The Grasshopper Experiment

The Grasshopper Experiment was the eighth episode of the first season of the CBS sitcom The Big Bang Theory. It was the final Big Bang Theory episode to air before the 2007-2008 Writers Guild of America strike, which put a hiatus on production for three to four months. It aired on November 12th, 2007.

Plot Summary
Raj's parents set him up on a blind date and he fears he won’t be able to talk to her. Penny needs to practice her bar tending skills for work and once Raj drinks, he can talk to her. On the date with Lalita, he is an obnoxious drunk and she is all too happy to leave with Sheldon when he takes an interest in her.

Extended Plot
Raj's parents; Dr. V.M. Koothrappali and Mrs. Koothrappali have just got broadband and are checking up on their son via Video Chat, They then announce that they have set up Raj and Lalita Gupta (Sarayu Rao) on a date, Raj is outraged at their meddling.

The next day, Raj barges in and announces he is screwed and explains that Lalita has left him a message and is interested in meeting him. Since Raj can't talk to women, Howard helps him set up a date with her. Penny comes in and announces that the Cheesecake Factory have given her barkeeper shifts and she would like to practice mixing cocktails with them. The gang goes to Penny's and all have a drink, except for Sheldon, and suddenly Raj talks to Penny. Soon they figure out he is able to surpass his selective mutism by consuming alcohol. On the date, however, Raj who is drunk, acts extremely obnoxiously and this is obviously off putting for Lalita. Sheldon arrives and upon seeing Lalita, he gets excited as she deeply resembles Princess Panchali from an Indian folktale book (Princess & the Monkey) which his mother used to read for him when he was sick. Raj introduces Lalita to the gang and Sheldon starts reciting the lines from the Princess & the Monkey book, Lalita finds this flattering. Raj gets defensive and orders Sheldon to stay away from his future wife. It's then that Lalita reveals that despite what both their parents wanted, she has no intention of marrying Raj and just came on the date to get them off her case. She then, invites Sheldon to dinner, leaving everyone dumbfounded. Later, Raj informs his parents he struck out with Lalita because of Sheldon, this ultimately backfires upon himself when Sheldon reveals to them that Raj was drunk on his date.

Later, in a somewhat unrelated scene, Sheldon is singing "To Life" (L'Chaim) at the Cheesecake Factory. Leonard is surprised by this, and Penny explains she put alcohol into his drink (which Sheldon specifically asked to be alcohol free).

Quotes
(Penny is practising mixing drinks for the guys in her apartment. She has just served Leonard and Raj.)

Penny: Sheldon, what are you gonna have?

Sheldon: I'll have a Diet Coke.

Penny: OK, can you please order a cocktail? I need to practice mixing drinks. Sheldon: Fine, I'll have a Virgin Cuba Libre.

Penny: That's, um, Rum and Coke without the rum.

Sheldon: Yes.

Penny: So Coke.

Sheldon: Yes. And would you make it diet?

Penny: There's a can in the fridge.

Sheldon: A Cuba Libre traditionally comes in a tall glass with a lime wedge.

Penny (in sarcastic voice): Then swim to Cuba.

Sheldon: Bartenders are supposed to have people skills.

(Sheldon is singing "L'Chaim" on the piano and is drunk at Penny's bar)

Leonard: I don't believe it. What's gotten into him?

Penny: Oh, maybe a couple of virgin Cuba Libres that turned out to be kinda slutty (holds a bottle of alcohol  up to Leonard).

Leonard: [smiling] You didn't.

Penny: Hey, you do your experiments, I do mine.

Critics
"I don’t think the major problem here is the racial humour. The problem is that the episode doesn’t develop Rajesh’s character well. He gets drunk and ruins a date which he didn’t really want to be on. It doesn’t say much about him and isn’t funny enough to compensate for the lack of progress in the plot." - The TV Critic's Review

Trivia

 * This episode reveals how Raj can only talk to women if he is drunk.
 * Consequentially, this is the first episode in which Penny hears Raj speak to her.
 * Raj's drinking and ruining dates and other important opportunities becomes a bit of a running gag throughout the series (such as in The Pirate Solution).
 * Regarding Raj, Howard says to Leonard, "No, no, let’s see how long it takes him." In The Jiminy Conjecture, in reference to Sheldon, Howard similarly states to Raj, "Uh, no, no, no, don’t tell him, let’s see if he can figure it out."
 * In this episode, Raj's parents try to fix up their son with a woman they approve of. This parental influence is seen again in future episodes.
 * This episode also marks the first time in the series where Raj gets drunk.
 * Penny also makes her first appearance as bartender in the show (though she rarely works at the bar throughout the series).

Video
thumb|350px|left|Sheldon singing while drunk