"The Codpiece Topology" is the second episode of the second season of the American sitcom The Big Bang Theory. This episode first aired on Monday, September 29, 2008.
Plot[]
Summary[]
Penny is dating a new guy, so Leonard jumps at the chance to dating|date Leslie Winkle again. Sheldon hates Leslie and resents being exiled to the staircase to play Mario alone. Eventually, he confronts Leslie about her scientific beliefs and when Leonard doesn't agree with her, she leaves.
Synopsis[]
The guys return home from the Renaissance Fair, and as usual, Sheldon is complaining about historical inaccuracies, including the Bavarian Purity Laws, polypropaline flagons, even modern underwear. They pass Penny with a new boyfriend in the hall, which leads to Leonard wondering (with a little advice from Howard) if he should start dating someone again. His previous dating history consisted of North Korean spy Joyce Kim, one date with Penny and a one night stand with Leslie Winkle.
The next day, after Leslie fights with Sheldon, Leonard asks her out for a full relationship. Leslie agrees because she's reached "a time in every woman's life where she's tired of waking up on a strange futon with a bunch of people she doesn't know". Leslie wants to slow things down, and who better to slow down with than Leonard. She suggests Chinese food, an art movie and no coitus though he should plan the date since he was the man.
That night, as Leonard prepares for the date, Sheldon reveals that his mother sent him his old Nintendo 64 with three controllers, a memory card and some games and is assuming Leonard is with him to "rock Mario old-school!"; however, Leonard tells Sheldon about the date, forcing him to play Super Mario 64 on a Nintendo 64 emulator on his laptop in the stairwell. Penny runs into him and talks with him about going to a movie or a coffeehouse and about Leonard and Leslie being the same kind of personalities. Sheldon feels that the only Leslie can contribute to science is if they start sending chimps into space again.
Leonard and Leslie's date goes well. Leslie inquires about how many kids Leonard wants and what genetic weaknesses are in his family. Sheldon interrupts them twice. As Leslie leaves, they arrange to have another date as Penny and Eric are climbing the stairs with Penny explaining Schrödinger's Cat to him. After an awkward hello, both kiss their dates good-night. Leslie reacting to Leonard's affection returns his kiss passionately. Penny and Leonard then get in a kissing contest. Leslie is impressed with Leonard, while Penny sends her turned-on date packing.
At the Caltech cafeteria, the guys try to get Sheldon to return to the Renaissance Fair. He does not want to return due to their historical flaws. They suggest that he dress as a Starfleet Officer checking on the historical anomalies of an unexplored planet. Also he refuses to sit with the gang when Leslie joins them.
The next night, Leonard and Leslie are having another date, and Sheldon is slightly miffed he has to play Mario on the staircase. After asking Penny to give her relationship with Leonard "the old community college try", Penny says that he should be Leonard's friend and support the relationship. Sheldon goes back into the apartment, tries to be positive, but gets into an argument Leslie about String theory vs. Loop Quantum Gravity. After Leonard sides with Sheldon, Leslie breaks up with him. She could take his genetic quirks; however, their children could not be raised believing in String Theory. Sheldon tells Leonard to look on the bright side and that it's only another nine months until Comic-Con.
At the ending scene, the guys return to the Renaissance Fair with Sheldon dressed as Spock pretending to explore a planet similar to Earth in the 1500's, though with contradictions and anomalies.
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