The Inspiration Deprivation

"The﻿ Inspiration Deprivatio﻿﻿n﻿﻿" is the nineteenth episode of the twelfth season of the sitcom The Big Bang Theory. The episode aired on Thursday, April 18, 2019.

Summary
The concept of what it would mean for women everywhere if Amy were to win a Nobel Prize causes Amy to have a meltdown. Also, Koothrappali and Wolowitz try to relive the good old days after Wolowitz buys a scooter that looks like the one he had years ago.

Extended Plot
Amy comes up to the guys in the cafeteria wanting to show Sheldon her cell phone. She has been called into Human Resources probably because of her blow-up in front of Pemberton and Campbell at the university reception. Raj never thought of Amy as a bad girl. Then Sheldon also gets a summons from HR. He wants to make sure that their stories are straight and that the incident was all Amy’s fault.

Janine Davis and President Seibert asked them in to discuss the incident and then have a plan to move forward without pointing fingers. Sheldon then points to Amy. The President starts that it was all his fault because he thought that Sheldon and Amy wanted to win a Nobel Prize. He needs them to “keep their traps shut”! And he adds that they have a shot at a Nobel Prize and that they are blowing it. There speaking tours and interviews are going to be cancelled. Janine Davis adds that their winning is not just important to the university, but also will be inspirational to a whole generation of women since Amy would only be the fourth woman to win the Nobel Prize in Physics. The President adds that the next words he wants out of their mouths is “Thank you for this honor.” In Stockholm at the Nobel Prize presentation.

Raj and Howard are strolling through the Caltech parking lot when they spot a scooter just like the one that Howard had. They start reminiscing about driving around and looking for women and not really finding any. Howard did find his woman who also made him get rid of his scooter.

As the, Penny agrees that Amy winning is a real big deal. Both Sheldon and Amy are kind of freaked out. Leonard calmed Sheldon down with a Rubix Cube where he had switched some of the colored stickers around and it was unsolvable. Sheldon solved the puzzle by finding which colors had been shifted fairly quickly. Penny then suggests a massage, but only Amy’s hands can touch his body. And they have to be proven clean. Then Penny suggests a Reiki massage where the hands are only placed near one’s body and the universal energy field will manifest their healing powers. Leonard then suggests a sensory deprivation tank where on floats in a liquid cutting off all sensory stimulation. Amy finds it’s interesting, but Sheldon doesn’t want to be cut off from his senses. Leonard objects that everything Sheldon complains about is what he sees, feels and hears.

Howard is leading Raj across the parking with closed eyes and then surprises him having bought the scooter. He plans to keep it at work so that Bernadette won’t find out about it. Howard starts it up calling it “twelve horsepower of eye-talian” thunder. Both the Coopers and the Hofstadters enter the sensory deprivation tank room. According to the technician, they could be calmed, sleep or have visions. If they panic, push the panic button and call out “Bebe”, the woman’s name. Sheldon then asks for confirmation of the fluid’s pH and sterility which also helps to relax Sheldon. Both Amy and Sheldon climb into their tanks. At the Wolowitz’s Howard is fulling around with his helmet until Bernadette comes out, He immediately throws it into the trash can claiming that it’s not his. She knows that he is acting guilty and hten is shocked when Raj drives by on the scooter. Bernadette just stares at him.

Sheldon in his hallucination is floating among colors and an infinite iterations of the Nautilus section of the Mandelbrot set. Amy is having a nightmarish vision of woman blaming her of ruining their chance for her to be an inspiration to them and all women. Leonard and Penny return when Sheldon and Amy’s hour in the tank is up. Sheldon is very calm while Amy comes out feeling a failure and still feeling like she can’t deal with the situation.

Back home Sheldon is praising his experience and that was like Disneyland in 35 dimensions. A hyped-up Amy is busily cleaning out the refrigerator. She is still freaking out. Not only is she letting their project down, she is letting ALL women down. Sheldon Googles what to do when one is freaking out. Take a walk. So Sheldon leaves her and takes a walk.

Howard enters the kitchen and finds Bernadette still mad at him. Howard says that he just didn’t want to worry him. She translates that as he didn’t want to get caught. Bernadette doesn’t want him to get hurt and find herself raising two children and one large vegetable. Howard didn’t want to feel emasculated and that he wanted to feel the freedom of his youth. Bernadette reminded him that he lived with his mother and had a CURFEW.

Howard then sells it to their friend Bert, who loves it and drives off immediately having an accident.

Sheldon is seeking advice from Leonard and Penny since he doesn’t know how to console Amy. Leonard tells him that sometimes all you can do is be there for them. Penny adds that Amy has always been taking care of him and that maybe he should do that it return. Sheldon decides to have an emotional breakdown so that Amy can forget about hers and take care of him.

Sheldon returns telling Amy that he needs her helps since he is literally losing his mind. He wants her to focus on him, but she has no time for whatever Sheldon is trying to do. Sheldon then admits that he doesn’t know how to help her and Amy says that she doesn’t know what to do either. Sheldon sits not her and takes her in his arms. Amy looks must better and Sheldon then sings to her “Soft Kitty”. Bernadette is adding up the money that Howard got from Bert and he was $20 short. Howard gave up the last bill. Selling it was a whole loss because Bert did get the phone number of an ER nurse after he woke up.

Amy returns to Janine Davis’ office. She agreed that the Nobel Prize is bigger than see is and like it or not, she is a role model. Still she does not want to be left out on the sidelines as she is a strong, capable, smart woman and can make a difference. Janine agrees wither and offers a seat. How about a drink of water? Amy wants something with some extra kick. Janine denies that she does that in Human Resources, but can still offer her a drink – without ice.

Credits

 * Guest starring:
 * Regina King as Janine Davis
 * Joshua Malina as President Siebert
 * Brian Posehn as Bert Kibbler
 * Brooke Dillman as Bebe
 * Teleplay: Steve Holland, Anthony Del Broccolo & Tara Hernandez
 * Story: Eric Kaplan, Maria Ferrari & Andy Gordon

Critics

 * To be entered.
 * IMDb user review

Trivia

 * Fifth episode of the last ten episodes.
 * First appearance (and probably last) of Regina King since she won a for "".
 * Marie Curie aka Madame Curie was the first woman to win the Nobel prize.
 * Amy would only be the fourth woman in history who won the Nobel Prize for Physics.
 * In the Sensory Deprivation Tank Sheldon calms down while Amy's fears are magnified.

Quotes
To be entered.