Killer Robot Instability

Killer Robot Instability
Killer Robot Instability
Writers	Stephen Engel (Story), Daley Haggar (Story), Tim Doyle (Teleplay), Richard Rosenstock (Teleplay)
Director	Mark Cendrowski
Starring	Carol Ann Susi as Mrs. Wolowitz, John Ross Bowie as Barry Kripke
Air Date	12 January 2009
Vanity	Card #235
Guide	Episode #212
Quotes	Episode #212
Forums	Discuss Episode

Season 2, Episode 12 (0212)

Bath Item Gift Hypothesis . . . << Killer Robot Instability >> . . . Friendship Algorithm

Summary

(Edited from Wikipedia:)

When Penny's comment about Wolowitz's love life sends him into a depressed stupor, his friends lose their most important team-mate in an upcoming fighting robot competition. When Sheldon accepts a challenge for a one-on-one fight, pitting their robot, M.O.N.T.E, against that of their co-worker, Barry Kripke, Leonard tries to get Howard back on their team by sending Penny to apologise to him, reminding her that she owed him a favor for when he came home pantsless right after they first met (0101). Penny goes to Howard's house to apologise, and ends up hearing his entire dating history. She tells Howard that if he didn't try so hard to get girls, then he would probably do much better in his relationships. After Penny's comforting words, Howard tries to kiss her, immediately followed by Penny punching him in the nose. Meanwhile, M.O.N.T.E. loses to Kripke's superior robot, is destroyed beyond repair, and never enters the competition.

Episode Outline

I. Living room

• The guys have finished building killer robot M.O.N.T.E. and test him on the toaster oven.

II. hallway in front of apartments

• Just when Penny walks up the stairs, M.O.N.T.E. crashes through the apartment door.

Titles and opening theme

III. hallway in front of apartments, Living room

• The guys tell Penny about the upcoming killer robot competition. Howard tries to invite Penny in a rather awkward way. She gets very angry and severely offends him. Howard leaves.

IV. Howard's bedroom

• Leonard calls Howard to ask why he didn't come to work. Howard and his mother yell at each other.

V. Cafeteria

• The other guys are worried about Howard when Barry Kripke challenges them to enter a one-on-one fight with his killer robot. Sheldon agrees, why Leonard and Rajesh are reluctant.

VI. Penny's apartment

• Leonard pushes Penny to go and apologise to Howard.

VII. Howard's bedroom

• Penny apologises to Howard who claims he wasn't upset.

VIII. hallway outside of Howard's bedroom

• Penny hears Howard burst into tears and goes back into his room.

IX. Living room

• The guys watch a video of Kripke's robot. Leonard and Rajesh want to call off the fight, but Sheldon refuses.

X. Howard's bedroom

• A devastated Howard tells Penny about his always failing love life. When Penny shows empathy, he tries to kiss her and she punches him.

XI. a lab in the Physics department

• Although Leonard and Rajesh still want to call off the fight, Sheldon goes ahead with the fight against Kripke's robot. Kripke's robot is hopelessly superior.

XII. hallway in Physics department

• M.O.N.T.E. flees from Kripke's robot with Sheldon and Kripke running after them.

XIII. Living room

• The guys mourn the destroyed M.O.N.T.E..

Resources

List of entries from this episode

Wikipedia episode guide

IMDb page for this episode

Timeline

The events of this episode take place over four consecutive days. The episode starts on one day with the guys finish building M.O.N.T.E. and Penny and Howard having their argument. Howard stays at home for two days before Penny goes to apologize. The fight against Kripke's robot happens the next day.

Title

The Killer Robot refers to M.O.N.T.E., of course. The 'instability' refers not only to Howard's personal crisis specifically, but also to the general instability caused by Penny's comments to all the guys as well as by Sheldon's confrontational interactions with Kripke. This episode leaves all the characters in a state of instability, setting up future episodes.