Stunned Silence: Leonard, Howard, Penny, and Raj are stunned silent by Sheldon's unwitting charming of Lalita.Raj: (Lalita has just left with Sheldon) "What just happened?"Leonard: "Beats the hell out of me."Howard: I'll tell what just happened. I just learned how to pick up Indian chicks!
- Wham Line: Raj's first words to Penny.
- With All Due Respect: Said by Raj to his parents shortly before they end the call.
