“The Hofsadter Isotope” gives us a fresh episode after the rerun they stuck in front of last week’s NCAA men’s basketball final game. In case you’re curious, isotopes are the same chemical element with a different atomic number. This comes from one of them having more neutrons. Enough of the science lesson, let’s watch the episode together.
The guys sit around the apartment eating their take out. Sheldon makes a distressed noise. Turns out they’re eating Thai food on what should be pizza night. He can’t handle the change. Leonard mentions that this Thursday is anything can happen Thursday. It’s too much for Sheldon’s stomach. He suggest they go to the comic bookstore even though they went on Wednesday. Nobody seems that impressed. Howard points out that Thursday night is Ladies’ Night at bars. They should go down to get lucky. Leonard swears it won’t happen. What chance to they have of hooking up? But they discuss a theory about what chances of encountering a UFO. Sheldon spends a minute give a summary of the concept with fast talking. Turns out that Howard has adapted this equation to his chances of getting laid including the Wolowitz Coefficient. He defines it as “Neediness times the dress size squared.” Raj is ready to hit the clubs. He gets excited. But they decide to push it off until next week.
How does this happen? There’s a sad moment when a man is hanging out with college pals and they rationalize why it’s not good to hit a party or a bar. Wayne Gretzky said that you miss all the shots you never take. Although it was also told to Wayne’s teammates to always keep their sticks on the ice because he’d rebound shots off your blade and into the goal. Good things can happen if you stay close to the goal and keep your stick down. And if you do want a little guaranteed human contact, you can always go to a massage bar.
The guys leave the apartment and bump into Penny. They’re going to the comic bookstore. Penny wants them to pick up some comics for her nephew’s 13th birthday. Sheldon goes nuts trying to find out what this kid likes. He lists every version of Spider-man.
They enter the comic bookstore. All the fan boys stop scanning the shelves and look. They’re shocked to see a woman in the store. Raj brags to an open mouth guy that she’s with them. They meet Stuart, the owner of the place. He semi-flirts with Penny. She thinks he’s a nice guy. They introduce her to Captain Sweatpants. He’s not as impressive. Howard and Sheldon have a “got it” beat going as they scan through a box of comics from opposite ends. They both snag the middle comic. Leonard suggest cutting it in half.
Stuart tells Penny she should buy Hellblazer for the kid. She notices that he’s drawn a picture of her. She likes it. She gives him her number in exchange for the picture. Leonard is in shock. “How are you enjoying Anything Can Happen Thursday?” Sheldon asks.
Once upon a time, I hung out in a comic bookstore. It’s sad, but true. However it was cause a pal worked there. I didn’t go nuts buying first editions and putting things in plastic with boards. Most of the stuff I bought was rather worthless except for a pile of Love and Rockets. Watching people debate comic book characters used to drive me nuts. How can it matter so much? It was on par with two old women driveling on about soap opera storylines from the ‘60s. My pal did eventually sell a few comic books to Danzig. Guess that’s kind of cool.
Back at the apartment Sheldon complains about the finger dent Howard left in his comic book. Leonard is distraught enough to turn off the Deep Space 9 Tribbles episode. Sheldon can’t figure out why she likes Stuart more than her. He gives a few examples. Stuart is the Isotope in Leonard’s eyes. He wants to find out what’s the extra neutron.
The guys come up the steps with Chinese takeout. Sheldon is relieved his lifestyle pattern is back. Friday is Chinese and vintage videogames. Penny exits her apartment with Stuart in tow. He’s showing something at a gallery. Leonard’s excited that they’re going to play Zorg. It’s just too much for Sheldon. He wants Howard to take him to the single’s bar. Howard has to take a minute to run into the bathroom and remove his underwear. In case he gets lucky, he doesn’t want his date to see him in Aquaman skivvies.
There is nothing that eats a man’s gut than when a woman he likes puts a move on someone kinda like them. Not that it happened that often to me since I have very few peers. What are the odds that Chuck Norris and George Clooney will be working on my ladies?
Howard, Raj and Leonard hit the bar. Raj wants a grasshopper with a little umbrella. Howard won’t let make that mistake. Raj changes his order to a Brandy Alexander. There’s no hope for him. Howard explains to Leonard that they have to wait until all the studs get their pick of the ladies “then we go after the weak and the lame.” he puts dibs on women with a seeing eye dog.
Penny and Stuart return from the showing. In the lobby, they debate if it’s too late for coffee. She suggests decaf. Sheldon zips into the lobby. He needs help in who gets Batman’s cowl for a chatroom debate. Stuart disagrees that Dick Grayson should be Batman 2. Sheldon is wrong in his eyes. That’s not good. Sheldon joins them in Penny’s apartment.
Howard and Leonard scope out the babes. They set their aim on one table with easy targets. Howard has a plan to pull a scarf out of Leonard’s mouth. It’s not a great intro.
Back at Penny’s apartment, Sheldon and Stuart are arguing over the whole Batman business. It’s been going on for a while. When they end the discussion, Stuart notices that Penny has passed out on the sofa.
Howard has blown another card trick to impress a girl. Leonard says that the longest conversation that Howard’s had with a woman is when his mom called. Leonard wants to know when the mojo happens. Howard says Leonard’s pulled him off his game. Raj is back at the bar sucking face with a heavy set woman in a red dress. Howard thinks his pal’s secret is the Indian accent. He uses it on a woman and nothing happens. The poor boy is meant to die alone.
A simple rule of thumb on a date is to avoid long conversations that don’t involve your date. Her friends might be interesting, but you’re not going to sleep with them. Make eye contact with her every three minutes. If music is playing, do not let two songs go without giving her a smile. The best way to pick up women at a bar is to claim you’re the advance man for Extreme Makeover: Home Edition. The ladies love those guys.
The epilogue has Raj sleeping in bed. The camera pulls back to show huge arms holding him. It’s his date from the bar. He tries to sneak out, but she has a fierce grip on his geeky body. After a slight struggle, he gives up and enjoys the body heat.
At least they didn’t dip down to act out the Coyote Date. It would be interesting to see Raj gnaw his own arm off to escape her. But the network does have standards. It was a good episode letting us see the boys in the long rumored comic bookstore. Also it reminds us that nothing can more effectively kill the romance of an evening out than a nightcap of Sheldon.
Next week is a rerun of “The Bath Gift Hypothesis.”
