The episode opens with Sheldon, Howard and Leonard going into the patent office of the university, excited for their new idea and the potential monetary gains, and giving Sheldon a hard time for dressing up and wearing a bow-tie to the meeting.
Once they are invited inside (Sheldon laments that the man is not himself wearing a tie), they learn there is much potential for their patent, though the university needs to ensure no one else has anything similar that might overlap. He also informs the trio that the university will own 75% of the patent, with the remaining 25% to be split between Sheldon and Leonard, as Howard, being a federal employee on loan from NASA, will not be able to have any ownership over the patent. While Sheldon does not seem to be bothered that much by what has occurred, Leonard and Howard storm out, refusing to sign any paper, followed by Sheldon who follows his friends’ lead.
At Penny’s apartment, the girls are gathered for a girl’s night, which starts with Bernadette talking about her new pregnancy powers, including a keen sense of smell, which she has already used to sniff out Howard’s hiding spot for Girl Scout Cookies. Raj enters and tells the group about a gift that Emily left for him, with the card claiming she bought it for him for Valentine’s Day but could not return it, so she wanted him to have it. After the group discusses whether the gift could be dangerous, Raj decides to open it, and discovers an old sextant inside, a thoughtful gift for an astrophysicist as sailors used to use it to navigate based on the stars. After Amy discovers the gift cost more than $500, Raj and the girls start to discuss whether Emily is trying to manipulate Raj into giving her another shot. Emily calls at that moment, and Penny urges Raj to stand strong, not to give into crying and promise nothing. With the phone on speaker, Raj talks with Emily, who apparently is crushed by their break-up, and wants Raj to come over. The girls discuss and decide he should say no, and Raj lets her down easy. However, he leaves the apartment claiming he wants time to be alone, and Penny tells him to say hi to Emily for them, for they all know Raj is too weak to say no to a girl in need.
Meanwhile, Howard, Leonard, and Sheldon lament their patent woes, while Sheldon also realizes the university owns part of the patent for his shirt that claims “Dumber than a sack of Geologists.” They check and as long as they work for the university, they are trapped by the 75%- 25% system, with Howard getting nothing. However, they decide that if they do go with the 25% offered by the university, Sheldon and Leonard have no problem splitting the profits 3-ways between themselves and Howard, and Sheldon excitedly asks if he can draw up a contract for the three of them. Howard and Leonard say yes, and as Sheldon hurries off to get started, Leonard shares just how weird Sheldon’s enthusiasm for contracts is, claiming he once found a stack of contracts under Sheldon’s bed.
The full gang (minus Raj) convenes in Sheldon and Leonard’s apartment, just as the guys are about to sign the new contract. While Penny points out that Sheldon’s excitement over writing contracts will likely result in Amy getting a great make-out session that night, Bernie shares her concerns with Howard over signing a contract with Sheldon. She pulls Howard out into the hall to discuss, pointing out all the times Howard’s deals with Sheldon have gone sour due to Sheldon’s disrespect, and Howard admits she has a point. They re-enter the room to discuss and after Sheldon inadvertently insults Howard’s contributions once more, Penny suggests adding a clause to the contract that prohibits Sheldon from disrespecting or insulting Howard. When Bernie asks how that will be enforced, Sheldon points out his own scrupulous adherence to any contract, and Amy reminds the group that Sheldon’s OCD also enforces any contract he signs. Sheldon giddily gets up to add the addendum to the contract, and in no time the gang is pouring over the new contract, ensuring it is everything desired. They also find a new clause toward the end where Sheldon wants to give 25% of his profits to a scholarship for Howard and Bernadette’s unborn child, pointing out that he wants to make up for his disrespect for Howard over the years. When he also says he wants to save the child from a life of engineering, Sheldon points out he has not signed the contract yet and is still allowed to insult Howard.
As for Raj, he is on his way to Emily’s when new girl Claire calls, informing him that she has broken up with her boyfriend and would like to hang out that night. Raj fills her in on the Emily situation, and Claire attempts to navigate Raj through the world of girls dealing with break-ups, guilt trips, and basically the whole playbook for a girl trying to get back together with her boyfriend after they break up. Intermittently while talking to Claire, Raj keeps calling Emily to try to tell her he will not be coming over, but she keeps making him feel guilty, and in the end, no matter what Claire says, Raj decides to go “comfort” Emily, though everyone knows what that really means. And not surprisingly, the last shot of the night is Raj and Emily back together once more in bed.
QUOTES OF THE NIGHT:
SHELDON: (on hearing that Howard would get no money from their patent, only a plaque) That’s not fair, we should all get plaques!
PENNY: (as the group discusses whether Emily’s gift to Raj is dangerous) I know one way to find out, (putting the box below Bernadette’s nose), sniff this.
AMY: She’s pregnant, not a bloodhound!
RAJ: You know, I have too much sense-esteem to let a girl guilt me into getting back together with her.
AMY: (muttering as she gets up) You don’t have to be pregnant to smell that load of crap.
LEONARD: (awkward after Sheldon’s excitement over writing up their patent contract) Once, I found a stash of contracts under his bed…. it was weird.
BERNADETTE: Howie, you’re about to form a legal partnership with Sheldon Cooper.
HOWARD: Alright, if you’re going to calmly make excellent points then I don’t want to talk to you.
SHELDON: (to his girlfriend) Scoot over! Part of your shadow is on my spot!
I honestly don’t know who I want Raj to end up with. Part of me kind of likes Emily’s craziness, but another part of me thinks Claire is really cool, and would fit in well with the rest of the gang. As for the whole contract business, I do like to see the show keep up continuity in pointing out other failed business ventures from past seasons that went south because of how Sheldon treated Howard, and it is nice seeing the growth of the characters as they listen to their spouses and work together to find a mutually beneficial outfit. However, from a comedy note, I kind of wish there was more friction with the whole thing, as conflict always leads to more laughs, and with everyone getting along so well it is hard to find genuine laughs. See you back here next week!