The Occupation Recalibration

"The Occupation Recalibration" is the thirteenth episode of the seventh season of the  The Big Bang Theory. The episode first aired January 9, 2014.

Summary
Penny makes a major change in her, Leonard is struggling with words to support her, Raj and Howard help Amy when she gets stuck with a from a  , and Sheldon is again forced on a.

Extended Plot
Walking up the stairs, Sheldon complains to Leonard about how the university is forcing him to again take a. Leonard is worried about his with Penny after he  when she  while  and. Sheldon is more upset about being forced to for a few days. Leonard heads for Penny's apartment, while Sheldon is going to settle down with a good  until his vacation  is over. Penny apologizes for not texting him back and invites Leonard in. Penny assures Leonard that she doesn't want to with him. He does shed a few tears of. She also assures him that his rejection of her was the right thing to do since she was a mess at the time. Leonard is willing to support anything she wants to do. Since acting is Penny's real dream, she wants to focus entirely on it, so she quit her at the Cheesecake Factory. Leonard then reaffirms to her his support and she hugs him.



The next day Leonard is heading to work and Sheldon is to go with him. He doesn't want to miss any breakthroughs, though Leonard gets him to admit that he doesn't think there will be any without him there. Chasing Leonard down the, Leonard shouts at him to "stay" on the stairs one flight down and tells him to not follow him. Leonard leaves and Sheldon sits down the stairs like a. Stuart sighs behind the counter in an empty comic book store. Bernadette comes in to replace a of Howard's that she accidentally ruined. She tells Stuart that Batman got his ass whipped by a. Stuart tells her not to let know that, though she doesn't get his. Stuart wants a couple of days to track it down; however Bernie wants to have it before Howard gets home from work. Howard has been telling her to be careful with her curling iron and she doesn't want to prove him right. Stuart will try; however Bernadette can get him all the he needs since she works at a  company. Stuart then dumps a whole box of prescription s on the counter and wonders if she has any of these pills.

Amy is in her lab at Caltech looking over a 's under a microscope. Raj and Howard wander in asking her if she'd like to join them for. First she asks if it's because Sheldon isn't here and she doesn't have any other s, then she claims to be kidding and goes to get her. Bert, a big from the  department enters, and Amy introduces him. He gives Amy a piece of black that Amy thanks him for. Next he asks the guys what a and  have in common. Howard replies that they are both into, which makes Bert disappointed as he agrees. Bert leaves with Amy describing him as nice. She is surprised when Howard explains that he likes Amy. Amy realizes that he must like her since he brings her a new rock every day. In their conversations, the subject of Sheldon being her has never come up. She doesn't want to hurt his s, though doesn't mind calling on Raj's when he makes cracks about her boyfriend Sheldon. Penny leaves her with a box full of  and  and finds Sheldon still sitting on the. He complains about being forced on vacation and that Leonard has told him to stay. Penny quips telling him "Good boy." As she is leaving Sheldon whimpers again and she invites him to come along by calling him like a.

Back at the comic book store, Stuart finds a copy for Bernadette at Capital Comicbooks, a to his store whose owner Jesse is a ful jerk. Stuart offers to take her there so she won't get ripped off. Bernie is worried about him losing business if he closes up and then notices the empty store and.

Amy is having lunch with Leonard, Howard and Raj. She is surprised that Penny quit her job. Leonard says that he supports her decisions, though is obviously nervous about it. He calls up Penny who says that she is at the Cheesecake Factory. Leonard quickly replies that he is so glad she went and got her job back. Unfortunately the peeved Penny was just turning in her. He finishes that he still supports her decisions.

Sheldon is waiting for Penny in her listening to a relaxation tape and pretending to be inside the CERN supercollider. Penny returns without the that Sheldon asked for. Sheldon complains that this was a fitting swansong to her waitressing career by forgetting his lemonade one last time. Penny wonders if quitting her job was a mistake since it really bothered Leonard. Sheldon thinks that she did the right thing since the best way to achieve a is to dedicate oneself to it one hundred percent of the time. After Sheldon decided to be a he didn't take another job as it would distract him though his  did want him to be  monitor. Penny appreciates his comments and does not know why Leonard can't understand it. Sheldon concludes that the two of them are a lot alike; they are both ers. Penny cracks a and then remarks that she should have left the  cracked when she left Sheldon in the car, a running gag and reference to Sheldon not "getting out enough".



Bert returns to Amy's lab and asks him to accompany her to a rock and show. Amy mentions that she already has a boyfriend which makes it for Bert. Amy thanks him. Bert thinks that she doesn't have a boyfriend and that she is turning him down because he has an off-putting. Amy explains that her boyfriend's personality is much more off-putting. After Bert tells her how no one wants to do things with him since he is big and weird, Amy breaks down and agrees to go with him. This makes him very happy as he says "Sweet; it's a date," and leaves. Amy outloud says that is not a date. Down the Bert says that its too late and that it is a date. At Capital Comics, Bernadette is impressed how crowded the store was. The greets Stuart and tells him how  his  has gotten. He goes to get Bernadette the comic while Stuart confronts Captain Sweatpants for not being in his store. He offers Bernadette a and Stuart the directions to the nearest. Bernadette doesn't like how he is treating Stuart so she leaves to get the comic elsewhere. Stuart leaves saying that he may have success and a better, but at least he has. Then going out he says to himself that he would trade the two in a.

Howard and Raj are now commersurating with Amy over her date with Bert. According to Howard, going to a rock show would be terrible even without Bert. Amy wonders what to do and Raj tells her to prepare her for a very large. Amy plans on telling him that she would not be interested in him even if she did not have a boyfriend. Howard has heard that many times and lists many who have told him that. Amy plans on being brutally with Bert; however that might send him up the  and start swatting at passing. Finally Howard and Raj offer to talk to him and let him down gently. Going out the door they both agree to tell Bert that Amy is a. In Apartment 4A, Penny and Sheldon are doing. Sheldon has read that some masters are so disclipined that they can suck in through their. Leonard enters and Penny ignores him. After Leonard asks, it seems that Sheldon is doing yoga because he thought Penny had said, the. Penny is helping Sheldon relax since he does support her. They start to discuss his. Leonard would have discussed it with her before he would quit his job. They start to discuss the kind of relationship they are in as Sheldon then joins them. He feels that he is in the relationship as much as them. He wants to know when they are getting married and where all of them are going to live. Leonard doesn't like the fact that all of the sudden they are discussing about with Sheldon. Finally Leonard tells her that he is on her and that he would never have  she exhibits quitting her job to follow her dream.

Bernadette walks back into Capital Comics telling the owner in her Mrs. Wolowitz voice that Stuart and his store are just fine, Stuart is a much person and that she still wants to buy that comic. And have a and a.

Finally Raj and Howard end up going to the mineral and rock show with Bert in lieu of Amy. They are in his delapidated going down the  as he keeps shouting "Rock show!" and they look very unhappy.

Critics

 * Jesse Schedeen for IGN - It's always nice to see The Big Bang Theory   go dramatic once in a while, but ultimately this more humor-oriented episode just worked better. It offered a lot more laughs than last week, yet it didn't ignore Penny's ongoing storyline. There were some fun character pairings in between Sheldon/Penny, Bernie/Stuart, and Raj/Wolowitz/Amy, plus the addition of the amusing (if underutilized) Bert. Things are looking good so far for 2014.

Trivia

 * Penny finally quits The Cheesecake Factory to concentrate on her.
 * In the, Penny turns in her , which in the reality, actress Kaley Cuoco has grown very tired of wearing.
 * Amy finds another socially awkward that has taken a shine to her.
 * This is second appearance of Bert (played by Brian Posehn) in the Big Bang Theory. The first was in The Contractual Obligation Implementation (S6E18).
 * Howard and Raj  list several names when they discuss with Amy about how a girl would refuse a . Among them, Howard previously mentioned Marcy Grossman and her story in The Killer Robot Instability (S2E12).
 * Raj's comments on Bert "He’ll probably climb up the Empire State Building and start swatting at planes" is an apparent reference to the classical scene in and/or .
 * Judging by the, the comic book that Bernadette  damaged appears to be issue #1 of 's classic four-part  miniseries .
 * Although this is his 10th appearance in the show, this is the first episode that Captain Sweatpants has been credited in. It is also the first episode the character speaks in.
 * This is the second time that Sheldon has been forced to take a ; the first was in The Vacation Solution (S5E16).
 * Penny tells Sheldon after they discuss about Penny quitting her job, "Yeah, I need to start cracking the window when I leave you in the car“. This is strange since she did it near the end of The Bon Voyage Reaction (S6E24) she told Raj "I left  Sheldon in the car with the window cracked open."
 * This is the second time that Sheldon declares himself to be part of the relationship between Leonard and a ; previously this happened in The White Asparagus Triangulation (S2E09) when Leonard went out with Stephanie Barnett. And in both times, Sheldon's involvement cause a positive result for Leonard's relationship.

Quotes

 * Bert: What does a geologist and Bon Jovi have in common?
 * Howard: They're both into rock.


 * Penny: Hi.
 * Leonard: Hey.
 * Penny: I’m sorry I didn't text you back. I just needed some time to think.
 * Leonard: Okay.
 * Penny: Come in.
 * Leonard: Look if you want to break up, just say it.
 * Penny: Leonard.
 * Leonard: No, no, no. I take it back. Don’t say it. Just hate me but stay with me. It worked for my parents.
 * Penny: Listen. I don’t want to break up with you.
 * Leonard: Oh, okay. Good..good. So is it cool if I cry a little?
 * Penny: Yeah, I probably wouldn't.
 * Leonard: Yeah.
 * Penny: Look you did the right thing last night. I was a mess. I was frustrated because my career was going nowhere.
 * Leonard: I get it. I want you to know that I support you whatever you want to do.
 * Penny: Great, because I've been thinking that if I ever want this acting thing to work I need to focus all my energy on it. And to do that I should quit waitressing at The Cheesecake Factory.
 * Leonard: Wow. That..that’s a big step.
 * Penny: I know.
 * Leonard: Well, before making any rash..
 * Penny: I already quit.
 * Leonard: And I support you. [Penny hugs Leonard.]


 * Sheldon: What if there is a big breakthrough in science today and I’m not here to see it?
 * Leonard: Do you really think there is going to be a breakthrough without you there to do it?
 * Sheldon: No. I was just tricking you.


 * Bernadette: Batman got his ass kicked by a curling iron.
 * Stuart: Well don’t let The Riddler know that. It’s a comic book joke. Or maybe it’s not.


 * Amy: He’s not my boyfriend.
 * Raj: Are you sure? He’s tall pale, and awkward. That sounds like your type.
 * Amy: Should someone as lonely as you really be making fun of me?


 * Leonard: You taking Hollywood by storm?
 * Penny: Actually I’m at the Cheesecake Factory.
 * Leonard: You got your job back. That is great news. I didn't want to say anything but you are making the right choice. To plunge yourself into debt right now would be literally insane.
 * Penny: Yeah, I’m just returning my uniform.
 * Leonard: And I support you.


 * Penny: Why can’t Leonard understand it?
 * Sheldon: Because he is not like us, Penny. We’re dreamers.


 * Raj: He’ll probably climb up the Empire State Building and start swatting at planes.


 * Raj: So we’ll tell him she’s a lesbian, right?
 * Howard: Of course we tell him she's a lesbian.


 * Leonard: How did she get you to do yoga?
 * Sheldon: Well, to be honest, I thought she said Yoda.
 * Penny: I’m helping him relax because unlike you he supports me.
 * Leonard: Oh, how many times do I have to say it I support you.
 * Penny: Sheldon take a break.
 * Sheldon: Namaste.
 * Penny: Okay, if you support me what was with that phone call?
 * Leonard: Fine. I’m not sure you should have quit. But if you care so much what I think, why didn’t you ask me before you did it.
 * Penny: Oh, so now I need your permission. Would you have ask me before quit your job?
 * Leonard: Yes. I thought we were in the kind of relationship where we make decisions together. If I’m wrong, maybe we should talk about the kind of relationship we are in.
 * Penny: Yeah, well, maybe we do.
 * Sheldon: I’m willing if you guys are.
 * Leonard: Can we please have some privacy?
 * Sheldon: No, I’m as much a part of this relationship as you two. I think that it is high time that we put all our cards on the table. For example, where is this going? Are you two ever getting married? And if so, where will we all live? Have you thought about that?
 * Leonard: No.
 * Sheldon: Penny?
 * Penny: Okay, wait? What are we doing?
 * Leonard: For some reason, we’re planning a future where we both live with Sheldon forever.
 * Sheldon: Good. Now we’re getting somewhere.
 * Penny: Look, I know you think I am being reckless, and you might be right, but I need to take this shot.
 * Sheldon: Yeah, no kidding. Despite what it says on her resume she is no longer 22.
 * Leonard: I swear, I am on your side.
 * Penny: You keep saying you’re on my side, but you don’t act like it.
 * Sheldon: He does that to me too. Why do we put up with this?
 * Leonard: Listen. I could never do what you are doing, okay? I would be terrified.
 * Penny: Well, it’s scary for me too.
 * Sheldon: I’m fine with it.
 * Leonard: My point is, just because I couldn’t do it doesn’t mean you shouldn’t. And I’m proud of you.
 * Penny: Okay. Thank you.


 * Bernadette: There’s a few more things I want to say to you. Stuart’s store is just fine and he’s a much nicer person than you, and if you still have that comic I’d like to buy it right now.


 * Bert: Rock show! Rock show! Rock show! Rock show!


 * Sheldon: (opens door and gets out of Leonard and Sheldon's apartment) Leonard, wait! (closes door and follows Leonard) Take me with you!
 * Leonard: No!
 * Sheldon: Please.
 * Leonard: No!
 * Sheldon: Too bad. I'm coming with you.
 * Leonard: (puts his own hand to halt Sheldon) Sheldon, stay.
 * Sheldon: (stops) But...
 * Leonard: I said stay. I'm going to work. DO not follow me. (walks downstairs to work)
 * Sheldon: (whimpering like a dog)