The Prom Equivalency

"The Prom Equivalency" is the eighth episode of the eighth season of the sitcom The Big Bang Theory. The episode aired on Thursday, November 6, 2014.

Summary
The girls decide to reenact their high school proms with their guys since no one except for Penny had memorable ones. Howard is worried that Stuart will bring his mother, while he actually brings the cousin that Howard lost his virginity to.

Extended Plot


The guys are having lunch at the Caltech cafeteria, when Leonard mentions that he and Penny had seen his mother (Howard's) at 's the previous night. Howard describes how she loves that and practically jumps out of her seat every time they flip a  in the air. That is why Howard never takes her to. Leonard saw her there with Stuart. Raj wonders if Howard minds that they are. Howard insists that Stuart and his mother are just friends. Raj speculates that they still returned home and fell asleep together in their matching which both have  on them. Finally Howard admits that it does bother him. Sheldon interjects that he doesn't have the problem that the s has which is the only member of the family that is not classified as a great ape. He has been singled out by as the weird  on the. Leonard points out that that the doesn't even know it's a ape, yet alone a gibbon. Sheldon that commiserates with Howard that he has it off worse than the gibbon.

Bernadette and Amy enter Penny's apartment with for their. She also got a list of other things that they could use at the movie. Amy noticed all the that were on her. Penny is cleaning out her since she needs room for all her new business clothes. Amy real wondered why she was even folding them now. Among other items, Amy comes across her. Bernadette is amazed that she still has it and that it isn't balled up in the corner of a somewhere in Nebraska. Penny looks disturbed and wants to know what kind of they thought she was. Amy says "easy" and Bernadette says "". Penny corrects them and says that the term is "popular". Amy didn't go to her, but was on the clean-up crew. The let her  with her  to "". Bernadette's date liked her and he spent the whole prom talking about her. Amy is miffed because Bernadette had a date and a friend and wants her to stop. Penny feels that proms are silly. Bernadette figures that she went with the captain of the team. Penny denies it and only made out with her while his date got sick. Bernadette suggests that they have a prom do-over. They could fix up the roof, make the guys wear, slow dance and fix up their. As someone who has been to seven proms, it is never as good as you want it to be. The themes were four "Under the s", two "Enchanted Evenings" and one "Night to Remember" which Penny can't remember.

Howard joins, Leonard, Sheldon, Penny and Raj for in Apartment 4A. The other girls are out dress shopping. Raj has wanted to go to a prom ever since he saw "" and then changed his mind after seeing "". He changed his mind again after seeing "". Bernadette is so excited that her got so high that the  next door started. Sheldon did not go to his prom because he had a date with a good education. Penny thinks that the whole idea is lame. Leonard feels that it is neat to even go to a fake prom with a as  as Penny. Penny is now unhappy because she can't blow the whole thing off without sounding like a.

At their place, Bernie is on her telling Howard that everyone accepted their. She claims to be be very excited as her voice goes way up and the beagle next door does start howling. Even Stuart is bringing a date. Howard is not happy because he figures Stuart is bringing his as his date. Bernadette claims that Howard took her to his prom. She was only a, though they do have a of them dancing together. Howard explains that he had to because the band was playing their song. Howard then calls up Stuart telling him that he can't take it anymore partly because they had been friends for years. Stuart tells him to not worry because he is bringing a date. Then is he on his mother? Stuart corrects Howard that nothing weird is going on between the two of them; however, then Debbie calls him that his bath is getting cold an Stuart has to leave.

Sheldon knocks on Penny's more than three times. Just in case he is in a rush someday and could use a few in the. Since both he and Penny are not completely happy about the prom, Sheldon has figured out how they can still enjoy it. They can pretend to be s just like the alien in the  "" who wanted to blend in among the s. Sheldon did the same thing the night he went to see her first play. For her performance, the alien in question gave Penny seven. Penny changes the subject and asks if he will be participating in any post-prom. Sheldon asks about these activities and Penny says that her date needs a van with an in it. Sheldon tells Penny that he wants to participate in the whole experience, he is open to it. Penny thinks that he is kidding; however, Sheldon wants to do it as the alien where Amy fires her s at him and he catch them in some external alien. Sheldon is not the best at reading ; however he thinks that his comments are turning Penny on.

Leonard is helping Sheldon fix the tie on his tuxedo those he mentions that Sheldon could use a. Sheldon comments that Bruce Wayne doesn't use a clip-on. Bruce Wayne also doesn't have his help him put it on. Sheldon counters that that does happen and his roommate's name is. The tie looks perfect which pleases Sheldon since he wants everything for his first prom to go right. He is not going to pretend to be an alien since Penny and everybody else didn't want to do it. Sheldon gets out a. He is going to spike the though only with. Also, he plans to have his picture taken, slow dance and get elected, though being is a  and not an elected position. Leonard tells him not to feel any pressure about having sex even though all his friends are. Besides, Leonard feels that Sheldon doesn't even have any.

Leonard and Sheldon go over to Penny's to pick up the girls. Penny is wearing her old red prom dress and Leonard thinks she looks amazing. Amy is wearing a dress and tells Sheldon that he looks. Penny asks him if he thinks Amy looks hot and whether that is getting his alien sex organs excited. Sheldon excuses himself claiming that he can't do it.

Howard, Bernadette, Raj and Emily are in a having. Raj texts Stuart that they are almost there to pick him up. Bernadette that Emily's shoulder is neat, Sally from the movie "". Even though both Emily and Sally have, she likes that Sally has and  that were sewn back on. Bernadette says that she likes. Emily is mentions that in the original story Cinderella's step-sisters cut off their so they could fit in the. Bernadette prefers the version that goes "bibbidi bobbidi boo". Stuart shows up with his date, Jeanie, the second cousin that Howard lost his to. Emily already knows the story since Raj told her during an awkward moment on a date. Though everybody agrees that it was when he was fifteen and that was a long time ago.

Leonard escorts Penny to the roof which has been decorated by Amy and Bernadette for their dance. Penny thinks they did a beautiful job and is getting into the mood. She is so happy to be able to take him to his first prom; however, Leonard did go to the prom. His date was a girl called and then went home and had a threesome with. First they try to tell each other that they would have dance together; however, Leonard was a lot shorter then and he would have had asked Penny too late on his way home in his head.

Sheldon is in his room with Amy knocking on the door. Sheldon doesn't want her to come in because according to his message board, he is having a. Sheldon tells Amy that he is worrying that they are going to a prom and there is a lot of pressure to participate in what Mr. Eubanks of "" calls making whoopee. Amy insists that all she said was that he looks handsome. Sheldon goes to the door and mentions that Penny and Leonard were also on the same subject. He also saw how great his looked in his tuxedo pants.

Back in the limo, Stuart is describing how he met Jeanie at Howard's Aunt Gladys' home in very terms showing the influence of Howard's mother on him. Howard wonders if his mother is OK with Stuart going out with Jeanie. She wonders why. Howard says that Stuart and his mother have a weird an inappropriate relationship. Jeanie asks if it's weirder or more inappropriate than the one they had in the back of her 's. Raj thinks that the whole situation is messed up; however, Emily is having the best time. Both Bernadette and Howard wonder why Stuart would bring Jeanie when he knew that Howard would be there. Then Bernadette says that weird and inappropriate relationships with his family members are Howard's thing. He agrees until he realizes what his wife had said.



On the roof, Penny and Leonard are still alone. She might not have asked him to dance then, but she can ask him now despite there is no. They can make their own music. She is wearing her while Leonard has on. She asks him if he wants to take a picture of the two of them and send it to his old club buddies. Leonard admits that he did that with a picture of her in a years ago. Leonard wishes that no one else shows up since they are having such a wonderful time. Penny just wants a prom without any. Switch to the limo with everybody shouting while Howard is Stuart. He wants Stuart to stop climbing his.

Back outside Sheldon's room, Amy says that she is not going to miss another prom and is going without him. Sheldon opens the door to come stop her by saying "I really did think you looked ". She stops in her tracks "You did?" He explains that's why he felt overwhelmed. There's a lot of pressure on him about after-prom traditions. Amy says "just because it is prom, doesn't mean we



have to spend the night together". "But you were hoping that we would?" asked Sheldon. Amy says "I'm always hoping". Tonight she wanted to have a nice time and dance with somebody who had s. Sheldon thanks her for understanding. Amy says that of course she understands and that there is something that she has wanted to tell him, but she understands if he doesn't feel the same way. Sheldon then surprises Amy by saying that he s her too. Amy says. "You said it." Sheldon does not deny that he has feeling for her and there was no other way to explain them though he briefly though it was a . He can only conclude that it is love which causes Amy to have a panic attack. Sheldon tells her that she should lie down and Amy runs into his room. Then he calls to her that just because he said "I love you"; it doesn't mean that girls are allowed in his room. Amy leaves.

Finally Raj and Emily are taking the photos of the prom couples. Leonard gets up on his toes next to Penny. Amy has a big smile after learning that Sheldon loves her. Sheldon's eyes are closed. Howard is seen charging Raj because told him to say "cousin". Stuart takes a phone call from Mrs. Wolowitz and walks away from Jeanie telling her that he has to go.

Costume Notes
While arguing with Amy and Bernadette, Penny wears a blue animal print top from Rebecca Taylor (available online at Saks or RebeccaTaylor).

Critics

 * Jesse Schedeen at IGN - The humor was nicely balanced this week, with just about every character delivering memorable lines and barbs. It was very entertaining to see the tension between Howard and Stuart finally come to a head. Stuart's creepy relationship with Mrs. Wolowitz is one thing, but drawing Howard's cousin (second cousin!) Jeanie was the icing on the cake...Sheldon beat Amy to the punch and confessed that he loved her. It was an emotionally satisfying twist and another huge step forward for a character so resistant to change and all forms of physical affection. But perhaps more importantly, it was a necessary validation of their romance...This episode gave Season 8 the shot in the arm in needed.
 * Dhruv Rao of The DR Club gave the episode an A, commending the writers for creating a scene that was one of the "big moments" of the show.
 * IMDb user reviews

Trivia

 * This is the third appearance of the roof of Leonard, Sheldon and Penny's building, following "The Lunar Excitation" (S3E23) and "The Countdown Reflection" (S5E24).
 * Bernadette's liking of was first referenced in "The Contractual Obligation Implementation" (S6E18).
 * Howard's second cousin Jeanie was first mentioned in "The Adhesive Duck Deficiency" (S3E8), when he told Raj and Leonard that he lost his to her. Howard also told Bernadette in "The Creepy Candy Coating Corollary" (S3E5) that he lost his virginity in a, which Jeanie mentions in this episode.
 * Penny went to seven s while she was in high school.
 * Sheldon tells Amy that he loves her. He already knows she loves him.
 * November is sweeps month so there is significant movement in the Shamy relationship to bring in the big ratings and garner the hefty rates.
 * Sheldon claims to have seen Penny's performance pretending to be from Three, the same solar system that  was marooned in in Star Trek.
 * Emily's shoulder tattoo is of Sally, the rag doll character from "".
 * Emily again exhibits her creepy interests.
 * Third episode where Raj blurts out other characters past hook-ups. Previous were "The Stag Convergence" and "The Hook-up Reverberation".
 * For the first time, Sheldon had a problem with Amy in his room, yet he let Martha sleep in his room (although she really wanted to sleep with him.)
 * Sheldon never went to a because he entered college after completing the 5th grade when he was 11 years old.
 * Amy says she didn't go to her prom as a guest but as part of clean-up crew and the let her dance one slow song with her mop. That may have been a compensation for her cousin refusing to bring her to prom as he was paid by her mother to do, as revealed in "The Pulled Groin Extrapolation".
 * The second continuity error regarding Sheldon taking late, as this mistake was also made in "The Thanksgiving Decoupling".
 * Goof: Leonard says he had a growth spurt after his prom. In "The Cooper-Hofstadter Polarization" he told Penny that he still had all his clothes he owned since the eighth grade, after his last growth spurt.
 * This episode is the last episode the voice of Mrs. Wolowitz is heard played by Carol Ann Susi, who died on November 11, 2014 only five days after this episode aired.

Quotes

 * Leonard: Oh, hey. We ran into your Mom at Benehana’s last night.
 * Howard: Uh, yeah. She loves that place. Every time they flip a shrimp in the air, she practically leaps out of her chair to catch it. That’s why I don’t take her to Sea World.


 * Amy: What’s with the clothes?
 * Penny: Well, with all the new stuff I bought for work, I needed to make room in my closet.
 * Amy: I meant why are they folded? But whatever. Ooo. What’s this?
 * Penny: That, believe it or not, is my prom dress.
 * Bernadette: Wow, you still have it? I just assumed it was balled up in the corner of a barn somewhere.
 * Penny: What kind of a teenager did you think I was?
 * Bernadette: Slutty.
 * Amy: Easy.
 * Penny: The word is “popular”.


 * Bernadette: You probably went with the captain of the football team.
 * Penny: No. I just made out with him a little while his date was puking.


 * Raj: Ever since I saw "Pretty in Pink", I wanted to go to an American prom. But then I saw "Carrie" and I didn't not want to go to an American prom. But then I saw "Never Been Kissed" and I’m back on the prom bandwagon.


 * Leonard: Hmm. To be honest, it’s kind of a dream come true to even go to a fake prom with a girl as beautiful as you.
 * Penny: Ugh, thanks a lot.
 * Leonard: What?
 * Penny: Well, now I can’t blow this thing off without being a bitch.


 * Penny: Here’s a question. As an alien pretending to be human, are you planning to engage in any post-prom mating rituals with Amy?
 * Sheldon: There are post-prom mating rituals?
 * Penny: Not always. Unless you’re date drives a van with an air mattress, then always.


 * Leonard: You know, it you’re not gonna learn how to do this; they make some pretty good clip-ons.
 * Sheldon: Bruce Wayne doesn't wear a clip-on.
 * Leonard: Bruce Wayne doesn't make his roommate tie it for him.
 * Sheldon: His name is Alfred and, yes, he does.


 * Leonard: Was that a flask?
 * Sheldon: Yes. I decided to embrace all of the traditions associated with prom including spiking the punch.
 * Leonard: You’re going to put alcohol in the punch?
 * Sheldon: Oh no, this is pomegranate juice. It’s all the fun of high school hi-jinx with the cell-protecting zip of anti-oxidants.
 * Leonard: If you had ripped jeans and a leather jacket, you’d be like the toughest kid on the Disney Channel.


 * Bernadette: That’s a neat tattoo.
 * Emily: Oh thanks. It’s Sally from “Nightmare before Christmas”.
 * Howard: Ah, that movie’s so cute. So do you like her because you both have red hair?
 * Emily: Oh, a little. Thanks, but more because she’s covered with scars and can pull her own limbs off and sew them back on.
 * Bernadette: I like Cinderella.
 * Emily: Did you know in the original book the sisters cut their toes off with knives in order to fit in the glass slipper?
 * Bernadette: I like “Bibbidi-bobbidi-boo”.


 * Amy: You’re making me worry. What’s going on?
 * Sheldon: What’s going on is we’re about to go to a prom. And here’s a great deal of pressure on young couples like us to engage in what Mr. Eubanks called making whoopee.
 * Amy: What pressure? All I said was you look handsome. Can you please open the door?
 * Sheldon: It’s not just that. Leonard and Penny also made comments about it. And I’m not blind. Even I looked twice when I saw my posterior in these tuxedo pants.


 * Amy: Sheldon, this is silly. I’m not missing another prom. I’m going upstairs. Good-bye.
 * Sheldon: I really did think you look pretty.
 * Amy: You did?
 * Sheldon: Yes. So much that I started to panic.
 * Amy: Will you can relax. Just because you think I look pretty doesn't mean we have to spend the night together.
 * Sheldon: We’re you hoping we were because it’s prom.
 * Amy: I’m always hoping. But tonight I just wanted to have a nice time with you. And maybe dance with someone who has arms.
 * Sheldon: Thank you for understanding.
 * Amy: Of course I understand. Sheldon. There’s something else I've been wanting to say, but before I do, I just.. I want you to know that you don’t have to say it back. I know you’re not ready and you don’t have to say it back...just because social convention dictates…
 * Sheldon: I love you too.
 * Amy: You said it.
 * Sheldon: There’s no denying I have feeling for you that can’t be explained in any other way. I briefly considered that I had a brain parasite, but that even see more far-fetched. The only conclusion was love.
 * Amy: [Panic attack]


 * Leonard: Thank you for wearing your flats.
 * Penny: Thank you for wearing your heels.
 * Leonard: Hmm. Look at me dancing with the prettiest girl at the prom.


 * Howard: So my mother’s OK with this?
 * Jeanie: Why would your mother have a problem with me and Stuart?
 * Howard: Cause they have a weird inappropriate relationship.
 * Jeanie: Weirder than the one you and I had in my dad’s corolla?
 * Raj: This is so messed up.
 * Emily: I know. I’m having the best time.
 * Howard: Why would you even come to this? Didn't you know I would be here?
 * Jeanie: It was a long time ago, Howard.
 * Stuart: And you’re only second cousins, who cares?
 * Bernadette: So you knew and brought her anyway?
 * Stuart: Oh, so she’s good enough for Howard, but not for me?
 * Howard: Yeah.
 * Bernadette: Yeah, go have weird relationships with your own mother and cousin. This is his turf.
 * Howard: Yeah. [Howard looks confused.]


 * Amy: Okay, we get it, you had a friend and a date. Stop bragging.
 * Penny: Doesn’t matter. Prom is silly anyways.
 * Bernadette: Easy for you to say; you probably went with the captain of the football team.
 * Penny: No. I just made out with him a little while his date was puking.
 * Amy: My date would’ve had to clean that up.