The Transporter Malfunction

The Transporter Malfunction is the twentieth episode of the fifth season of the CBS sitcom, The Big Bang Theory. This episode first aired on March 29, 2012.

Summary
Penny buys Sheldon and Leonard vintage collectible Star Trek transporter toys, but Sheldon accidentally breaks his when he tries to play with it. When he switches his with Leonard's, his conscience, in the form of his Spock action figure (voice of Leonard Nimoy), starts to get the better of him.

Extended Plot
After Sheldon complained about Penny's constant mooching, she bought Leonard and Sheldon each a mint-condition vintage Star Trek transporter from 1975. She is disappointed when they both refuse to take them out of their boxes since they both wanted to preserve the toy's value. Sheldon dreamed that his Spock figure told him that it is illogical to not use a toy that is meant to be played with. Sheldon opened his transporter and then breaks it. Changing his broken one for Leonard’s toy, he figured that Leonard will never find out since he doesn't plan to open his. Later, Sheldon had a nightmare where his Mr. Spock chastised him for switching the two transporters. When Leonard decided to play with his toy since it was a present from his girlfriend Penny, Sheldon is forced to confess that he broke it and return Leonard's property. He has trouble explining himself telling several stories each ending with "That's a lie."

Howard and Bernadette push Raj to send back his RSVP which he has not done due to him not having a date yet to the wedding. Desperate, Raj tells his parents to set him up with someone. He seems to hit it off with his prospective bride until he found out that she is gay. Thinking he is also gay, she is willing to enter into a lavender marriage (but which would really be a mixed-orientation marriage) to take the pressure off both of them to wed. To cheer him up, Howard and Bernadette bought him a female Yorkie puppy.





Title Reference
The title is derived from Sheldon playing with and accidentally breaking his vintage Star Trek transporter given to him by Penny.

Quotes
Sheldon: Quantum Physics makes me so happy.

Leonard: ''Yeah, I'm glad. ''

Sheldon: It's like looking at the universe naked.

Sheldon: I thought where you come from they don't have emotions.

Spock: I come from a factory in Taiwan.

Penny: Tada!

Sheldon: (Gasp)'' A vintage, mint in box 1975 Mego Star Trek Transporter, with real transporter action. Hotdarn!''

Leonard:'' Where did you get that? ''

Penny: That's from Stuart at the comic book store.

Leonard: You went to the comic book store by yourself?

Penny: ''Yeah! It was fun. I walked in and two different guys got asthma attacks. Felt pretty good.''

Sheldon: This calls for an expression of gratitude.

Penny: Ooh, am I about to get a rare Sheldon Cooper hug?

Sheldon: No, not this time, then it wouldn't be special. (makes a finger-gun gesture, clicks his tongue) Thanks, Penny!

Penny:'' You're welcome. (to Leonard) Don't worry, I didn't forget about you. Leonard, I got you... (takes something out from her shopping bag) a label maker! ''

Leonard: (looks stunned)'' Wow...oh, it's great. Also... in mint in box.''

Penny: (takes something from her shopping bag) And I got you a transporter too!

Leonard: (throws away the label maker) Awesome!

Spock:'' Dr. Cooper! Dr. Cooper!''

Sheldon: (looks around) Is someone there?

Spock: Down here, on your desk.

Sheldon: Spock?

Spock: I need to speak with you.

Sheldon:'' Fascinating! The only logical explanation is that, this is a dream.''

Spock:'' It is not the only logical explanation. For example, you could be hallucinating after being hit on the head by say, a coconut. ''

Sheldon: Was I hit on the head by a coconut?

Spock:'' I'm not going to dignify that with a response. Now, to the matter at hand, you need to play with the transporter toy.''

Sheldon: Yes, but it's mint in box.

Spock:'' Yes, and to open it would destroy its value. But remember like me, you also have a human-half.''

Sheldon:'' Well I'm not going to dignify that with a response. ''

Spock:'' Consider this. What is the purpose of a toy?''

Sheldon: To be played with.

Spock: Therefore, to not play with it would be?

Sheldon:'' Illogical. Oh, dammit Spock you're right! I'll do it!''

Spock: ''Sheldon, wait. You have to wake up first.''

Sheldon: ''Oh, of course. Set phasers to dumb, right? ''

Penny: Oh my God, I love this chicken!

Sheldon: You know what they say, 'Best things in life are free'.

Trivia

 * Leonard Nimoy makes his guest star debut on this episode. Nimoy joins the extensive list of other Star Trek actors who have guest-starred on the show: LeVar Burton, Wil Wheaton, George Takei, and Brent Spiner. According to the producers, they had been attempting to get him to do a guest spot for years, but had been unsuccessful due to his having mostly retired from acting. This would also likely explain why he only did a voiceover, rather than appear on-screen (not to mention the fact that, in the continuity of the show, Nimoy had filed a restraining order against Sheldon, as revealed in The Excelsior Acquisition).
 * The vintage Spock action figure is by Mego (1975-1977, 1979), as is the transporter room.
 * The episode of this article is the second to prominently feature action figures, with the first being The Nerdvana Annihilation.
 * This is the second time guilt causes "Gorn-infested REM sleep" for Sheldon, as the first instance was in The Apology Insufficiency.
 * The third direct accusation of Penny eating Sheldon and Leonard's food occurs in this episode, following The Financial Permeability (Raj implied she uses her body to get dinner) and The Vegas Renormalization (Sheldon said she is "the milk thief"). Indirect statements were made in The Dead Hooker Juxtaposition, wherein Alicia said that Penny lets the guys do stuff for her, and in The Thespian Catalyst, wherein she is referred to as a "freeloader". Notably, she also uses their Wi-Fi, as revealed in The Panty Piñata Polarization and The Roommate Transmogrification in addition to The Thespian Catalyst.
 * Amy will not appear in this episode because Mayim Bialik is away to promote her new book Beyond the Sling: A Real-Life Guide to Raising Confident, Loving Children the Attachment Parenting Way.
 * Raj's parents, Dr. V.M. Koothrappali and Mrs. Koothrappali, will appear via Skype in this episode. They were last seen in The Wiggly Finger Catalyst. In The Herb Garden Germination, Mrs. Koothrappali said, "We're very rich in a very poor country. So, all in all, can't complain." She similarly states that there is nothing to complain about in this episode.
 * Lakshmi was mentioned in The Guitarist Amplification in the context of a date for Raj at his cousin Sanjay's wedding. Mrs. Koothrappali: "Sheldon, ask our son what we’re supposed to say to Mr. and Mrs. Choudhry, whose daughter, Lakshmi is flying in from London, for the sole purpose of meeting him." Dr. Koothrappali: "Yes, Lakshmi just got her stomach stapled. You have an opportunity to get in good with her before she loses weight, and her self-esteem goes up."
 * Raj is given a Yorkshire Terrier ("Yorkie") puppy by Howard and Bernadette. Interestingly, Bernadette shows no signs of discomfort when she pulls the puppy out of her bag and hands it to Raj, despite the fact that she claims to not like puppies because she had been bitten in the face by one in the past (as revealed in The Creepy Candy Coating Corollary, when Howard asks where she stands on puppies).
 * One of the rock formations in the background of Sheldon's second dream sequence looks very similar to the Guardian of Forever from the Star Trek: The Original Series episode "The City on the Edge of Forever." This was very likely intentional, given this episode's Star Trek theme.

Video
350px|left|The Transporter Malfunction Sneak Peek 1 350px|left|The Transporter Malfunction Sneak Peek 2

350px|left|The Transporter Malfunction promo

Reference

 * Taping report provided by Roxanne.
 * Press release from spoilertv.com