Big Bang Theory ver 2 Ethan Harper × Chloé

The Maternal Capacitance

At apartment 4A. Howard, Raj, and Sheldon are playing Rock Band. Sheldon is on guitar, Howard drums and Raj singing. They are performing the Red Hot Chili Peppers "Under the Bridge". As Raj gets into the song, Penny enters and his singing turns into a squawk.

Penny:
Fellas, please.

Howard:
Penny, come on, we were just finding our sound.

Penny:
You found it. It's the sound of a cat being run over by a lawn mower.

Leonard is seen entering the kitchen on his phone.

Leonard:
I'm really very busy. Is there any way that we can put this off until I have more time to prepare? Of course. But, uh, you understand my trepidation.

Penny:
What's that about?

Howard:
Not a clue.

Leonard:
Can't we just postpone it till the spring? Maybe next summer?

Sheldon:
This should be fairly easy to deduce. He's holding the phone to his left ear. Ears do not cross hemispheres, so he's using the analytical rather than the emotional side of the brain, suggesting that he has no personal relationship with the caller.

Leonard:
No, I didn't realize it had been so long. Sure, I guess there's no other choice but to just go ahead and do it.

Sheldon:
He's referring to an activity he has done before. It's unpleasant and needs to be repeated. This suggests some sort of invasive medical test, like perhaps a colonoscopy.

Leonard:
Aren't there any other options? There's not a lot of room, it's gonna be uncomfortable.

Sheldon:
Yes, yes. Yeah, I'm definitely going with colonoscopy.

Leonard:
Okay, bye.

He hangs up the phone to look at his friends with peeked interest.

Leonard:
My mother's coming to visit.

Howard:
How about that, you were right.

Cut to the lobby. Penny finds a woman studying the lift.

Penny:
It's out of order.

Woman:
Yes, I can read the sign, I'm just pondering the implications.

Penny:
I think it implies that the elevator doesn't work.

She said awkwardly.

Woman:
Again, I can read the sign. But the sign and the tape are covered with a layer of dust, which indicates that the elevator has been non-functional for a significant amount of time. Which suggests either a remarkable passivity among the, I assume, 24 to 36 residents of this building based on the number of mailboxes and given typical urban population density or a shared delusion of functionality.

Penny then figured out who she was.

Penny:
You must be Leonard's mother.

Beverley:
Oh, I don't know if I must be, but yes.

Penny:
Uh, I'm Penny. I'm his neighbour.

Beverley:
Oh, Dr. Beverley Hofstadter.