The Novelization Correlation

"The Novelization Correlation" is the fifteenth episode of the eleventh season of the sitcom The Big Bang Theory. The episode aired on Thursday, February 1, 2018.

Summary
When Sheldon petitions Wil Wheaton to appear on the new Professor Proton show, Wil offers a role to Amy instead. Also, Penny gets angry when she thinks the female protagonist in Leonard's novel is based on her.

Extended Plot
Cold Open: Shamy's apartment. Sheldon is ranting about PP and Amy is trying to calm him, telling him he may like it. Sheldon claims he won't and is going to start complaining on the internet. Amy wants to know how he can complain about something he hasn't seen. Sheldon retorts, "have you ever seen the internet?". Amy then suggests if he watches it, he'll be able to complain about specific things. Sheldon likes that idea, so they start watching. It's got updated music to the same theme song and then Wil says they are going to build a hover craft. Sheldon get all excited, because he loves things that hover. Then Wil says and only with a CD, a plastic bottle top, a nail (I think) and a balloon. Sheldon gets upset cause he has all those things. It's intimated he's going to build it.

Scene 1: Lenny's apartment. Leonard's working on his book. Penny comes in and asks what he doing, and what is that noise. Leonard says he's working on his book, and the noise is his new keyboard, that sounds like an old typewriter. There was some back and forth about the hero and something about whether the hero could eat dairy without leaving the room, because there is a lot of cheese in Switzerland. Then Leonard tells Penny he just came up with the murder weapon. Penny says a Swiss Army Knife? Leonard very dismissively says "No, no, no". Penny leaves the room and Leonard turns back to the keyboard and says "That's better than mine."

Scene 2: Sheldon's playing with the hoverboard he built using things from the show. He's starting to like Wil as PP. Then Wil tells a joke, "Why can't you trust atoms?" Sheldon thinks about it, then Wil says, "It's because they "make up" everything." Sheldon thinks that's hilarious, and explains it to Amy. Then the doorbell, on the show rings and Wil say's "Who can that be?" Sheldon thinks it's great Wil has added suspense to the show. Wil goes to the door, and opens it, and its Howard at the door,he's a guest on PP(the audience had this great "Oh no he didn't" laugh, know Howard being on would piss Sheldon off.) Scene 3: The Cafeteria. Leonard, Raj, and Howard are eating and Leonard is talking about his book and trying to come up with some things. Howard suggests giving it to Bernadette to look at. Since she was put on bedrest, she's seen all of the detective shows. Then Sheldon joins them and tells Howard he forgives him. Howard says thanks. Leonard asks, don't you want to know what for? Howard says something along the lines of "no, he's taking it, good year for Howard." Sheldon says something about PP and Howard says all Sheldon has to do is apologize. There was some other banter between Raj and Sheldon.

Scene 4 (pre-tape). Shows Bernadette in bed reading with Leonard pacing. Bernadette makes a noise, and Leonard is all like what, what? All Bernadette says was "It was the baby." Bernadette likes it. Leonard is happy. Then Bernadette asks if Penny likes the female character? Leonard doesn't understand and Bernadette says she's a blond bombshell, who is very mean, and rolles her eyes. There is a cut to an office in CERN, With the hero (Leonard), his mean boss (Penny), two other scientists (Howard, looking a bit like Urkle and Raj, looking, I don't know) along with the janitor (Stuart, with a ridiculous mustache). The dialog, while sounding mean, sounds sexy as Penny (the boss) says it to Leonard (the hero). Cut back to Bernadette and Leonard, and Leonard wondering if Penny will be mad.

Scene 5: Wil Wheaton’s house (on his porch): Wil comes to the door and Howard is there. Wil asks what is up. Howard says "He's sorry" and pulls Sheldon into view. Wil wants to know if Sheldon is putting him on his super secret enemies list and Sheldon says he's just a regular guy, he only has an enemies list. But he's taken Wil off of that list. Wil says that's interesting, he doesn't care, but it's interesting. He also apologizes and says if Wil needs a real scientist, to give him a call. Wil starts with "Actually..." and Sheldon jumps in all happy Wil would consider him. What Wil was going to say, he was interested in female scientists and asked Sheldon to help him get Amy for the show. Again, the audience's laugh was another "Oh no he didn't do that to Sheldon." but he did. Sheldon says something about both of them coming on the show. You know, to show that a woman scientist would still be able to land a man. Howard cuts in and says to Wil, "I told you I was sorry."

Scene 6 Pre-tape: Lenny's apartment Penny is reading Leonard novel and there is a cut back to the same scene as Bernadette. Everyone is the same, except that the hero's boss is now Bernadette (with straight hair). Now, all the comments between the hero and the boss are just mean. Flash back to 4A and Penny is asking if the woman boss is based on Bernadette cause after all she's mean and rolls her eyes. Leonard hems and haws says yes then gets up and leaves the room.

Scene 7 (Shamy's apartment): Amy comes in and Sheldon says something about he wants her to do something for him. Amy asks, "Does it involve a news report where I say you were quiet and a loner and that I'm just as surprised as everyone else?" He says no, no and goes on to explain that Wil want's Amy for his show. Amy declines and Sheldon presses her as to why she doesn't want to do it. She talks about not wanting to get between Wil and Sheldon because of how Sheldon would react. Sheldon now believes everyone walks around on eggshells when he's around.

Scene 8. Cafeteria: Sheldon, Howard, and Raj are eating. Sheldon says he's got news. Amy doesn't tell him everything because she has to walk on eggshells around him. Howard says, "it's not just Amy", Raj says, "This isn't news", and then Howard says "it's because we don't want to hear you complain about the sound of crushing eggshells." Sheldon says he doesn't want Amy to think she has to have that kind of relationship. Howard says, "She knows." Sheldon asks how does she know, and Raj say, "we warned her." (pardon the paraphrasing in the above.)

Credits

 * Guest starring:
 * Kevin Sussman as Stuart
 * Christine Baranski as Beverly Hofstadter
 * Wil Wheaton as Himself
 * Teleplay: Eric Kaplan, Maria Ferrari & Jeremy Howe
 * Story: Steve Holland, Andy Gordon & Adam Faberman

Critics

 * Milka Väinämö at Tell Tale TV Though it could be flattering to have someone base a character on you, in that situation you would likely want that person to cast you in a positive light. The way Leonard has written about Ilsa, a blond eye-rolling and mean character with a striking resemblance to Penny does not really show her in a positive light...As The Big Bang Theory prepares for the likely wedding episode, a lot of screen time has been spent on focusing on the ways in which Sheldon is growing and changing as a person. As he learns that both Amy and his friends have been stopping themselves from doing or saying certain things just to make sure that he doesn’t get upset he realizes that something has to change. He does not want anyone, especially Amy, to bend over backward just to please him. This is MAJOR! M-A-J-O-R!..As an advocate of getting women out there doing the things they do best, I loved the fact that Amy decides to go on Wil Wheaton’s show to inspire young girls to get interested in science.

Trivia

 * Wil Wheaton and Beverly Hofstadter both reappear in this episode, their most recent episodes being "The Proton Regeneration" and "The Explosion Implosion".
 * After three months of being enemies with Wil Wheaton again, Sheldon changes his opinion on Wheaton's portrayal of Professor Proton and mends his friendship with him. No longer on the Enemies List.
 * Each of the main cast actors get to play another character for once.
 * Melissa Raunch can be seen is Leonard's novel sans baby bump.

Quotes

 * Wil Wheaton: Hello, Sheldon. I suppose you've come here to tell me that you've moved me to your super secret enemies list.
 * Sheldon: I don't have a super secret enemies list. I'm not a Bond villain. I'm just a regular guy, with a regular enemies list.


 * Amy: I thought we were having dinner at Leonard and Penny's.
 * Sheldon: Oh, no. No, they're watching the new Professor Proton. I can't keep Wil Wheaton off the Internet, but I can keep him off my retinas.


 * Raj: I don't know which Hemsworth is playing Logan Dean, but I know it's a Hemsworth.
 * Leonard: Well, Logan's actually based on me.
 * Raj: So a young Paul Giamatti.


 * Sheldon: So you're not going to do something just because you think it might upset me?
 * Amy: Well, it's tricky, because answering that question honestly is one of the things I tend not to do because it upsets you.
 * Sheldon: Well, that's very upsetting.
 * Amy: Like I said.


 * Amy: So, you're just gonna sit here by yourself and do nothing?
 * Sheldon: Of course not. I'm going to write mean comments about Wil's show online.
 * Amy: Well, you can't criticize something you haven't seen.
 * Sheldon: I'm sorry, are you familiar with the Internet?


 * Sheldon: Oh, Amy. Good, you're here.
 * Amy: Hi. What's up?
 * Sheldon: How would you like to be on television?
 * Amy: Is it gonna be a news story where I have to say you were quiet and kept to yourself and I'm as shocked as anyone?