The Junior Professor Solution

"The Junior Professor Solution" is the second episode of the eighth season of the sitcom The Big Bang Theory. The episode aired on Monday, September 22, 2014 immediately after the first episode of the new season.

Summary
Sheldon is made a junior job by the university, but now has to teach. No one signs up for his course except Howard. Bernadette is worried that Penny won't perform well in the job that she got her based upon her performance as a waitress. Amy is thrilled to be in the middle of her friend's conflict feeling popular for the first time.

Extended Plot
While having dinner, Sheldon is describing a project where  Premier  wanted to have human women impregnated by s to produce super soldiers. Amy wondered what other animals could be crossed with humans to make an improvement on the human soldier? Leonard suggested s would make pretty bad-ass soldiers. Howard counters that when they are hungry-hungry they could be stopped by. Sheldon ends the discussion with the correct answer:. Their army would be so cute that it couldn't be attacked. Sheldon cuts off Raj when he suggests the. Penny's job starts next Monday and Bernadette is pushing Penny to finish studying the background material she has. Bernadette asks "When?" and Penny says that she will get to it. Sheldon senses the awkwardness which Amy concurs with. Penny feels that they will teach her everything she needs to know; however, Bernadette just feels that they would be impressed if she was already familiar with the material. Penny doesn't want to be the, besides who has ever been hurt because they were the teacher's pet. Everyone puts their hand up.

Sheldon has a meeting with Janine Davis of Human Resources. Sheldon assumes that she wants to reopen their dialog on him changing his field of study. Janine interrupts more as: "Please. No. Please. No. Please. No." While he was away, the university worked on his problem and came up with a solution. Sheldon is please that his pouting and running away did work. His current grant is for researching string theory; however, promoting him to junior he can work on anything he chooses though he will have to teach a class. Sheldon describes their solution as giving him a promotion and paying him more money so he can impart his knowledge to the next generation. He then calls the university just plain sick.

Amy is back to working with when Penny comes over to have  with her. She is stimulating the s of the starfish, but turns off the stimulation before she leaves so that the starfish doesn't have a better day than she is having. Penny didn't invite Bernadette to join them since is constantly bugging her to study. Amy figures that Bernadette thinks that she wants her to do well since she might not due to her poor performance as a waitress. Amy is uncomfortable talking about someone behind their back since she was usually the subject of the talk. Penny just needs a break. Amy says that sharing negative feelings can be a powerful bonding force between two s. In the spirit of science she asks: What is that little skank's problem?"

In the cafeteria, Raj is trying to come up with a cute couple's nickname like Emipali or Koothreily. Her last name is Sweeney and Raj doesn't like Koothrepeny. Sheldon shows up and describes the awful situation with his new promotion. He doesn't want to babysit a bunch of grad students who think that is what is in their. Leonard tells Sheldon that he likes to tell people that they are wrong. "Wrong!" Sheldon replies. Sheldon also likes to give out grades and listen to his own voice which is required for teaching. Leonard tells him that it is a way to let him go on and study dark matter. Sheldon has had many heroes who took people under their s. Richard Feynman. Albert Einstein. Doctor X. Some of Doctor X's student really had wings, Sheldon notes and was the only one laughing. He plans to use that joke in his class after everyone fails the.

Amy is continuing her pleasure center research with her starfish (You like that, don't you?), when Bernadette Skyps in. She invites Amy out for a drink without Penny since she is frustrated with her. Because she isn't trying hard enough, asks Amy. Bernadette jumps in that she sees that too. Per, Bernadette saw that she went out ot lunch and got a as Amy hides her nails. Amy adds that it's like Penny doesn't even care and that Amy is there for Bernadette, now playing both sides of their fight.

Leonard, Raj and Howard find Sheldon in his empty. No one signed up because Sheldon has a reputation for being. Leonard goes, "Whaaaat?" trying to be comforting. Now Sheldon can devote all his time to the study of dark matter. He has some s on his table and was going to ask what invented calculus and had a cookie named after him. When they said, he would tell them that they were wrong; they were in fact named after a town in and then they would be thrown away. (The correct answer is of course Choco Leibniz.) Howard volunteers to take his class since he wants to start work on his. Sheldon thanks Howard, but doesn't think he would understand anything about it since it was a graduate level class. Howard insists that he is more than smart enough; he is an. Sheldon throws three questions at him that he answers them. Sheldon still doesn't think he's smart enough. Howard tells Sheldon that he may have gone to school a couple more years than him, but engineers are just as smart as physicists. Sheldon wants him to take that back.

Walking up the stairs Amy tells about Penny calling her to complain about Bernadette and then she gets a from Bernie. Sheldon is trying to prepare his s for Howard. According to Amy, it has taken fifteen years, but now is really awesome. She loves being in the center and now feels like she is the. Sheldon wants to figure out how to intellectually emasculate Howard.

Late at night, Leonard comes in finding Sheldon creating a lesson plan that will make Howard feel lost. Leonard can't understand why Sheldon has to prove that he is smarter than Howard. Sheldon finds that a pleasure that that is his job as a. Leonard feels that Sheldon finding someone that is as smart as or smarter than him frightens Sheldon. He does analyze his behind as a fear that causes him to lash out at things and then asks Leonard how he can use Howard's to s against him.

Howard comes into Sheldon's classroom and tells him that Leonard warned him that he is going to make the course unbelieving hard to belittle him. If that is the case Howard doesn't want to take the class. Should Sheldon make an effect to be a good teacher, Howard wants to give the class a shot. Sheldon agrees then jumps on him when he finds something he doesn't know. Howard plugs in his to ignore him. Since Sheldon is a bad teacher, Howard plans to be a crappy student. Then Howard makes a shooter and propels one into Sheldon's mouth. The ball goes down his and Sheldon flees in fear.

Amy is enjoying being in the middle of Bernadette and Penny calling up Penny to go out and diss Bernadette. Penny is now studying to do well. Amy then calls up Bernadette to go out. Bernadette is planning on helping Penny study and thinks that they are being too hard on Penny. Everything is now good between Penny and Bernadette. Then she calls Sheldon who is trying to deal with the spitball in his mouth.

In the apartment, Leonard is looking down Sheldon's throat. Leonard assures him that his uvula doesn't have an. Howard goes back to confront Sheldon after Sheldon reported him to Human Resources. He dropped the course. Howard tells Sheldon that just because he asks him things he doesn't know, that doesn't make him smarter. Howard could do the same thing to him with s about engineering. Sheldon answers the first two questions from Howard and coughs up the spitball while answering the third one.

Bernadette goes to help Penny and finds that she understands the background material she was given. Since they are done, she decides to call Amy since she really wanted to go out. She is listening behind the and runs down the stairs to take the call.

Finally the guys keep asking each other scientific questions feeling proud that they are so smart, but lamenting that they still didn't get girls in high school. They were awkward, weird and couldn't play. Another right answer!

Critics

 * Jesse Schedeen for IGN - There wasn't a great deal of drama to be had this week in the wake of Sheldon's return...Thus began a new conflict between Sheldon and Wolowitz...One moment Sheldon is trying to stump his student with fancy mathematical jargon, the next Wolowitz is shooting a spitball into his mouth. Speaking of which, Sheldon's horrified reaction to that trick shot was easily the highlight of the episode...This was one of those rare weeks where Mayim Bialik got to steal the show as Amy. You really can't blame Amy for latching onto her brief moment of popularity as Bernadette and Penny feuded over Penny's reluctance to study up for her new job...This episode was very much classic Big Bang Theory in tone and humor. On some level it continues to disappoint how little the show has actually changed in the aftermath of the Season 7 finale.
 * Dhruv Rao of The DR Club gave the episode a C+, calling the A-plot "while funny at times, was weak and the viewer could easily spot the flaws in writing."

Trivia

 * As was the case in "The Tenure Turbulence", this episode is based on an entirely nonsensical academic conceit made up for the benefit of the show. There is no such thing as a "Junior Professor" in universities in the United States. The closest thing would be an "", but this is either a tenure-track research position which Sheldon cannot be offered (he must apply for it over the course of a year) or a teaching position which involves no research at all. Again, Janine Davis would not be in a position to inform Sheldon of his appointment thusly.
 * In "The Relationship Diremption", Sheldon decides to give up on string theory, mentioning "exciting areas" such as s and . Leonard suggests the of particle physics and  for new fields of inquiry, while Amy posits nuclear matrix elements, all of which Sheldon quickly shoots down. In "The Anything Can Happen Recurrence", Sheldon considers research in, dark matter,  in s, , or s. In "The Status Quo Combustion", he reveals he has chosen to change his field of study to , but in this episode he chooses dark matter.
 * Sheldon teaches a graduate-level physics class on in this episode. His lecture particularly covers: (1), (2) Mechanics , (3) , (4) Oscillations, (5) Canonical Formalism, (6) Hamilton-Jacobi Method, (7) Perturbation Theory, and (8) . Notably, he inquires about Howard's familiarity with the Brachistochrone problem and Euler-Lagrange theorems, especially as they relate to the.
 * Another reason no students signed up for Sheldon's class could be due to his lecture in "The Thespian Catalyst," which was tweeted badly by all the students who attended.
 * The answer to Sheldon's question about which scientist contributed to the development of calculus and had a named after him is Leibniz, not Newton (it's meant as a trick question, and the correct answer is not revealed in the episode). Sheldon explains that the  was actually named after a town in Massachusetts, and not for the scientist; he had previously explained this to Penny in "The Gorilla Experiment".
 * In Sheldon's lecture room, there is a schedule of classes offered: 9A- III; 10A-; 11A- II; 1P-; 2P-; 3P-.
 * In Amy's office, Sheldon's iPad can be seen in a stand, indicating that the cast is reusing props.The same iPad (with a bullet hole sticker) can be seen in the Season 5 episode "The Speckerman Recurrence", in the hands of Sheldon.
 * Howard is thinking about getting his doctorate.
 * Emily's surname Sweeney is verbally confirmed in this episode.
 * In [[The Gorilla Experiment]", Sheldon tries to teach Penny and fails. She also asks him about where the name for the Fig Newton came from and uses that fact to impress the guys at the end of the episode. Sheldon tells the same facts in this episode about the Fig Newton.

Quotes

 * Janine Davis: Dr. Cooper. While you were away we came up with a solution that will allow you to change your field of study.
 * Sheldon: Wow. Pouting and running away actually worked. Yeah, I must say that may not be a lesson you want not reinforce with me.


 * Sheldon: So your solution is to promote me and pay me more money so I can impart my knowledge to the next generation of scientists?
 * Janine Davis: Yes.
 * Sheldon: You people are sick.


 * Penny: Hey, you ready to go to lunch?
 * Amy: Just give me a minute. I am stimulating the pleasure cells of this starfish. I just need to turn it off.
 * Penny: Then what happens if you don’t?
 * Amy: Then I have to sit through lunch knowing that the starfish is having a better day than I am.


 * Amy: You know, there is some research that indicates that sharing negative attitudes about a third party can be a powerful bonding force between two friends.
 * Penny: So what are you saying?
 * Amy: I’m saying in the spirit of science, what is that little skank's problem?


 * Leonard: Hey. We came to see how your class was going. Where is everybody?
 * Sheldon: There is no class.
 * Howard: Did you send everyone to the principal’s office already?
 * Sheldon: No one signed up.
 * Leonard: Well, that’s not your fault.
 * Sheldon: I called the department secretary to see what happened. Apparently I have a reputation for being obnoxious.
 * Leonard: Wha-a-at?


 * Howard: Come on. You might have gone to school for a couple years more than me, but engineers are just as smart as physicists.
 * Sheldon: {Gasps} You take that back!


 * Leonard: Sheldon. Why are you doing this?
 * Sheldon: I’m a teacher, Leonard. It’s my job.
 * Leonard: No, I mean why are you going to so much trouble to prove that you’re smarter than Wolowitz.
 * Sheldon: Oh it’s no trouble. It’s actually a pleasure.
 * Leonard: You know what I think? I think that the idea that someone could be smarter than you, or even smarter, scares the pants off you and you can’t deal with it.
 * Sheldon: Interesting point. Wh.. You’re suggesting I have emotional issues below my consciousness that drives my behavior, thus causing me to lash out at anything or anyone that threatens my intellectual superiority.
 * Leonard: Might be something to think about.
 * Sheldon: Leonard.
 * Leonard: Yeah.
 * Sheldon: Howard’s allegoric to peanuts. How might I use that against him?


 * Amy: Because it’s taken fifteen years, but high school is finally awesome. I love them both, but I’m in the center now and I love that even more.
 * Sheldon: Amy please. I am trying to figure out a way to intellectually emasculate a dear friend of mine.
 * Amy: But I’m just…
 * Sheldon: Not now.
 * Amy: You better watch that attitude, buddy. You’re dating a popular girl now.