The Paintball Scattering

"The Paintball Scattering" is the eleventh episode of the twelfth and final season of the sitcom The Big Bang Theory. The episode aired on Thursday, January 3, 2019.

Summary
Penny and Leonard organize a paintball game that results in mayhem when Sheldon is jealous of Amy. Also, Koothrappali catches Anu with her ex-boyfriend, and Stuart doesn't want to move in with Denise.

Extended Plot
The Hofstadters and the Coopers are celebrating the initial success of the super-asymmetry paper published by Sheldon and Amy with champagne. Sheldon has a package of Splendor in his glass which he calls a “Dr. Cooper” since both of them are sweet and bubbly. Leonard toasts them both since he and Penny are both so proud of them. Sheldon is first is reluctant to look at any comments to their work on the Internet. Leonard looking for them finds comments to their work Dr. Saltzberg of UCLA calls it the discovery of the decade.

In the Caltech cafeteria, Leonard is setting up a paintball game. The Wolowitzes are in because Howard is sure that Bernadette wants to shoot him. President Siebert comes in and invites Sheldon to his dining room since he and Amy are his superstars. Sheldon wants to bring his friends, but they are not invited by Siebert.

Amy is already having lunch, when Sheldon arrives. Amy loves getting kiwi with her fruit cup even though she doesn’t like it. Sheldon wants to get some barbecue sauce and ketchup and Seibert immediately orders it for his star. The university has organized a media blitz and wants Amy to give the interviews while Sheldon holds down the fort. He questions Sheldon’s people skills. Sheldon objects. Then the President asks that in an interview what if he were asked if their work was a derivative of the work of the Russian scientist who disputed their asymmetry work. Sheldon’s face twitches as he is stumped.

At the comic book store, Denise is hanging out with her boyfriend rather than working. Stuart is still nervous about their relationship will continue based upon his “flight or flight” response. Raj and Anu are discussion her mother’s need to work on their flower arrangements that Raj wants to do. Raj’s doorbell camera texts him. Anu hasn’t set her up and so Raj volunteers to do it for him. Leonard and Penny approach Stuart and Denise and invite them to the paintball game. Denise is busy helping her roommate move out. She hints to Stuart that he could be her new roommate. Stuart gets nervous and runs off.

Amy comes out all dressed up asking Sheldon if she look good for the interview. Sheldon has not helpful comments for the nervous Amy. Sheldon had some question suggestions that were all about him. She thanks him, but leaves quickly without his note cards.

Sharing a meal at Wolowitzes, Raj and Stuart talk about him moving in with Denise. Denise said that she was “fine” which the situation which worried the others. Raj gets a call from Anu’s doorbell camera and sees a guy at Anu’s door. She runs out, hugs hi and takes him inside.

Amy and Sheldon are again eating the fancy dining room and she wonders if Sheldon feeling guilty about being there when their friends have to eat in the cafeteria. Sheldon does not. Siebert walks in and calls Sheldon his MVP – Most Valuable Physicist. Amy is his star of NPR Science Friday. In the magazine Wired, the article was entitled, “The Neurobiologist Who Revolutionized Physics.” Sheldon gasps about the “who” who did “what”?

The gang is getting ready for paintball. Penny asks about Amy’s interview and she downplays it since she knows that Sheldon is upset. Sheldon sasses that she is “The Neurobiologist Who Revolutionized Physics.” Penny understands. Anu is getting ready, but then finds out that Raj isn’t happy about what he saw. Denise and Penny volunteer to be captains. Denise first picks Leonard who isn’t used to being picked first. Penny picks Bernadette who is small and viscous. Denise takes Sheldon. Penny; Raj. Denise; Amy. Penny; Raj. Denise; Amy. Penny; Anu. Denise; Howard. And finally Penny takes Stuart after looking like she was still choosing among several candidates.

In the shed Denise leaves Amy and Sheldon to guard the flag. Leonard and Howard leaves with Denise while Sheldon and Amy argue. She can revolutionize paintball which Sheldon has poor people skills.

Anu thinks it is fun sneaking around playing paintball. Raj accuses her of sneaking around. Anu accuses him of spying on her. Her ex-boyfriend stopped by to pick of some stuff. Raj wants to know what other “stuff” she was giving him. She wants Raj to delete her doorbell camera from his phone and too just trust her. Raj shouts at her that he barely even knows her. This causes a break since neither of them know why they are even planning a wedding. Denise then shoots Raj.

Stuart gets shot by Denise and quickly gives up. She shots him again and wants to know why he’ll not move in with her. He runs away again.

Leonard finds Penny guarding the flag and doesn’t shoot her telling her that it will hurt. They end up shooting each other and finding out that it does hurt.

Back in Denise’s shed Amy is yelling at Sheldon that she can’t believe that he is taking is frustration out on her since she did not write the title of the article. She constantly talked about him throughout the article. Bernadette comes in and steals the flag while they are arguing. Sheldon is proud of Amy, but sounds quite jealous. Bernadette returns and shoots both of them.

Leonard and Penny find Stuart shot several times all by Denise. He is just worried about screwing everything up which also worries Leonard, but not Penny.

Bernadette is stalking around when Howard comes out and shoots her. He hits her in the chest which both think will cause a big bruise. She asks if he wants to kiss it and make it feel better. He does and they disappear into the shed.

The Coopers, Hofstatders, Raj and Anu meet back at the start. Anu wants to without Raj so, the Coopers offer her a ride. Sheldon warns Anu that they are still in a bit of a spat.

Denise approaches the shed and finds the amorous Howard and Bernadette inside. Get out! Sorry. They throw out the flag which Denise happily carries off.

Later, Stuart shows up at the comic book store covered in bruises. He admits that he is also bruised on the inside. Stuart apologizes to Denise telling her that he doesn’t want to mess things up since things between them are going so good. To show her his seriousness, he gives Denise a key to his place. Of course it’s a key to Howard and Bernadette’s place so she can’t us it or even let them know she has it.

Amy and Sheldon are being interviewed together. The first question that Sheldon gets is whether he thinks that their work is an extension of the Russian scientist’s earlier work. Sheldon doesn’t answer and then leaves for the car. Amy confidently takes over answering the questions.

Credits

 * Guest starring:
 * Joshua Malina as President Siebert
 * Rati Gupta as Anu
 * Lauren Lapkus as Denise
 * Hira Ambrosino as Cynthia
 * Teleplay: Steve Holland, Eric Kaplan & Anthony Del Broccolo
 * Story: Maria Ferrari, Tara Hernandez & Adam Faberman

Critics
To be entered.
 * IMDb user review

Trivia

 * All the couples except Leonard and Penny have arguments or problems.
 * All of the characters participate in a game of paintball.
 * President Siebert never ask why he never invited Sheldon in his private dining room and one reason, he hates Sheldon and wants him out of the university.
 * The Dr. Saltzberg of UCLA is a reference to Dr. David Saltzberg of Stanford that reviews all the scientific references in the scripts and fills the whiteboards with real scientific equations.

Quotes
To be entered.