The Communication Deterioration

"The Communication Deterioration" is the twenty-first episode of the eighth season of the sitcom The Big Bang Theory. The episode aired on Thursday, April 16, 2015.

Summary
The guys split up into teams to work on a project to communicate with aliens, while Penny considers auditioning for the movie "Clerks 3".

Extended Plot
In the Caltech cafeteria, Sheldon tells Leonard and Howard that he has been working on s and changing the to get s interested in the hard s. To the the tune of "" he substitutes the name of. Leonard stops him when he removes the first of his name by  thus start the final seventeen. The second song was to "" explaining in the song that it is not an since it has eight s and a body with two parts. Leonard thinks that that one was cool. Raj joins them and starts talking about a NASA project to try to contact lifeforms. When Leonard contacted alien life he found the best things was not to sit in his spot. Sheldon looked annoyed. Raj had been asked to put in a proposal for a and a  and asked the guys if they wanted to help. Sheldon and Howard start spouting out s until Raj gets mad that they aren't asking him for ideas. He just wants to work with Leonard whom he considers a.

Leonard shows up at Raj's apartment excited to work on Raj's project. Raj is glad to have him since they others would have taken over the project and bossed them around. Just that, Sheldon wouldn't let Leonard put flavored  on his  because the s conflicted. He used. Sheldon and Howard are considered s, making Leonard and Raj the second in charge or males. But then they could be males who are bossed around by the alphas and betas. Leonard is already to begin though Raj who is in charge doesn't know how to start his project.

Penny approached the door of Apartment 4A, does a triple knock and s at her little. Sheldon s the telling her that he knew it started out as a joke, but by the third knock she probably found it enjoyable. Penny agrees that she wants to do it again. Sheldon tells her that she better not or she'll never stop doing it. Leonard was not there, though Penny came to to Sheldon. He thought that that was nice and his favorite topics are, s, s... Penny seeks on whether she should try out for the. That's not on Sheldon's. Penny explains that she has to decide whether to take the and risk the  she likes if she should happen to get the movie. Sheldon knows what she should do, but can't tell her since earlier the guys told him that he tends to force his ideas on and he is trying to turn over a new. Instead Sheldon decides to change the topic to trains.

Howard is in his late mother's making -size s contained in a  size. He offers on to Bernadette who has to put it in her and pop it like a. She decides to have a instead. First Howard takes a of them and his mini-cocktail to send to Raj whom he had planned to do it with. He just wanted him to feel bad since he wasn't working on the project with him. Bernadette tells him that he doesn't have to do everything with Raj and that his was childish. Howard explains that he is just a  which Bernadette s. She then tells him that he is a leader and then tricks him into cleaning up the kitchen by himself. "That's my big boss man."

Back in 4A, the topic is still trains and Sheldon is explaining about the  on  s. He prefers to call it a cow r. Penny then asks Sheldon that if she were in a  and one train took her to her current job and the other one to an  job, which train should she get on? Sheldon suggest a third train that goes to the audition and then she puts off a  until after she gets the part. Penny agrees with him and calls him a. Then Sheldon throws out the that who is wiser, the wise man or then one who seeks his. Penny appreciates the, but Sheldon won't let go that he he is the wise man. Also she didn't ask Leonard because he would jump on it and tell her not to do it.

Discussing their project, they mention the gold record that was sent for aliens, but they needed to build a  to listen to it. built a out of an  and a Speak-and-Spell. Then they get all al over the pain that E.T. suffered in the movie. Changing the subject, they want something simple that doesn't require outside. Do the aliens even have ? use their other senses to deliver messages like and. They could send out a system that has a message and also delivers it in a matter that uses the sense of touch. This idea was also the one that Howard and Sheldon had.

Back at the Caltech, Sheldon is demonstrating a song to Howard about animal senses to the tune of "" from "". Leonard and Raj join them and ask Sheldon and Howard to join the project. Both of them get. Leonard and Raj want them back because their idea sounded great. After Sheldon and Howard are back on the team, Leonard says that they should all get together tonight. Sheldon insists that it should be Raj's decision since it's his project. Raj wants to start immediately; however, Sheldon isn't available until tonight.

Penny shows up at the audition talking to herself that she can do this. She wonders why she ever gave it up, enters the casting room and finds twenty other  also applying for the part. Now she remembers why she gave it up.

Raj is explaining how they are going to work. The next speaker must respect what the last one had just said and on it. Sheldon says he is going to build on it and now wants to order. Raj and Leonard want them to get back on topic, but all they talk about is dinner. Sheldon turns it into a where everybody else loses and he goes off to order.

Another actress recognizes Penny and asks where she has been. She tells her about her new. Now she can act that inflamed is only a mild. She does miss acting sometimes, while the other woman is sick of the and being treated like a piece of meat. She gets called and immediately perks up. "Wish me luck." The actress next to Penny says that she is sure she is pushing and everything is fake. Penny admits to starting that.

After having decided on the delivery system they start to discuss the message. The showed a   and  though Sheldon thought that that showed to  races how soft and squishy we are. Raj prefers a person waving and holding the severed of a. Howard thinks thinks that a message is ridiculous. What about his molecule-size cocktail picture? Or when he asks everybody to help and only chooses Leonard. Their squabble includes going to as  and Leonard was the, Howard took Sheldon to  in Texas, Leonard and Sheldon went to  and Sheldon spent the night with James Earl Jones. In each example, Sheldon came out on top and loved it, therefore when he is in charge, good things happen. Leonard insists that Raj is in charge. Sheldon then adds that who is in charge, the guy in charge or the people who put him there? Raj agrees that they are all in charge, but Sheldon tells them that they got that wrong too.

At Penny's place, she explains to the girls how much she had forgotten how much she d that. The, the , the. She doesn't want to feel those things. She wants to sell to those who feel those things. She felt she did a lousy reading for the part and then walked out. She thought that she never properly thanked Bernie for getting her her job. Bernadette suggests that Penny take her out to as a more proper thank-you. Amy adds she should be d too since they were discussing it in front of her. Penny cheerfully agrees. Bernadette asks how about now? Penny reluctantly agrees and has to be reminded to bring her.

Finally, a fleet of alien cruise by. A couple of with  are watching Sheldon in his. As the image changes, a 3D simulator full of pins also shows the. Sheldon tells the where to find our. They think that the soft creature looks quite delicious and they want to feast upon him just like Sheldon thought they would.

Critics

 * Jesse Schedeen for IGN - There wasn't much about this week's episode that stood out. The humor was generally lacking. The new found tension among Sheldon and his friends came across as forced and a poor use a potentially intriguing story line. And while Penny's brief return to acting held potential, her story ended with a dull thud. Only the interaction between Penny and Sheldon did anything to spice up an otherwise forgettable installment.
 * IMDb user reviews

Trivia

 * Penny has a chance to restart her acting career with an offer to be in the movie "Clerks 3".
 * Penny uses Sheldon's knock like she did when she was furious at him for taking her clothes in "The Panty Piñata Polarization".
 * Extraterrestial alien life does exist in The Big Bang Theory universe -- at least if the final scene of this episode can be considered canon.
 * The alien spaceship in the final scene somewhat resembles the human-built BC-304 class battlecruisers from the science fiction franchise Stargate. Both ships have side hangars opening to the front (assuming the openings are hangars on the alien ship in this episode), the shape of the prow is fairly similar, and both ships make a similar "engine" noise (disregarding the scientific implausibility of sound in a vacuum) -- a deep, pulsing hum. Stargate was previously referenced in "The Cushion Saturation".
 * Raj also makes the first MacGyver reference, both series starred Richard Dean Anderson.
 * Goof: Leonard says that aliens had to figure out how to build a record player to listen the gold record mounted to the Voyager space probe; however, a diagram on how to build one was included on the spacecraft.
 * Second episode where the softness of Leonard's skin was compared to veal.
 * Amy showed up in one scene. Mayim was probably spending more time with her family over Passover.
 * When the guys are arguing about being left out of things, Leonard mentioned that Sheldon spent a day with James Earl Jones and hadn't told any of them. However, Sheldon had told them that he was going to meet him, but the guys thought that it would end badly, like other celebs that Sheldon had met. Leonard even said "Darth Vader is going to pour soy sauce on your head." Soft5.png

Quotes

 * Sheldon: The itsy-bitsy spider is not an insect at all. Because it eight legs and two body parts.
 * Leonard: That's pretty cool, Sheldon.
 * Sheldon: Thank you. Do either of you know Beyonce? I’d love her to get her behind this.


 * Raj: What makes them think their always in charge of everything?
 * Leonard: Mmm, They’re alpha males.
 * Raj: What does that make us?
 * Leonard: We could be betas. They’re second in charge.
 * Raj: Okay, that sounds good.
 * Leonard: Or we could be omegas. They get pushed around by the alphas and betas.
 * Raj: Okay, that sounds like us.


 * Penny: {At Sheldon’s door} {Knock-knock-knock} Sheldon. {Knock-knock-knock} Sheldon. {Knock-knock-knock} Sheldon.
 * Sheldon: I bet that started off as a joke, but by the third one you realized there was something strangely enjoyable about it.
 * Penny: Yeah, I kind of want to do it again.
 * Sheldon: I don’t recommend it. You’ll be doing it the rest of your life.


 * Sheldon: So on the front of the locomotive I a large iron wedge for clearing objects off the tracks. Now commonly known as a cow catcher I prefer the more accurate cow “exploder”.


 * Penny: You are a wise man.
 * Sheldon: Well, Penny, who’s smarter, the wise man or the person who comes to him for advice?
 * Penny: Oh, I guess you’re right. Maybe it’s the person who asks.
 * Sheldon: No, it’s the wise man. That’s why he’s called the wise man. You know how I know that? I’m the wise man.


 * Penny: Okay, it’s just an audition. Why am I nervous? Maybe that’s a good thing. Just means I want it. And I can have it. This feels right. Why did I ever give this up? I’m starting to remember.


 * Chelsea: Penny?
 * Penny: Oh hey. Hey.
 * Chelsea: I haven’t seen you auditioning for a while.
 * Penny: Yeah, I got a job as a pharmaceutical sales rep.
 * Chelsea: You quit acting?
 * Penny: Well, kind of. But now I get to act like inflamed heart is a “mild side effect”. {Laughs}
 * Gwen: I heard you can make good money doing that.
 * Penny: Yeah, it’s going okay, but I do miss this sometimes.
 * Chelsea: Really?
 * Penny: Mmm.
 * Chelsea: ‘Cause I got to tell you, I am so sick of the humiliation and being treated like a piece of meat.
 * Casting assistant: Chelsea?
 * Chelsea: {Perks up.} Wish me luck. {laughs}
 * Gwen: They’re gonna love you. I heard she’s pushing forty and everything’s fake.
 * Penny: Yeah. I started that rumor.


 * Penny: I mean, the whole experience reminded me about how much I hated about that world. You..you know the anxiety, the depression, the negativity. I don’t want to feel those things. I want to sell drugs to people who feel those things.
 * Amy: I can’t believe you got up and walked out of an audition for a big movie.
 * Penny: I did. I..I mean, I walked in, read for the part, and then stunk up the place, but then I walked right out.
 * Bernadette: I’m glad you have a new appreciation for your job.
 * Penny: I do, and you know, I don’t think I’ve every thanked you properly for helping me get it.
 * Bernadette: Properly, et all? It’s just words I’ve never heard.
 * Penny: Well, thank you. You’re a good friend and you changed my life.
 * Bernadette: You’re welcome. Hey, now that you’re making some real money, maybe you can take your friend out for a nice thank-you dinner.
 * Penny: Sure.
 * Amy: and you probably have to invite your other friend ‘cause she overheard you talking about it and it would be awkward to exclude her.
 * Penny: Okay.
 * Bernadette: How about now?
 * Penny: All right. {Reluctantly}
 * Bernadette: Don’t forget your wallet.
 * Penny: I…{Groans.}


 * Sheldon’s video: {Viewed in an armada of alien spaceships} Greetings from planet Earth. Just turn left at Alpha Centauri. You can’t miss it.
 * Alien #1: That soft pink alien looks delicious.
 * Alien #2: I could eat.


 * Leonard: When I encountered alien life, I discovered that the key thing was not to sit in its spot.