"The Graduation Transmission" is an episode of The Big Bang Theory that first aired on April 23, 2015. Directed by Anthony Rich. Teleplay by Steven Molaro, Steve Holland and Eric Kaplan, based on a story by Chuck Lorre, David Goetsch and Anthony Del Broccolo.
Leonard takes Penny to New Jersey when he is invited to speak at his old high school, but their flight gets cancelled. Penny figures out a way for Leonard to still give the commencement keynote address: through remote videoconferencing. Leonard's speech winds up being mostly complaining about how awful things were for him in high school and showing off his hot girlfriend.
Howard and Sheldon calibrate a drone Raj bought, but calibration fails again and again. It is this purchase that causes Raj's recently divorced father (Brian George) to become fed up with Raj's "foolish lifestyle" and cut the young man off financially. Raj tries calling his mother (Alice Amter) in order to play his parents against each other and keep their money coming to him.
After taking the drone apart and putting it back together, the damn thing starts flying around the apartment uncontrollably.
Tropes
- Hypocritical Humor: The guys can't figure out how to fix the helicopter, but when Bernadette says she calls tech support all the time they point and laugh at her.
- Operator from India: Spoofed when Howard calls tech support, complaining that it'll probably be some foreigner with the same manual he has. Then Raj's phone rings. It's actually his father calling at coincidentally the same time.
- Product Placement:
- Howard wipes his ass with warranties, except AppleCare.
- Penny arranges for Leonard to give his commencement speech over Skype.
- Sexy Whatever Outfit: Penny gets Leonard a cap and gown for his commencement speech, but the store only had the "sexy graduate" costume with the short skirt gown.
- There Are Two Kinds of People in the World: According to Howard, it's "those who call tech support, and those who laugh at those who call tech support."
