"The Transporter Malfunction" is an episode of The Big Bang Theory that first aired on March 29, 2012. Directed by Mark Cendrowski. Teleplay by Steven Molaro, Jim Reynolds and Steve Holland, based on a story by Chuck Lorre, Bill Prady and Maria Ferrari.
Penny gives Leonard and Sheldon one Star Trek collectible transporter toy each. Both Leonard and Sheldon are very grateful for the gift and both refuse to play with the toy. At night, Sheldon dreams that his Spock action figure (voiced by Leonard Nimoy) tells him to play with the toy transporter.
Sheldon wakes up and breaks the collectible's seal. Unfortunately, he breaks the toy, so he swaps his for Leonard's. The next day, Penny convinces Leonard to play with the collectible, eventually forcing Sheldon to admit to his fraud.
Meanwhile, Raj asks his parents (Alice Amter and Brian George) to arrange a marriage for him. Laboring under the impression that Raj is gay, they set their son up with Lakshmi Choudry (Chriselle Almeida), who is a lesbian.
Lakshmi also thinks Raj is gay, and so both she and he will presumably carry on sexual relationships with persons of their own gender privately while putting on the public charade of a traditional heterosexual marriage.
Disappointed, Raj backs out of the arranged marriage. As a consolation, Bernadette and Howard give Raj a small dog, whom Raj promptly tries to fit into his "man purse," which of course leads to further chatter about Raj's orientation.
Tropes:
- Bad Liar: Sheldon tries to cover up exchanging Leonard's transporter for the one he broke, but is too guilt ridden to go through with it.Sheldon: It was me. I opened your toy... discovered it was broken, and didn't tell you.
Leonard: Why would you open mine?
Sheldon: I didn't, that was a lie. I opened my own toy... and it was already broken, so I switched them.
Leonard: Well, you should talk to Stuart.
Sheldon: I can't, because that was a lie. Yours was broken in an earthquake and that's a lie.
Penny: What is the truth?
Sheldon: My Mr. Spock doll came to me in a dream and forced me to open it, and when the toy broke I switched it for yours. Later he encouraged me to do the right thing and I defied him. And then I was attacked by a Gorn.
Leonard: Okay, that I believe.
…
Sheldon: And Leonard, even though I don't have one anymore, I hope you have fun playing with it.
Leonard: And that's a lie, right?
Sheldon: A big fat whopper. I hope it breaks. - Bait-and-Switch: After giving Sheldon a Star Trek toy transporter, Penny then gives Leonard a label maker. Leonard tries to act grateful, but then Penny reveals that she bought him a transporter as well, and he tosses the label maker aside.
- The Beard: Lakshmi thought she and Raj were going to be each other's beards and have a fake wedding so they could get their conservative Indian parents off their backs. Raj assures her he's straight, but does consider marrying her thinking it might be his only chance.
- Good Angel, Bad Angel: Sheldon dreams that the Mr. Spock action figure is telling him to play with the toy transporter. After Sheldon breaks his and switches it for Leonard's, he dreams that Spock is disappointed in him for doing that.
- Metrosexual: Raj calls himself this. "It means I like women, as well as their skin care products."
- Mistaken for Gay: Raj's plot is all about this. When he calls his parents to set him up with someone, they first think he's coming out. Later, the woman they pick for him, Lakshmi, is actually a lesbian and assumed Raj was gay as well so he could serve as her beard.
- Pets as a Present: at the end of the episode, Howard and Bernadette give Raj a Yorkshire Terrier after his failed date with Lakshmi. Raj is instantly charmed by the dog,
- Precious Puppy: Bernadette gives Raj a Yorkshire Terrier puppy, which he will later name Cinnamon. The dog immediately endears herself to Raj, who calls her "the cutest little Yorkie ever".
