"The Terminator Decoupling" is an episode of The Big Bang Theory that first aired on March 9, 2009. Directed by Mark Cendrowski. Teleplay by Tim Doyle and Stephen Engel, based on a story by Bill Prady and David Goetsch.
Howard, Leonard, Raj and Sheldon take a train to San Francisco to go to a conference. It was Sheldon's idea, because he's a really big fan of trains. Howard would rather have taken a plane, he says it would have been faster and cost less.
Taking the train does have an unexpected benefit: they spot Summer Glau (As Herself), famous for her rôle on Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles, as a fellow passenger on the train; Howard and Raj both try to make conversation with her. Raj is still afflicted with the inability to talk to women sober, so he goes to the bar for a beer.
Raj is actually getting somewhere with the famous actress, but then Howard sabotages Raj by pointing out the beer he's been drinking is actually non-alcoholic. Raj's confidence completely evaporates. Howard, on the other hand, is very confident, even though he has no chance.
Sheldon forgot his flash drive at home and he asks Penny to retrieve it. The device has a paper that he wants to present to Nobel Prize laureate George Smoot (as himself).
Tropes
- Actor Allusion: Penny briefly talks about getting to play Anne Frank. On 8 Simple Rules, Kaley Cuoco's character Bridget played Anne Frank in a School Play episode.
- All for Nothing: After Sheldon stresses over forgetting his flash drive and walks Penny through retrieving it and e-mailing him the paper inside so he can present it to George Smoot and start a joint research with him, Dr. Smoot refuses to read the paper due to Sheldon's rudeness.
- Cutting the Knot: As Sheldon gives Penny instructions on how to open the puzzle box hiding the flash drive, she asks if the box has any sentimental value. When he says that it doesn't, she simply smashes it open with her foot.
- Fake High: Raj gets drunk on beer to hit on Summer. The guys discover that he was actually drinking non-alcoholic beer and Raj is only talking to her due to the Placebo Effect. Once Raj is informed of this, he goes quiet and walks away.
- Pet the Dog: Though she did break Sheldon's property, Penny at least made sure Sheldon had no attachment to the box beforehand.
- Running Gag: Raj's selective mutism and Sheldon's paranoia about anyone going in his room.
- With All Due Respect: How George Smoot rejects Sheldon's offer to work together. Note, this is after Sheldon passive-aggressively insults him due to him having only won a Noble Prize three years ago.George Smoot: With all due respect Dr. Cooper, are you on crack?
