S12E19 - The Inspiration Deprivation

No: 274  |  Season: 12   Episode: 19  |  Air Date: 2019-04-18  |  Runtime: mins

Summary

Contemplating what it would mean to all women if she were to win a Nobel Prize causes Amy to have a meltdown. Koothrappali and Wolowitz try to relive the good old days after Wolowitz buys a scooter that looks like the one he had years ago.

Director and Writers

Director: Mark Cendrowski
Writers: Story by: Eric Kaplan & Maria Ferrari & Andy Gordon / Teleplay by: Steve Holland & Anthony Del Broccolo & Tara Hernandez

Script

Script: S12E19 - The Inspiration Deprivation

Quotes

Penny: Really? This thing has numbers?
Sheldon: Anything has a number if you assign it a number. Friend number 4.

President Siebert: (sternly and angrily to Amy and Sheldon) Listen up. You have a shot to win a Nobel Prize... and you're blowing it!
Janine Davis: (calmly to Amy and Sheldon) I think what President Siebert is trying to say is that you have a shot to win a Nobel Prize, and you're blowing it.
Sheldon: (confused, pointing at President Siebert) That's exactly what he said.
Janine Davis: Yes, but I said it in my calming HR voice.

Notes and Trivia

Amy is told that she could be the fourth woman in history to win the Nobel Prize for Physics. This was true at the time of broadcast: in 2020, astronomer Andrea M. Ghez became the actual fourth female Physics winner for the discovery of a supermassive compact object at the center of the galaxy.

The number on the scooter "626-789-3495" belongs to "Footprints on the Moon" which is the name of the band that Raj and Howard formed. You could see it on their Facebook page.

This is the tenth and final time that "Soft Kitty" is sung on this show, and the first time since The Recollection Dissipation (2017). Due to a lawsuit with the estate of the song's original composer, the song was only rarely heard since season 8, but the lawsuit had since been dropped.

Title reference: Amy is devastated that her outburst may have cost her a Nobel Prize, thereby depriving women of the chance to be inspired to go into science, so to relax, she goes to a sensory deprivation tank.

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
Regina KingJanine Davis
Joshua MalinaPresident Siebert
Brian PosehnBert Kibbler
Brooke DillmanBebe
Doreen CalderonWoman #1
Sarah J. EagenWoman #2
Claudia ChoiWoman #3
Tiffany CommonsWoman #4
Krishna SmithaWoman #5
Susan LeslieWoman #6
Cassidey FralinWoman #7
Riley GoWoman #8
Cleo FraserLittle Girl