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"The Gates Excitation"[1] is the eighteenth episode of the eleventh season of the American sitcom The Big Bang Theory. The episode aired on Thursday, March 29, 2018.

Summary[]

Everyone gets excited when computer geek Bill Gates visits Penny at work. Amy gets tired of Bernadette continually talking about her kids.

Extended Plot[]

While having dinner in apartment 4A, the guys are discussing Batman and whether he was now texting in lieu of use of the Bat-Signal in 2018. The girls want to put a stop to it so Penny goes over and announces that she is escorting Bill Gates around her company. His company wants to develop affordable vaccines. Sheldon figures that since he arrives on April Fool's Day, Penny is playing a prank on him. She just goes along with him.

As they clean up the apartment, Leonard is really impressed with Penny showing around Bill Gates. She hopes that if she does a good job, she can get a PR job that was opening up. Leonard wants to come along since he can talk to Bill Gates about his work. Penny plans to just tell him that his work is interesting and will ask him to tell her more to avoid having to understand it. Also Penny says that his visit is not a social event which Leonard understands. He met him years before through his mother back in New Jersey. Leonard was so happy that he burst intotears in front of Bill Gates.

BG2

I get to meet Bill Gates.

At Howard and Bernadette's house, Stuart is taking both kids off to the park as Amy arrives to go to lunch with Bernadette. Stuart is practicing his meager understating of Spanish on Amy. Bernadette offers Amy a juice box or (ba)-nears while they are watching "Bob the Builder" which she is really into. Amy wants them to head out to lunch, though Bernie wants to watch Bob.

Penny finds Sheldon in the laundry room thinking that he is folding her laundry. The big underwear is not Penny's making this the worst day of Sheldon's life. Sheldon still thinks that the Bill Gates' visit is a prank, so he asks Penny about it directly. She admits that the software billionaire is really coming

which frustrates Sheldon since he doesn't know what to believe.

TGE-1

trying to catch Bill Gates at his hotel.

While at lunch Bernadette feels like her brain is turning to mush. She then talks about a video of her kids, a book she is reading that also floats in the bathtub. The book quacks when you squeeze it which makes Michael laugh. She tries to find the video to show Amy.

While playing a video game, Penny is heading to the office to prepare for her visit with Bill Gates. Both Howard and Raj also want to meet him. Penny shows Leonard his schedule to prove that he has no time to meet him. After she leaves, Leonard is excited that he knows which hotel he is at and when he gets there. Off the guys head to meet him.

In a modern hotel lobby, The guys discuss the Gates' wealth. Howard would build a working Iron Man suit. Leonard admits that he feels bad about sneaking around Penny's back. Bill Gates walks in and Leonard approaches the man. Leonard tells him about when they previously met and how much he influenced his life as Leonard breaks into tears. The crying incident is what Bill remembers about Leonard and he asks if Leonard wants a tissue. Leonard wants a hug, but Bill only wants to offer  him a tissue.

Returning from lunch, Bernadette apologizes about continually talking about her kids. Amy didn't mind except when she cut up her meat. Bernie wants to know what happened to that smart, educated, successful woman. Amy tries to make her feel better telling that new mothers are more sensitive to danger, better at multitasking, finding food and seeking out nonverbal cues.

Sheldon returns to the apartment building and doesn't hold the door for Leonard. Heading up the stairs Leonard tells him about meeting Bill Gates. Sheldon still figures that is an elaborate April Fool's prank. Leonard shows him a picture of them together. Sheldon wants to meet him so Leonard tells him the

name of a hotel as Sheldon gets pranked and runs off to the wrong place.

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Stuart trying to talk to some Spanish speaking nannies.

Finding Penny at home, she lies that he was just hanging out with the fellows. Penny calls him a good husband. Leonard replies that since she said it, that she was probably right. Penny has good news that he can come to the private reception the next night to meet the man. Leonard gets all worried and insists that it will only be his second time.

While preparing a snack Howard hears Bernadette talking to the kids about some technobabble equations on the baby monitor. She comes down and tells Howard that due to her new found cognitive abilities, she has been wasting her time making up nursery rhymes. She wants to learn all kinds of new things. She saw a problem and fixed it. Howard compares her to Bob the Builder and giraffe cage. Bernadette gets mad that she hadn't seen that one.

At the comic book store, Leonard talks about how screwed he is when he runs again in Bill Gates. Sheldon comes into the store to complain about Leonard's wild goose chase to the wrong hotel. Howard sends Sheldon off to Long Beach to another wrong hotel.

As Penny gets ready for the reception, Leonard complains about being sick. Penny feels really bad though she does say that he looks pale and clammy. After Penny leaves, Leonard checks himself out and he sees only his usual pale and clammy.

At dinner, Bernie can't stop talking about all the new things she is learning. Bored Amy says that she'll have the chicken. Bernadette quickly spells chicken backwards and declares that she has a “Mom Brain”. Then Amy orders a whole bottle of wine.

While Leonard is playing a game, he gets a Skype call from Penny. She has a surprise for him and she introduces Bill Gates. Bill waves and then claims that he knows Leonard. They met in the hotel and he cried all over him ruining his tie. Penny wants to know what Gates is talking about. Leonard claims that it must be a joke and hangs up.

Sheldon is climbing the stairs complaining about his stupid trip and finds an "I’m sorry" sign on apartment 4A's door. Thinking that Leonard is apologizing to him, he goes in and finds Leonard with a big apology for Penny. He runs in and gives Leonard a big hug and says that he can't stay mad with him.

Finally Stuart is back in the park trying to speak to the Spanish speaking nannies. They wonder in Spanish what is wrong with him and who would let him watch their kids. Next they wonder if he stole the kids and whether they should talk to the cops.

Credits[]

Notes[]

  • Title Reference: Bill Gates is shown by Penny around her work exciting all the guys.
  • Taping date: February 21, 2018
  • This episode was watched by 13.26 million people with a rating of 2.5 (adults 18–49).
  • Total viewers including DVR users 18.17 million.
  • This episode aired in Canada on March 29, 2018.
  • This episode aired in the UK on April 5, 2018.
  • Chuck Lorre's vanity card. [1]

Critics[]

  • Beth Shiller of Fan Fest - This episode was great and Bill Gates makes it even better. I loved how Penny was the one who got to meet him (officially) and how the guys were jealous of her for once. Plus she is such a wonderful wife, thinking of Leonard enough to get Bill Gates to FaceTime him. It was also great to see Sheldon get duped into running all over to find Bill Gates. He may be getting better with his social skills, but he's still super gullible.[2]
  • IMDb user reviews [3]

Trivia[]

  • The computer billionaire Bill Gates made his first TBBT episode appearance as himself.
  • Howard also mentioned that Gates once punched Sheldon for an offensive remark during his visit to Cal Tech.
  • Penny hopes to get a public relations job at her company if she does a good job with Bill Gates. She hates her sales job and the PR job is never mentioned again.
  • Bob The Builder is a long-running British animated show aimed at pre-school kids. Originally screened by the BBC, it has been sold to the US and aired with an American cast. The version Bernadette watches is the original British version. Bob's voice actor Neil Morrissey can be heard, instead of his American voice, the late William Dufris.

Quotes[]

Leonard: Uh, M-Mr. Gates, I'm-I'm Dr. Leonard Hofstadter. We've actually met before.
Bill Gates: Sorry, I don't remember.
Leonard: You were so nice, a-and it was really special to me because you've been such a big influence on my life. I mean, ever since I was a little kid, I've looked up to you like-like a hero. (sobbing)
Bill Gates: Oh, now I remember. Would you like a tissue?
Leonard: How about a hug?
Bill Gates: How-how about a tissue?

Penny: Hey guys, guess what? Today at work I found out I am going to meet Bill Gates.
Howard: Sorry Leonard, you and Penny had a good run.
Penny: I'm not leaving him for Bill Gates.
Leonard: You sure? I bet his Internet's really fast.
Amy: How did this happen?
Penny: Well, his foundation is looking to partner with a pharmaceutical company to develop affordable vaccines so they asked me to show him around.
Bernadette: That's great. When is he coming?
Penny: He gets here and Sunday and Monday morning I'm, gonna give him a tour of the labs and offices.
Sheldon: Oh, he gets in on Sunday, April first? [Chuckles.] Nice try, Penny.
Penny: What're you talking about?
Sheldon: April Fool's Day. This is another one of your classic pranks you try to pull on me every year.
Penny: Literally never pulled a prank on you.
Sheldon: Oh, really. what about last year when you sent me that email with the photo attached, but you didn't attach a photo?
Penny: That was a mistake.
Sheldon: Messing with me? Yes, it was. And this year, I am not falling for it.
Penny: Sheldon, I swear...
Leonard: No, what are you doing?
Penny: Oh, you're right. He's not coming. April Fool's.

Howard: Why is your screen name "JohnWilliams"?
Raj: Uh, because I always score.

Gallery[]

References[]


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