Luminous Fish Effect

The Luminous Fish Effect
The Luminous Fish Effect
Writers	Chuck Lorre (story), Bill Prady (story), David Litt (teleplay), Lee Aronsohn (teleplay)
Director	Bob Koherr
Starring	Laurie Metcalf as Sheldon's mother, Mark Harelik as Dr. Eric Gablehauser,Sierra Edwards as Summer
Air Date	15 October 2007
Vanity	Card #187
Guide	Episode #104
Quotes	Episode #104
Forums	Discuss Episode

Season 1, Episode 4 (0104)

Fuzzy Boots Corollary . . . << Luminous Fish Effect >> . . . Hamburger Postulate

Summary

When Sheldon gets fired, he explores life beyond physics, but his initial thrill of shopping with Penny devolves over time to him weaving ponchos as a shut-in, forcing Leonard to call on Sheldon's mother.

Episode Outline

I. Living room

• Leonard and Sheldon talk about time travel while preparing to leave for a departmental party.

II. Stairway

• Sheldon explains why he he doesn't consider the new head of the department a distinguished scientist.

III. Room in Physics department

• The guys welcome Dr. Eric Gablehauser, the new head of the Physics department. Sheldon, not knowing how to express himself any better, insults him.

IV. Stairway

• Sheldon has been fired.

Titles and opening theme

V. Living room

• Sheldon does an experiment involving scrambled eggs. He tells Leonard that he wouldn't apologize to his boss to get his job back.
• Penny comes around and asks whether the guys need something from the supermarket. Sheldon decides to join her.

VI. Penny's car

• Sheldon and Penny converse on the way to the supermarket.

VII. Supermarket

• Sheldon unintentionally puts Penny's patience to a test with various comments about the things she intends to buy.

VIII. Hallway in front of apartment

• Penny is deeply annoyed about the shopping trip, while Sheldon enjoyed it.

IX. Living room

• Leonard comes home and Sheldon proposes his idea of luminous fish.

X. Stairway, three weeks later

• Leonard explains to Sheldon's mother why he asked her to come.

XI. Living room

• Sheldon has gotten himself a loom and is annoyed that Leonard called his mother. He locks himself in his room.
• Sheldon's mother cooks for everyone and tells Leonard, Rajesh, Howard and Penny about Sheldon's childhood.
• Sheldon timidly comes into the living room but runs back into his room when Leonard confronts him, despite Mary's advice to treat him like a baby deer.

XII. Sheldon's bedroom

• Sheldon's mother tells Sheldon that she will take him to apologize to his boss, and that she won't have any argument.

XIII. Living room

• Sheldon's mother tells Leonard the problem was solved.

XIV. Office of Dr. Eric Gablehauser at the Physics department

• Sheldon apologizes and gets his job back. Eric Gablehauser is taken with Sheldon's mother.

XV. Hallway in front of Dr. Eric Gablehauser's office

• Leonard wants to know how the talk with Gablehauser went.

XVI. Sheldon's bedroom

• Sheldon's mother puts Sheldon to bed and tells him how proud she was. He asks if Dr. Eric Gablehauser is "going to be his new daddy."
• A bowl with luminous fish can be seen on his bedside table.

Resources

List of entries from this episode

Wikipedia Page

Timeline

Sheldon is out of his job for more than 3 weeks.

To connect this episode with the other episodes we will therefore assume that he gets fired on Wednesday, September 12, 2007. He spends his first day off with Penny on Thursday, September 13, is out of his job for 3 weeks until his mother arrives, which would be October, 3. She is around for a couple of days until she loses patience and forces Sheldon to apologise and get his job back between October 5 and 8, 2007.

Title

During Sheldon's adverse reaction to joblessness, he decides to make use of the effect of luminous fish to create a night-light.