The Big Bang Theory S7E1 - "The Hofstadter Insufficiency" Recap

Sheldon calls Leonard to express his displeasure at Back to the Future 2 and 3 being in each other's cases. Leonard is in the middle of a storm but then a Kraken gets released and drags Leonard below. Sheldon wakes up from his nightmare and goes running over to Penny's place and tells Penny about his dream and asks to sleep there. She agrees but then he takes her bed.

Raj is struggling to get over his ex-girlfriend Lucy, since he is seeing her face in the various objects he encounters. Howard suggests that he attend an upcoming university event to meet someone new and offers to go with him. Raj also invites Sheldon to come but he is not interested.

Amy and Bernadette are away together at a biology convention.

Sheldon tries to show Penny how to play 3D chess (from Star Trek) but Penny points out that he's only wanting her to play because he misses Leonard. Sheldon says he doesn't, even though he ends up listing all the things he misses about Leonard.

Raj and Howard are at the university function and Raj isn't doing so well with trying to pick up any ladies. He talks to Mrs. Davis and relates her husband's infidelity to the infidelity witnesses in penguins.

Bernadette and Amy go out for drinks and Amy becomes positively giddy when some men send them drinks. "Guys are hitting on us and not just to get to Penny!"

Penny and Sheldon take a break from 3D chess and when Penny again mentions that she misses Leonard, Sheldon suggests that she call him (and put him on speaker). When she calls, Leonard (who has a massive beard) is dancing like a wild fool at a party. He says he's having the best time of his life, even though it's 5:30 in the morning where he's at. He engages in a drinking game and the call gets dropped. Penny is furious that he didn't sound like he missed her.

Bernadette goes over to the men, thanks them for the drinks, and politely lets them know that she and Amy are not available. Amy is still enthusiastic and Bernadette tells her that no one would blame her if she wanted to talk to one of them. Amy is offended by the slight towards Sheldon. Bernadette tries to brush it off but Amy retaliates by saying, "Your husband's weird and his clothes are ridiculous."

Penny is still ranting to Sheldon about Leonard. Sheldon is terrible at trying to make her feel better so she tells him not to bother. He says he cannot do that because Leonard had made him promise to take care of Penny while he was gone. Penny is touched by the sentiment. Sheldon says that if he does a good job, Leonard will bring him back a sailor's cap.

Raj approaches Mrs. David and apologises for his insensitive, inappropriate statements. He begins to tell her about his own recent experience with heartbreak.

Penny tells Sheldon to tell her something she doesn't know about him - something personal. When his reaction is to say that he owns nine pairs of pants and nine pairs of underpants, she tells him she will go first. She tells him that when she first moved out to LA, she did a topless scene in a horror movie about killer gorillas. She was ashamed of it and grateful that it never came out. Sheldon tells her he has seen the film, "Serial Apists," and that Howard found it on line the day they met her - literally the moment she walked out the door. Sheldon shares a secret he thought he would take it to the grave. He tells her he lies to people about being okay with the Youtube rating system being changed from star-based to one of thumbs up/down. Penny is annoyed that that is his big revelation and beings to leave. Sheldon then tells her that she has hurt his feelings. He opened up and she treated it as if it were nothing. It's a big deal to him and she apologises. She hugs him and he says, "Now I know how you felt getting mauled by that sex-crazed gorilla."

Things are still tense between Bernadette and Amy. Amy admits that it was flattering to get drinks sent to them from strangers. She suggests that they put on hot pants to try to get free omelettes in the morning. Bernadette asks who Amy would have picked if they had been single. Amy says she would have gone for "the short one with the goofy haircut." Bernadette says that she liked the tall, thin one, who seemed intelligent, kind of a loner, maybe a little sexually inexperienced like she'd have to teach him a thing or two. Amy gleefully says that she caught "her guy" staring at her rack. She says it would be nice to be with a man who wants to know what's underneath her cardigan (which is in fact, another cardigan). They have an awkward moment when they realise that their respective choices sound like the opposite woman's significant other.

Raj tells Mrs. Davis that he was not hitting on her and is happy to have connected with her as a human being. She leaves to return home. He then tells Howard that he thinks they had a moment but admits that he won't be doing anything to put a move on her.

On the ship, Leonard shows "Serial Apists" to the other crew members and proudly gloats that that is his girlfriend.

The Big Bang Theory airs on Thursdays on CBS at 8PM.