"An Introduction to Engineering and a Glob of Hair Gel" is the seventh episode of season five of the American sitcom Young Sheldon. The episode aired on November 18, 2021.
Summary[]
Sheldon takes his first engineering class with Professor Boucher. Also, Meemaw and Dale help take care of his ex-wife, June.[1]
Extended plot[]
The episode opens with Adult Sheldon and Howard narrating and debating over an engineering introduction. Sheldon finds it too comical to his liking, but Howard points out that Sheldon was the one who asked for help. Howard continues the introduction, which mentions his NASA career. Sheldon complains again, but Howard tells him that he always mentions his nobel Prize because he wears his Nobel Peace medal.
Back in the 1990s, Sheldon is in class and asks questions, leading to the annoyance of Professor Boucher. However, Sheldon misleadingly thinks he is the favorite because he is given his requested number role call, the number one.
Meemaw is on the phone with Dale when June calls, saying she hurt her knee and has to cancel her hair appointment and now she is in a cast in her home. This leads to Meemaw going back and forth on call waiting, getting and sharing the story with Dale. She is in a cast due to injuries to her right leg.
Sheldon tells the story about his class and how hard he is about educating students, but Mary isn't thrilled with Professor Boucher's style of teaching. Sheldon talks about a bridge building assignment, which he thinks he will ace.
He mentions Professor Boucher was in the Army like George. Missy thinks it is cool, but George plays it down. Georgie is still stuck on the fact that Georgie is number one like taking a leak.
Meemaw and Dale go to visit June at her home. Her right leg is in a cast and sitting in front of the TV. He had brought her ice cream, one of her favorites; June makes a joke about her companions being the painkillers she has and that Elvis had died something his similar.
Sheldon tries to turn his assignment in early. Looking it over, Professor Boucher says it is wrong and tears it up. He tells Mary about it on the way home, which upsets her. She wants to make it better, so she offers to take him to Radio Shack and makes him feel better by saying that the professor is a bully and is taking out frustration on a helpless child.
While she is watching a cheap production of Romeo and Juliet, she realizes the recliner is broken. June calls Dale for help getting out of her chair. He agrees to help, but not before he laughs and get his camera.
Sheldon works on another bridge drawing, this time based on an Army commercial, but no avail. Professor Boucher rips it up and tells him to do it again. Sheldon complains to the president Linda Hagemeyer calls him into his office. She wants him to take it easy on him because Sheldon's status as a student at the school proves to be an asset, but he refuses. She reminds him she is his boss, but he has tenure so there is nothing she can do.
Dale and Meemaw have dinner together. He confesses to helping June shower, leading to a massive argument. He admits having done it before to help her, and Meemaw isn't super happy about it.
Sheldon continues to struggle with his project while Missy watches, eating popcorn. George asks what is going on and eventually agrees to talk to Professor Boucher.
Meemaw calls June and lets her know about the shower. She invites her over and explains lots of people could have helped but there is nothing to worry about. She will get the kid who mows her lawn to hose her off in the backyard. She also admits that she is jealous MeeMaw's relationship with Dale, jealous that she made him better but Meemaw reaps all the benefits. This leads to a bonding session;
George goes to talk to Professor Boucher, who tells him Sheldon needs to learn how to figure things out on his own. The two of them bond over breaking people down to build them back up, which is the technique they both use.
Later on, George tells Sheldon the story and tells him to take charge of his own life. Sheldon takes this advice and eventually comes up with the answer. He was sitting at a table outside when the wind blows a sheet of paper, leading him to realize wind is the answer. With this in mind, he walks to class, but is locked out of the door because of the professor's policy of locking the door, pressing his watch.
This act forces him to skip class, making him hate engineering. Howard is shocked this is the real reason as it is personal animosity, but Sheldon assures him that he was part of the problem as well.
The episode ends with President Hagemeyer calling Boucher into her office, asking him if he locked Sheldon out of his class to which he agrees telling her it's his policy for latecomers. She asks him for a favor; he feels exasperated, but she surprises him by asking him what Sheldon's face looked like when he locked him out and said that she herself wanted to feel as though she shut the door in his face. Boucher is all too excited to tell her all about it, sits down in her chair (which he never does) and proceeds to tell her that Sheldon as usual approached the door with the smug look he has; Hagemeyer disgustedly responds by saying she knows that look very well. He tells her that when Sheldon realized he's been locked out his face fell into utter shock and disbelief. Hagemeyer tells him to do the face and he does and Hagemeyer laughs out loud a very wholehearted hearty laugh. She profusely thanks Boucher by telling him that he had turned her frown upside down and he welcomes her for it.
Credits[]
Main[]
- Iain Armitage as Sheldon Cooper
- Zoe Perry as Mary Cooper
- Lance Barber as George Cooper Sr.
- Montana Jordan as George Cooper Jr.
- Raegan Revord as Missy Cooper
- Jim Parsons as the voice of Sheldon Cooper
- Annie Potts as Meemaw
Recurring[]
- Craig T. Nelson as Dale
- Reba McEntire as June
- Wendie Malick as Linda Hagemeyer
- Lance Reddick as Professor Boucher
Guest[]
- Simon Helberg as Howard Wolowitz (voice over cameo)
- Adi Dixit as Student
Notes[]
- With his voice role as Howard in the narration, Simon Helberg is the third actor from the main cast of The Big Bang Theory to reprise his role in Young Sheldon after Mayim Bialik reprised Amy Farrah Fowler in "Graduation", and the fourth overall to contribute to the spin-off.
- First time Linda Hagemeyer saw his true colors and find out how much of an arrogant jerk he is.
- Sheldon's long-standing hatred of engineers, a running gag on The Big Bang Theory (along with other fields of science) and a source of conflict with Howard, is revealed to be not because he is unable to do it, but because he had a poor experience with a teacher. Sheldon looks down on all of his friends professions and their college degrees thinking he is better than everyone else.
- Sheldon insults George Smoot, who won a Nobel Prize, and thinks he is washed up: Sheldon will eventually win a Nobel Prize in his adulthood, as depicted in the series finale of The Big Bang Theory.
- Howard Wolowitz helped Sheldon about engineering in Sheldon’s memoir. Since Sheldon Cooper was writing his Memoir for the entire series.
Critics[]
Trivia[]
- This episode takes place in 1992.
- This episode is a time jump.
Quotes[]
Gallery[]
