S11E19 - The Tenant Disassociation

No: 250  |  Season: 11   Episode: 19  |  Air Date: 2018-04-05  |  Runtime: mins

Summary

Leonard runs against Sheldon to be president of the tenants association; Wolowitz and Koothrappali find a drone in the backyard.

Director and Writers

Director: Mark Cendrowski
Writers: Story by: Steve Holland & Jeremy Howe & Trevor Alper / Teleplay by: Dave Goetsch & Eric Kaplan & Maria Ferrari

Script

Script: S11E19 - The Tenant Disassociation

Quotes

Howard: Can't believe you got her number.
Raj: I know, right? How amazing would it be if this worked out and the story of how I met my wife started with you and me in the hot tub together?
Howard: Well, do us both a favor and start the story later.

Leonard: What you got there?
Penny: Oh, I grabbed a sandwich at the food truck out front.
Sheldon: Wait, n-now hold on. Tonight is Friday, and I believe you know what that means.
Penny: That my fun, young life took a drastic turn somewhere?
Sheldon: No.
Leonard: But yeah.
Sheldon: No, that means it's Chinese food night.
Penny: Yeah, and you have Chinese food, so eat it.
Sheldon: But I can smell your pastrami.
Howard: And we can all hear your complaining, so no one's happy.

Penny: The pastrami truck moved.
Leonard: (not really listening) That is the danger of a restaurant on wheels.
Penny: No, apparently someone complained to the tenants' association, and they're not allowed to park on our street anymore.
Leonard: Who would complain about something that everyone loves?
(realizing who it must be)
Leonard: Oh...

Cynthia: Hey, you found my drone.
Raj: Yeah, yeah. Yes. It took a while to track you down, but to see the look on your face, it was worth it.

Sheldon: Well, this is hard for me, because I do love a legal technicality, and this is a good one. Although, not quite as good as the provision in California law, which states a person who occupies a dwelling for thirty consecutive days becomes a tenant at will, and as such...
Amy: I vote for Leonard!
Sheldon: You... what?
Amy: I'm sorry, Sheldon. With minimal power comes minimal responsibility, and you couldn't handle it.
Sheldon: Don't you misquote "Spider-Man" to me.

Bernadette: That's not very much to go on.
Raj: Oh, that's plenty to go on. We can't give up. We got to find her.
Bernadette: You just want to find her 'cause she's cute.
Raj: Not just because she's cute. She also owns a pretty expensive drone, which means she has money and doesn't mind wasting it. And I... I like that in a woman.

Sheldon: I think you're defining "bread" very loosely. If we go down that road, where does it end?
Amy: Well, I would say when we go to bed, but you talk in your sleep.
Sheldon: I don't want to get into this with you right now. We'll talk about this when I'm asleep.
Amy: (as they argue, Leonard, Penny, and Raj leave) I don't want to talk about when you're asleep. How come we can't talk about it now?
Sheldon: Well, because I'm eating now.
Amy: Fine. How's your moo shoo?
Sheldon: You know what? It's great.
(picking up his food)
Sheldon: Wait, look at that. Hmm. Well, maybe the Chinese did invent the sandwich. I guess you were right.
Amy: (seeing everyone is gone) Too bad no one's around to hear it.

Leonard: We vote you out.
Sheldon: Hold on. Hold on. First, we have to read the minutes from last month's meeting. Amy, would you do the honors?
Amy: (taking the tablet he offers) Why not? "Saturday, March 3rd. 7:05, meeting called to order. 7:06, president gets shampoo in eye. 7:07, meeting adjorned."

Raj: (relaxing in Howard's jacuzzi) Oh, this is the life. What could be better than this?
Howard: If you weren't wearing one of my swimsuits.
Raj: I'll give it back.
Howard: You know the rule. Once it touches heinie, it's no longer miney.
Raj: You're such a prude. Do you know all the things this water's touching right now?
Howard: (getting out) Well, I'm relaxed enough.

Leonard: Did you complain to the tenants' association about the food truck?
Sheldon: Yes.
Penny: And they actually took you seriously?
Sheldon: Oh, the tenants' association takes every complaint seriously.
Penny: (on her phone) Oh, great, because I'm about to send them an e-mail complaining about you.
Sheldon: (his phone chimes) Excuse me.
(reading the message)
Sheldon: Wow. Someone should have spell-checked.
Penny: What is going on here?
Leonard: You're the tenants' association?
Sheldon: (amused) You should see the look on your face. You might want to tell your wife that there's no "Y" in "pastrami".

Raj: (looking at the drone's memory card) I hope there's nothing disturbing on there.
Bernadette: Like you two in a hot tub?

Penny: Do you know he is the entire tenants' association?
Amy: No, but I'm not surprised. He's also the pope of a planet he invented in hyperspace.
(to Sheldon)
Amy: Why didn't you tell me?
Sheldon: 'Cause I wanted to make sure that you loved the man, not the office.
Leonard: You can't just declare yourself president.
Sheldon: I didn't. I called a meeting, I was the only one to attend. I nominated myself, and after a pretty moving speech, I voted myself in.

Bernadette: Aren't you worried there's some kid out there missing his drone?
Raj: Uh, oh, please, Bernadette, this is not a children's toy, okay? This thing's got a HD camera on it.
Bernadette: Okay, then aren't you worried there's some rich peeping Tom out there missing his drone?
Howard: We asked around, and no one claimed it. I think we've done all we can do.
Bernadette: Did you check the video card? Maybe you can see where it started off from.
Howard: (sarcastic) What a great idea, honey.

Howard: I got it working!
Raj: Oh, oh! Let's play William Tell. I'll put this bowl on my head. See if you can knock it off without hitting me.
Howard: You read my mind.
Bernadette: (entering) What are you doing?
Howard: Either breaking a bowl or breaking Raj's head.
Bernadette: Be careful. They don't make that bowl anymore.

Penny: Ugh, I can't believe my best friend sided with Sheldon.
Leonard: I can't believe my best friend *is* Sheldon. Ah, I should have taken that gavel and shoved it right down his throat.
Penny: Ugh. I would've gone the other way, but it would've gotten to his throat.

Howard: Okay, that ought to do it. I replaced the propeller and re-attached the gimbal controller unit.
Raj: Dude, you're like "Grey's Anatomy" for robots. Also, why isn't that a show?
Howard: I just need to see if I can re-sync the controls to this old remote.
Raj: We should name it.
Howard: What, the drone or your stupid robot show?
Raj: The drone. The show's already got a name: "General Bot-spital".

Sheldon: What is happening? Everybody's supposed to be eating Chinese food.
Amy: Well, actually, I believe the Chinese may have invented the sandwich. Their dish "rou jia mo" literally means "meat between bread." So it looks like all of us, including Penny, are eating Chinese food.
Raj: Except for you, Sheldon. You're eating crow.

Raj: (Cynthia watches a video from her drone's memory card) Stop flying it around. You're gonna break it.
Howard: Why do you care?
Raj: Because we have to give it back to the beautiful mystery girl.
Cynthia: Aw.
Raj: I mean, did you see how hot she was? I want to get all up in that and start making babies!
(her face distorts in disgust)
Raj: I know exactly what underwear I'm gonna wear on our first date. None!

Sheldon: I suppose it is time I passed this on to Leonard.
Penny: Thank you.
Leonard: Yeah, thanks. I-I know that's hard for you.
Sheldon: It was. But you know what? Instead of being in charge, I can now be the vocal opposition, criticizing and badgering the president at every turn.
Amy: I think you'll be really good at that.
Sheldon: Me, too.
Leonard: I think I've made a huge mistake.
Penny: Me, too.

Sheldon: I'm sorry, I think you're forgetting that the sandwich was invented by John Montagu, the Earl of Sandwich.
Penny: Oh! The truck's called "Pearl of Sandwich." Now I get it.
Howard: All right, that smells too good. I got to get one of those.
Amy: And I think you're forgetting that there are written documents of meat between bread being eating in China during the Tang dynasty.
Bernadette: You know what? I think I'll go with you. And then maybe we just go home.

Raj: (returning Cynthia's drone to her) Rajesh.
Cynthia: (shaking hands) Cynthia.
Raj: Ah, please to meet you.
Cynthia: Likewise.
(awkward silence)
Cynthia: I-I feel like I should give you a reward or something.
Raj: Oh, no, you don't have to do that.
Cynthia: I insist.
Raj: How about your phone number?
Cynthia: Give me your phone.
Raj: (he does so, and she programs her number) Thanks. So, I'll-I'll call you, Cynthia.
Cynthia: Great, Rajesh. And thanks again.
Raj: Sure.
(he's barely walked away when her phone rings)
Raj: Just checking!

Raj: Hey, please let me bring the drone back to her.
Howard: You think you've got a shot? What if she's married?
Stuart: She's not.
Raj: It's meant to be.
Stuart: A little tip. Uh, stick with the smiles you know.

Sheldon: How can I focus on my work when all I can think about is how much I want that sandwich?
Amy: So go get one.
Sheldon: I can't just give into every urge I have when I have it. That's why I have a rigid schedule. It's bad enough I had to give in to my urge to create a rigid schedule.
Amy: You know, why don't I just go down to the food truck and ask them to move?
Sheldon: Why are you taking cash?
Amy: No reason.

Leonard: Well, if you can vote yourself in, then we can vote you out.
Penny: Yeah.
Sheldon: Fine. Make a motion at the next meeting.
Leonard: When is it?
Sheldon: It's the first Saturday of every month. Unless there's an emergency meeting.
Penny: Then we call an emergency meeting.
Sheldon: Well, you really don't have to. This is the first Saturday of the month.

Leonard: We found something pretty interesting.
Amy: (transparently) Huh. Well, that is suprising. I, for one, have no idea what they're talking about.
Leonard: Turns out when Amy took over Penny's apartment, she was put on the lease, not you.
Penny: Yeah, and when I moved across the hall, you got taken off the lease and I got added.
Amy: Well, what are you saying? That Sheldon's not technically a tenant at all and therefore has no standing to be president of the tenants' association, no matter who votes for him? I don't know how you found that out, but I am guessing all on your own.
Leonard: So, looks like we need to figure out who the new president should be. I nominate myself.
Penny: I second it.
Amy: Huh. Well, as a woman in love, I want to stand by my man. Too bad that's been rendered bureaucratically impossible.

Penny: So, let me get this straight. You are the president of the tenants' association?
Sheldon: President, only member, and harshest critic. I once gave myself an official reprimand for conducting a meeting in the shower. The steam warped my gavel.
Penny: Okay, so when I got a fine for leaving my clothes in the dryer for too long, that was from you?
Sheldon: $14.99. The exact price of a new gavel.
Leonard: And the noise complaint we got for singing you "Happy Birthday"?
Sheldon: As a friend, I was touched. As a representative of the building, I thought that you should pick a key and stick with it.

Amy: It's not your fault. I mean, what man wouldn't be seduced by the power to decide how late the laundry room stays open?
Penny: Wait, you're the reason I had to come back and get my jeans the next morning?
Sheldon: I can't believe you expect me to give that up!
Amy: Sheldon, it's the American way, the peaceful transfer of power.
Sheldon: I don't know.
Leonard: Think about "Ant-Man".
Sheldon: I'm always thinking about "Ant-Man"!
Leonard: Michael Douglas had the suit, and then he passed it on to Paul Rudd.
Sheldon: Maybe you're right.
Amy: Really? The "Ant-Man" thing? That's what won you over?
Sheldon: Yes. He got the details right. That's how you use a superhero.

Amy: Look, there are a bunch of other tenants in this buiding. All you need is for one of them to vote your way, and then Sheldon's out and I didn't betray him.
Penny: Hey, you know, that's actually a good plan.
Amy: That you came up with all by yourself. Now, if you'll excuse me, told Sheldon I was going to the market, so... I'm taking some of your stuff.
(she takes a few items from the fridge)
Amy: (leaving) I was never here.
Leonard: Sometimes you don't see it 'cause she's next to Sheldon, but she's pretty weird.

Sheldon: Why are you wearing a Band-Aid?
Raj: Halley bit me.
Leonard: (laughing) You got beaten up by a girl.
Howard: Hey, that's sexist.
Leonard: You're right.
(he laughs again)
Leonard: You got beaten up by a baby.

Penny: Okay, can we vote you out now?
Sheldon: Ah, very well. New business.
Leonard: I move for a vote of no confidence in the president.
Penny: Yeah.
Leonard: Two to one, you lose.
Sheldon: Not so fast. I believe we can one tenant here who has not made her voice heard.
Amy: (everyone turns to look at her) Oh...
Sheldon: We're waiting, fianc?e.
Penny: Yeah, we're waiting, best friend.
Leonard: Yeah, we're waiting, neighbor who... needed a battery and totally got one from me, no strings attached.
Amy: I don't want to be in the middle of this. No matter which way I vote, I'm either a bad friend, a bad fianc?e, or an ungrateful recipient of a battery.
Sheldon: Next time I have a meeting in the shower, you're welcome to attend.
Amy: Sheldon! Sheldon for president! I pick Sheldon!

Sheldon: I can smell that food truck from up here.
Amy: Just close the window if you don't like the smell.
Sheldon: Of course I like the smell. It's salt and fat. My brain may be evolved, but my tongue still wants to pick up a club and drag that truck back to my cave.
Amy: So there's something you like, but it's also driving you crazy. Been there, doing it now.

Howard: She's wearing a pin from your store. Do you know who she is?
Stuart: Oh, sure, yeah. That's Cynthia.
Raj: Wha- so... so, she's a customer?
Stuart: Yeah, yeah, but I-I haven't seen her in a while. And before you say anything, there's a lot of reasons women stop coming here. It's not just me.
Howard: But this time...
Stuart: I-It was me, yeah. I was trying out a flirty new smile.
(he demonstrates a strained smile)
Howard: Now, I don't use the word "ghoulish" a lot, but... I-I just can't think of another word.

Penny: So, Mrs. Petrescu, we were hoping you would vote for Leonard instead of voting for Sheldon.
Mrs. Petrescu: Vote Sheldon.
Penny: No, no. Vote Leonard.
Mrs. Petrescu: No vote Leonard.
Leonard: No. Vote Leonard.
Mrs. Petrescu: Thank you.

Amy: Hi. What are you doing?
Sheldon: Leonard and Penny are trying to turn the tenants against me, so there are about to see just what kind of power the president of the tenants' association wields.
Amy: (picking up a poster he's made) "You must be at least this tall to use washing machine"?
Sheldon: I'm gonna hang it up higher than Leonard. And then his clothes will smell. And nobody's voting for a man with smelly clothes. No, not when there's a perfectly unscented incumbent on the ballot.

Amy: Sheldon, I have an advanced degree in the study of the human brain, so if my fianc? is a raving lunatic, it's kind of a ding on my reputation.
Sheldon: If leaders just stepped aside every time they didn't have the consent of the governed, what would we have?
Amy: Democracy.
Sheldon: Not on my watch.

Howard: Do you see anything that could help us locate her?
Bernadette: Hmm, let me have a look.
Howard: She's got eagle eyes, always spotting continuity errors in movies. It's not annoying at all.
Bernadette: Oh. There. Right there. Check out the pin on her jacket. It's that from the comic book store?
Raj: Hmm, is it? Hey, Howard, zoom in.
Howard: Oh. Fine. Zooming in.
(making a whooshing sound, he holds the laptop up to Raj's face)
Raj: Yeah, I know you're being a jerk, but it's actually helpful.

Raj: Hey, Howard, look. What's that?
Howard: Huh. Looks like someone's drone.
Raj: Oh, no. Do you think it was spying on us in the hot tub? 'Cause I'm only 40% of the way to my beach bod.

Amy: Don't be mad at me. I mean, I can't vote against him.
Leonard: Well, even when he's being crazy?
Amy: Well, what other times are there?

Leonard: So, I'm running for president of the tenants' association, and I could really use your vote.
Wendell: Uh, who's president now?
Penny: Uh, Sheldon Cooper. You know, about yea tall and about yea annoying.
(holding her arms as wide as she can)
Wendell: So you want me to vote against Sheldon Cooper?
Leonard: Yeah. You just need to show up at a meeting...
Wendell: Oh, no, no. No can do. He's got a restraining order against me.
Penny: Really? Why?
Wendell: Uh, I locked him on the roof once.
(mouthing)
Wendell: Three times.

Penny: So you just let him get away with anything?
Amy: Well, not anything. But honestly, "pastrami sandwich" is not the hill I want to die on.
Penny: It's not about the sandwich. It's about the principle.
Leonard: Yeah, principle. And a little bit sandwich.
Penny: Yeah.

Notes and Trivia

Mrs. Petrescu (Michelle Arthur) was seen before during Sheldon and Amy's brunch in The Fetal Kick Catalyst (2016).

Sheldon's shirt in the episode contains robots from various TV shows and movies. They include: Daleks from Doctor Who, and R2-D2 from Star Wars.

This is the show's 250th episode.

Title reference: a play on the word 'tenant association', while also referring to the temporal disassociation (or separation) between Leonard and Sheldon as they battle each other for the presidency of said association.

Goofs

None

Cast

Johnny GaleckiLeonard Hofstadter
Jim ParsonsSheldon Cooper
Kaley CuocoPenny Hofstadter
Simon HelbergHoward Wolowitz
Kunal NayyarRaj Koothrappali
Mayim BialikAmy Farrah Fowler
Melissa RauchBernadette Rostenkowski
Kevin SussmanStuart Bloom
Michelle ArthurMrs. Petrescu
Parvesh CheenaMarcus
Bob StephensonWendell
Megan McGownCynthia