The Luminous Fish Effect

The Luminous Fish Effect is the fourth episode of the first season of The Big Bang Theory.

Plot Summary
Sheldon is fired from his job, subsequently delves into numerous obsessions.

Extended Plot
Leonard and Sheldon  are attending a party to meet the new department head; Eric Gablehauser. Sheldon is unpleased with Gablehauser  as the head because he feels that Gablehauser  is unworthy, after expressing this to Gablehauser, he is swiftly fired. Leonard is confident that Sheldon  will get his job back if he apologizes to Gablehauser, but Sheldon  refuses as he explains this is his first off day in decades. Penny comes in and asks if Sheldon  needs any groceries, as his demands confuses her, Sheldon  tags along. As usual he manages to piss her off. Leonard comes back to find, Sheldon experimenting with Luminous Fish. Later, Leonard brings Sheldon's Mother; Mary Cooper to their apartment to help with Sheldon. This angers Sheldon and he locks himself up in his room. Mary makes dinner for the gang, and explained that Sheldon  was always like this. Sheldon comes out of his room for some food, Mary  explains you have to let him (Sheldon ) come to you, Leonard  clearly ignores her warning and confronts Sheldon, which made him lock himself up in his room again. The next day, Mary forces Sheldon to apologize to Gablehauser. At the University, Sheldon apologizes to Gablehauser, after Gablehauser  is introduced to Mary , Sheldon  swiftly gets his job back suggesting sexual barter. In the final scene, Sheldon asks his mother whether Gablehauser  will become his new dad, Mary  answers "We'll see".

Trivia

 * Johnny Galecki and Sara Gilbert previously costarred together in "Roseanne" (1988), which also featured Laurie Metcalf - a guest star in this episode.
 * Errors made by characters (possibly deliberate errors by the filmmakers): When Penny and Sheldon are driving to the supermarket, Sheldon does not object to Penny's check-engine-light being on (although this fact is not specifically mentioned, we later find out (in "The Maternal Congruence") that the check-engine-light has been on ever since Penny bought her car, so before Sheldon first drove in it.)
 * Sheldon making lums is mentioned again in The Toast Derivation, where it is revealed that he made one each for Leonard, Howard and Raj, who still wears it when the weather gets cold.

Quotes
Leonard: Wolowitz brought a date?

Sheldon: The probable hypothesis is that his work in robotics has taken an incredible leap forward.

[to Raj]

Mary: Now, I made chicken for dinner. I hope that isn't one of the animals that y'all people think is magic.

Howard Wolowitz: What up, my science bitches?

Critics
"A strangely written episode. The story is passable as are the jokes but the focus is all wrong. The story should be about Sheldon’s place in the world and how he feels about it and yet we learn very little. The writers don’t seem to know what they were trying to achieve." - The TV Critic's Review