The Tenure Turbulence

"The Tenure Turbulence" is the twentieth episode of the sixth season of The Big Bang Theory. The episode aired on April 4, 2013.

Summary
Leonard, Sheldon, Howard and Raj are in the Caltech cafeteria discussing jellyfish and the possibility of immortality. Barry Kripke approaches them to announce that the smell from Professor Tupperman's office was the deceased professor who passed away two weeks previously. The department chair asked that in lieu of flowers, air freshner should be donated. His death opens a tenured position in the physics department. Sheldon is not happy with the tenure system since it leads to the faculty becoming complacent. He prefers placing chips in their heads that causes the brain to explode if they say something stupid. Raj feels that people do their best work when they feel safe and secure to which Sheldon symbolically blows up Raj's head. Barry leaves saying that if they need him, they can find his nose firmly lodged up the rectum of the tenure committee. Raj comments that he's not going to play politics and that he hopes that if he doesn't get it, Sheldon or Leonard get it. Sheldon quips that Raj shouldn't dangle false hopes in front of Leonard. Leonard quickly objects that he is as qualified for the position as Sheldon who immediately blows up his head.

While having dinner together, Penny learns that a professor in a tenured position can't be fired no matter how bad he or she is. She quips that it's like being a pretty waitress at the Chessecake Factory. Leonard tells Penny that getting tenure would make his mother proud, that is if she took the phone call. Penny asks who he has to impress while Leonard states that he'll let his work speak for itself. Penny complements him on his integrity. Leonard reacts saying that he is a naive idiot to do that and she replies that he did hear what she was really saying.

While Amy and Sheldon are having dinner, he tells her that even if he were tenured, it would not decrease his academic output since one can't turn off the sun. Amy wonders how Leonard and Raj can compete since Sheldon is so great at what he does. He replies that even though he falls on both sides of the boyfriend/girlfriend relationship issue, that when Amy worships him it really keeps her in the running. Sheldon is worried if he got tenure Leonard would become insanely jealous and he would have to have a gun or a chainsaw under his pillow at night. Amy counters that with his extra income he could move out, buy a house, get married and start a family. While Amy looks on hopefully, Sheldon then goes back to the idea of the chainsaw. Amy tells him that maybe he should cozy up to the tenure committee. He barks back that Sheldon Cooper does not do cozy. Amy agrees since he does not do cozy with her. Checking up on the tenure committte, Shledon finds that Mrs. Davies  whom  Sheldon  had a run-in over  Alex 's sexual harassment complaint is it.

Raj is having dinner with Howard and Bernadette complaining his parents bought him a new BMW for his birthday, but won't pay for seat warmers. Raj gets more and more drunk ranting about his seat warmer making Howard and Bernadette uncomfortable. She goes to get some coffee for them.

Leonard  seeks into the gymnasium exercise room to get close to Mrs. Davis. He tells her that he needs to get ready for bathing suit weather and that she must also look good in one. Asking how to operate this model of exercise equipment, Mrs. Davis tells him to push the start button. Nothing happens since Leonard doesn't know to start pumping. Leonard starts pumping real hard saying that he could do this for the rest of his life. He then asks Mrs. Davis about being on the tenure committee who then comments that she has to get a home gym. While Leonard continues quickly using his inhaler, Barry comes in noting that it's the first time he's ever seen Leonard in the gym. Leonard notices that he has now burned off a whole calorie. Barry takes his plac eon the other side of  Mrs. Davis and mentions the banana bread he sent to her. Leonard now has had enough cardio and decides to stretch out before he does his weights and ends up exhausted lying on the gym floor.

Having returned to her office, Mrs. Davis receives a ninety-minute Youtube video from Raj detailing his life and qualifications. She turns it off hearing Sheldon's usual knock. (God, they're everywhere!) Sheldon tells her that she might have had a bad impression from their first meeting so he gives Mrs. Davis a gift, a DVD set of the miniseries "Roots", so that she will like him. She then asks him why he thought that this was an appropriate gift. Sheldon looks a bit uncomfortable and asks to verify that she is black. She tells hmi that this meeting is over and Sheldon figures that is because she wants to watch the video. The next committee member he is visiting is Dr. Woo whom he got the inappropriate gift of the complete collected works of Jackie Chan.

Leonard returns from the nurse's office after an asthma or heart attack. The guys discuss Professor Tupperman's memorial service and decide to not go since they barely knew him. Howard, who is not in line for the tenured position, kids them that they don't want to look like they're brown nosing the committee who will be there.

Amy and Sheldon are in the apartment having tea as he tells her that he can't make their date night since he has to attend the memorial service. She agrees that it sounds like a long and tedious evening. Sheldon tells her that if he is going to have a long and tedious evening, he'd rather send it with her. Amy suggests that she come to which Sheldon agrees. Amy says that she is well versed in academic politics and is a respected scientist while Sheldon just wants her to drive. Sheldon then adds that if it makes her happy she can also do all that other stuff to which Amy smiles.

While Leonard and Penny are preparing dinner, Penny mentions that she was helping Amy choose a dress for the memorial service which surprises Leonard. He didn't want them to find out that he was going by himself. Penny asks if she should go to support him. Leonard replies that the room will be filled with a bunch of old bored professors. Penny leans over to tie her shoelace showing off her butt and then Leonard says that maybe she should go. Penny smiles knowing that she had again given him an idea nonverbally. Leonard mentions that she'll probably kill some of them. She quips that maybe Raj can also get tenure. Raj is on the phone still arguing with his father about his seat warmer and telling his Yorkie that he has to get tenure.

Amy and Sheldon arrive with her coaching him what not to say. Raj walks in with a drink in hand telling them that it is unbelievable that they came to smooze the committee. Sheldon asks why Raj is here and he replies that he is going to pay his respects to Professor Tupperware, getting the name wrong. Then Sheldon says that his passing makes him feel bad, using Amy's prompting. Leonard and Penny shows up with Leonard snapping at Sheldon that the train store wasn't having a cotollion after all. Raj comments how he could know what he said since he has a thick accent. Amy asks what Penny is doing there to which see says she is there to support her man just like Amy. Sheldon assumes that Penny is there to take they're drink orders and get them wrong. Leonard tells her to "do it". Penny whips off her coat and is wearing a tight black dress and a push-up bra. Amy shakes her head. Raj is staring at Penny's prominent cleavage. Sheldon asks Amy if she has done "it" yet. Amy tells him that she plans to flirt with the committee members to further Leonard's cause. Sheldon tells Amy, "Don't just stand there, take your breasts out." Howard and Bernadette show up to watch the fun. Amy tells the others that Sheldon is the most qualified and no gravity defying bosom is going to change that. She also wants to know if they were taped together to look like that. Howard makes a suggestion to Sheldon who then tells Raj that last night when he needed sexual relief, he had his mother for a dollar. Leonard conceded that he doesn't want to lose his friends over this because friends are forever. Howard jumps in that so is tenure. Leonard says that he's going home. Raj admits that this is benaeth him, like Sheldon's mother was under him last night. Leonard asks if he's coming. Sheldon defers to Amy who tells him that he will always be an academic success, but that she questions whether he'll ever make more friends. Kripke enters telling Mrs. Davis that he'd love to babysit her kids. Leonard says that they are not going to lose to that jerk. The others also go into the hall. Sheldon tells Amy that he didn't mean it about his mother and that he finds the concept of coitus ridiculous and off-putting. Amy says to herself that she should have pulled out her breasts when she had the chance.

Finally, Sheldon goes to Mrs. Davis' office and thanks her after he finds out that he, Leonard and Raj are all on the final short list. She replies that they are all qualified in their fields despite their quirks. Sheldon doesn't know what she means by quirks. First Sheldon acknowledges that his gift to her was inappropriate and then tries to give her a hip African American hand shake. She leaves saying that she is going to pretend that that didn't happen.

Trivia

 * As in the Department of Physics at the California Institute of Technology, Sheldon, Leonard and Raj hold non-tenure track positions and seek  in this episode. [For information on the duties of their current positions, refer to the Trivia of "The Benefactor Factor". For perspective on tenure, see the article "How To Get Tenure at a Major Research University" by, a senior research associate in the Caltech Department of Physics.]
 * As Janine Davis is the (HRA) at Caltech, and not a  in the Department of Physics, she is not qualified to evaluate excellence in teaching, scholarship and service of faculty members being recommended for tenure. Hence, she would not be appointed to the tenure committee.
 * Raj states he is from the astrophysics department, but since he is vying for Professor Tupperman's position, he is actually from the physics department. Further, he works in the same as Leonard, Sheldon, and Kripke (esp. "The Pirate Solution", "The Rothman Disintegration"); his boss was physics  Eric Gablehauser ("The Griffin Equivalency"); and he was on the physics department paintball team, an opponent of the astronomy (astrophysics) department team ("The Cushion Saturation"). [Though, Howard, who is from the applied physics department (Pilot) and associated with the engineering department ("The Cushion Saturation", "The Apology Insufficiency"), was on the same team.] Rajesh may have simply been referencing the astrophysics research group, denoting it a "department" (subdivision).
 * In the beginning of the episode, Leonard, Sheldon, Raj, and Howard discuss the of , a small species of  that uses  to replenish cells after . Theoretically, this process can go on indefinitely, effectively rendering the jellyfish biologically immortal; although, in nature, most Turritopsis, like other medusae, are likely to succumb to predation or disease in the  stage. Further, immortality may not be desirable for multicellular organisms, as the main controls over cancer are the.
 * Sheldon previously had interest in jellyfish in "The Luminous Fish Effect".
 * As a gift to Janine Davis, Sheldon presents her with a copy of the 25th Anniversary Edition 3 Disc Box Set of the  (1977) TV miniseries. LeVar Burton, who played Lt. Cmdr. Geordi La Forge in Star Trek: The Next Generation and had guest appearances in "The Toast Derivation" and "The Habitation Configuration", is well-remembered for his breakthrough role portraying the kidnapped African native in the miniseries.
 * Sheldon mentioned in "The Toast Derivation", and decides to give Professor  the complete works of Jackie Chan in the episode of this article.
 * Leonard referred to the exercise room in "The Jerusalem Duality": "Come on, Dennis, I’ll show you the rec center, they’ve got ® equipment."
 * Barry Kripke is not as inept at physical activity as seen in "The Rothman Disintegration", which is consistent with his list of hobbies in "The Friendship Algorithm". Leonard does not get a bloody nose while "jogging" as described in "The Speckerman Recurrence", but he falls ill as expected.

Quotes
Amy: Well. You'll always be an academic succes,but I seriously question if you'll ever make any more friends.