Vartabedian Conundrum

Vartabedian Conundrum
Writers	Chuck Lorre (Story), Steven Molaro (Story), Bill Prady (Teleplay), Richard Rosenstock (Teleplay)
Director	Mark Cendrowski
Starring	Sara Rue as Stephanie
Air Date	8 December 2008
Vanity	Card #231
Guide	Episode #210
Quotes	Episode #210
Forums	Discuss Episode

Season 2, Episode 10 (0210)

White Asparagus Triangulation . . . << Vartabedian Conundrum >> . . . Bath Item Gift Hypothesis

Summary

(Edited from Wikipedia:)

Although Leonard doesn't realise it, Stephanie has moved in with him. Sheldon points this out because according to their roommate contract, various new rules go into effect, such as increasing the number of times for vacuuming. Leonard doesn't believe it until Penny walks him around his room and points out all the changes Stephanie has made, particularly the fact that she replaced his Bat Signal with a jewellery box.

Leonard begins to panic, especially when Stephanie starts buying him new clothes that he hates. Realising that the relationship is moving too fast for him, he runs to Penny for advice. However, whenever Leonard tries to follow Penny's advice to tell Stephanie how he feels, they instead end up having sex.

In the end, he follows Howard's advice, cowardly though it may be, and sends a text message asking Stephanie to move out.

Episode Outline

I. Living room

• Stephanie deals with a hypochondriac Sheldon.
• Sheldon informs Leonard that they have to adapt their apartment routine to the fact that Stephanie and Leonard are now "living together". Leonard denies that.

Titles and opening theme

II. Living room, the next morning

• When Stephanie leaves for work, a barely dressed Penny enters the apartments. Stephanie is surprised she had never heard about her.
• Sheldon informs Penny that Stephanie and Leonard are now "living together". Leonard denies again.

III. Leonard's bedroom

• Penny points out various evidence that Stephanie is indeed living with Leonard. He's rather shocked about the realisation.

IV. Cafeteria

• Leonard suffers from an allergic reaction to the pants Stephanie bought him.

V. Hospital

• Hypochondriac Sheldon wants Stephanie to authorise several medical tests. She sends him home.

VI. Laundry room

• Leonard admits to Penny that he feels uncomfortable with the speed his relationship goes. She tells him to talk to Stephanie about his feelings.

VII. Living room

• Stephanie tells Sheldon he has a larynx infection to make him stop talking immediately.
• Leonard tries to talk to Stephanie.

VIII. Laundry room

• Leonard tells Penny he didn't manage to talk to Stephanie. She tries to encourage him again.

IX. Leonard's bedroom

• Leonard tries to talk to Stephanie again and fails again.

X. Cafeteria

• Leonard tells Howard and Rajesh about his problems. They advice him to text her. He does and leaves to see her after she replied.

XI. hallway in front of apartments/Penny's apartment

• Talking through his computer, Sheldon asks Penny for some herbal tea and honey to cure his imagined "larynx infection".

Resources

List of entries from this episode

Wikipedia episode guide

IMDb page for this episode

video of the cast discussing this episode

Timeline

This episode starts on an evening. Probably the next day Leonard finds out that he and Stephanie are "living together". One of the following days he decides that he should ask her to move out. Since co-creator and executive producer Bill Prady stated in an interview that Leonard and Stephanie were together for three weeks in total, this episode also covers the events of one week ([1]).

Title

(edited from Wikipedia)

Leonard is trying to explain to Stephanie why Penny would wander into their apartment in the morning less than fully dressed:

Leonard: (making it up as he goes along) Penny is one of our many neighbours. In our building, neighbours come and go, all the time, very casual, no dress code. In fact, some mornings I’ll just mosey down to the third floor in my pyjamas and have cereal with Mrs Vartabedian.

Sheldon: (Penny gives a wry half-grin, but Sheldon doesn't catch on) Really? I’ve never once been invited to have cereal with Mrs Vartabedian.

Leonard: She doesn’t like you. (to Stephanie) Don’t you have a gall bladder to remove? And I have to get into the shower and Penny has clothes to put on.

Stephanie leaves, with a pointed glance at Leonard. There is an awkward pause. Then ...

Sheldon: What could I possibly have done to offend Mrs Vartabedian?

Notes and Trivia

This episode ends with cliffhanger. When the next episode came along, fans wondered what happened with Stephanie, since she was obviously no longer living in Leonard's apartment and didn't even figure into his Christmas plans.

The scene where Penny stumbles into the boys' apartment in the morning without bothering to get dressed, looking for coffee, defines the relationship between the characters in a whole new and intriguing way. We have been watching this change happen over the first half of this season, as Penny becomes more and more part of the group. This is particularly clear in Panty Pinata Polarization, where she is so assimilated that Sheldon begins holding her to the same standards that he holds the others to.