# The Big Bang Theory, Season 9, Episode 20 (April 7, 2016) -- "The Fermentation Bifurcation" **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [April 28, 2016, 7:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-big-bang-theory-season-9-episode-20-april-7-2016-the-fermentation-bifurcation/753360 "2016-04-28T19:46:17Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 19\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![gytalf2000](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/ac91a4/32.png) [@gytalf2000](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gytalf2000)\ **Post date:** [April 29, 2016, 2:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-big-bang-theory-season-9-episode-20-april-7-2016-the-fermentation-bifurcation/753360/21 "2016-04-29T14:16:54Z")
> [@raventhief](#): > > That was sweet, the d&d game. Yeah, I liked it. I can’t imagine the “old Sheldon” ever doing something like that. He certainly has evolved! ---
**Author:** ![gytalf2000](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/ac91a4/32.png) [@gytalf2000](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gytalf2000)\ **Post date:** [April 29, 2016, 2:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-big-bang-theory-season-9-episode-20-april-7-2016-the-fermentation-bifurcation/753360/22 "2016-04-29T14:25:20Z")
> [@RivkahChaya](#): > > BTW: what’s with all the “Raj is gay” innuendo? Are they ever going to go anywhere with that? or are they just dead-end jokes? I hope so! Raj works better comedically as a frustrated-and-somewhat-confused heterosexual, I think. ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [April 29, 2016, 2:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-big-bang-theory-season-9-episode-20-april-7-2016-the-fermentation-bifurcation/753360/23 "2016-04-29T14:25:41Z")
They are still pursuing the invention - the university just gets 75% of the profits. The guys agreed to set up a trust fund for the sprog with part of their share, since Howard would get bupkis from the deal. Loved the Sheldon/Bernie interaction: “Me? How? Why?” Did Penny have more than 4 lines all night? ---
**Author:** ![ivylass](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/9de053/32.png) [@ivylass](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ivylass)\ **Post date:** [April 29, 2016, 2:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-big-bang-theory-season-9-episode-20-april-7-2016-the-fermentation-bifurcation/753360/24 "2016-04-29T14:40:33Z")
> [@silenus](#): > > They are still pursuing the invention - the university just gets 75% of the profits. The guys agreed to set up a trust fund for the sprog with part of their share, since Howard would get bupkis from the deal. Oh, that’s right, something about him being an astronaut? ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [April 29, 2016, 2:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-big-bang-theory-season-9-episode-20-april-7-2016-the-fermentation-bifurcation/753360/25 "2016-04-29T14:50:08Z")
More about him being a contract employee of JPL. They’re saving the “Bernie delivers” arc for next season’s Sweeps. Military applications of their invention should concern only Raj and Sheldon. Leonard has been doing military research since the show started, and Howard’s work at JPL has all sorts of military associations. ---
**Author:** ![FairyChatMom](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fairychatmom/32/22080_2.png) [@FairyChatMom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FairyChatMom)\ **Post date:** [April 29, 2016, 2:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-big-bang-theory-season-9-episode-20-april-7-2016-the-fermentation-bifurcation/753360/26 "2016-04-29T14:55:04Z")
> [@GuanoLad](#): > > I loved the way he was holding the wine glass. That cracked me up, too. Plus his dismay at not being able to get ice… which I identify with. I’m classless - I like my wine over ice. Deal with it! 😛 ---
**Author:** ![FairyChatMom](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fairychatmom/32/22080_2.png) [@FairyChatMom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FairyChatMom)\ **Post date:** [April 29, 2016, 2:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-big-bang-theory-season-9-episode-20-april-7-2016-the-fermentation-bifurcation/753360/27 "2016-04-29T14:58:05Z")
> [@ivylass](#): > > What’s the big deal about the military applications? When they brought that up, I half-expected some _Real Genius_ allusions. Alas. ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [April 29, 2016, 2:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-big-bang-theory-season-9-episode-20-april-7-2016-the-fermentation-bifurcation/753360/28 "2016-04-29T14:58:56Z")
Philistine. I’ve been known to hold wine glasses that way myself, especially after the third glass or so. eta: At the very least one of them should have been eating popcorn when they were discussion the military apps. ---
**Author:** ![Quimby](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/22d042/32.png) [@Quimby](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quimby)\ **Post date:** [April 29, 2016, 3:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-big-bang-theory-season-9-episode-20-april-7-2016-the-fermentation-bifurcation/753360/29 "2016-04-29T15:51:40Z")
I liked how they mixed and matched the characters into new combinations in this one. That is a benefit of a long running show. They should do it more often. ---
**Author:** ![Robot\_Arm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/robot_arm/32/18280_2.png) [@Robot\_Arm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Robot_Arm)\ **Post date:** [April 29, 2016, 7:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-big-bang-theory-season-9-episode-20-april-7-2016-the-fermentation-bifurcation/753360/30 "2016-04-29T19:24:23Z")
Interesting call back to _The Scavenger Vortex_. ---
**Author:** ![teela\_brown](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/d9b06d/32.png) [@teela\_brown](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/teela_brown)\ **Post date:** [May 1, 2016, 11:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-big-bang-theory-season-9-episode-20-april-7-2016-the-fermentation-bifurcation/753360/31 "2016-05-01T23:43:04Z")
I like Claire a lot. I think she’s straightforward and funny. Emily rubbed me the wrong way right from the beginning. ---
**Author:** ![gytalf2000](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/ac91a4/32.png) [@gytalf2000](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gytalf2000)\ **Post date:** [May 2, 2016, 6:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-big-bang-theory-season-9-episode-20-april-7-2016-the-fermentation-bifurcation/753360/32 "2016-05-02T18:13:06Z")
> [@teela\_brown](#): > > I like Claire a lot. I think she’s straightforward and funny. Emily rubbed me the wrong way right from the beginning. I like them both! I loved “creepy Emily”, and I wish they would feature that side of her personality more. But Claire is great, too. At this point, I enjoy the fact that Raj is dating them both. ( Because that’s what I’d like to do, myself… 🙂 ) ---
**Author:** ![Biggirl](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/biggirl/32/3294_2.png) [@Biggirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Biggirl)\ **Post date:** [May 2, 2016, 6:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-big-bang-theory-season-9-episode-20-april-7-2016-the-fermentation-bifurcation/753360/33 "2016-05-02T18:19:24Z")
I liked last weeks episode better as it gave a peek into the group dynamics. Especially Amy’s spot-on take on Penny and Sheldon’s relationship. This week’s high point for me was how it showed Sheldon can be Sheldon and yet still be an improved, better human being. ---
**Author:** ![magnusblitz](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/b4bc9f/32.png) [@magnusblitz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/magnusblitz)\ **Post date:** [May 2, 2016, 9:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-big-bang-theory-season-9-episode-20-april-7-2016-the-fermentation-bifurcation/753360/34 "2016-05-02T21:30:03Z")
> [@RivkahChaya](#): > > The two secret friends thing was the only thing about the episode I could have done without Interesting, that was actually one of my favorite aspects of the episode. I’d like them to refer to it later (though not actually go so far as to cast and introduce them on-screen), but I bet it just gets forgotten as a one-off thing. I was going to complain about it feeling like the writers forgot about Howard and Amy hitting it off in the car singing to Neil Diamond, but apparently that episode is three years old, so could fit the timeline. Low point for the episode for me would be the cliche “no one is honest and it leads to silly easily-avoided misunderstandings” business. > [@ivylass](#): > > What’s the big deal about the military applications? Yeah, that seemed a bit weak to me too, though I guess that level of analysis (military use = bad!) it’s to be expected for a half-hour sitcom. I’m not expecting any great philosophical discussion about it, but it seems like there’s a very obvious point to be made that making military missiles more accurate is a good thing considering the concerns about collateral damage. ---
**Author:** ![Quimby](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/22d042/32.png) [@Quimby](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quimby)\ **Post date:** [May 3, 2016, 1:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-big-bang-theory-season-9-episode-20-april-7-2016-the-fermentation-bifurcation/753360/35 "2016-05-03T01:19:58Z")
It’s not crazy or unrealistic to be concerned something you build is going to be used to kill people. It’s not even original to BBT; it was a plot point in the movie Real Genius. ---
**Author:** ![RivkahChaya](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rivkahchaya/32/8919_2.png) [@RivkahChaya](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RivkahChaya)\ **Post date:** [May 3, 2016, 2:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-big-bang-theory-season-9-episode-20-april-7-2016-the-fermentation-bifurcation/753360/36 "2016-05-03T02:05:21Z")
> [@Quimby](#): > > It’s not crazy or unrealistic to be concerned something you build is going to be used to kill people. It’s not even original to BBT; it was a plot point in the movie Real Genius. Also, _Insignificance_. It showed an unnamed physicist with long, rumpled hair, who played the violin doing a lot of soul-searching, and being a bit haunted by the fact that some work he’d done had been used to create a bomb. At one point, an unnamed actress stops by and wants to discuss his theory with him, mostly to prove she understand it, because she’s tired of being pigeon-holed as an airhead. As she does this, her unnamed baseball player husband stews in a bar over not being able to keep her satisfied, and why is she going after this old professor fart when she could have a great athlete? Meanwhile, an unnamed senator is trying to investigate the scientist for possible Communist ties. Great movie. ---
**Author:** ![Soylent\_Juicy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/82dd89/32.png) [@Soylent\_Juicy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Soylent_Juicy)\ **Post date:** [May 6, 2016, 2:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-big-bang-theory-season-9-episode-20-april-7-2016-the-fermentation-bifurcation/753360/37 "2016-05-06T14:48:39Z")
> [@stosh](#): > > One of Penny’s ex-boyfriends at a wine tasting ??? I know eh, they never said what he was doing there, did they? > [@teela\_brown](#): > > I like Claire a lot. I think she’s straightforward and funny. Emily rubbed me the wrong way right from the beginning. Emily is an irrationally jealous wackjob. Raj is best rid of her. The best part was when Raj and Zack came back to the table and Zack was all like “You’re right Raj, Claire’s not that great.” _wink_ Penny had one funny line but I forget it now. ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [May 6, 2016, 3:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-big-bang-theory-season-9-episode-20-april-7-2016-the-fermentation-bifurcation/753360/38 "2016-05-06T15:18:51Z")
> [@Soylent\_Juicy](#): > > I know eh, they never said what he was doing there, did they? He was probably delivering the menus and tasting pads. ---
**Author:** ![ftg](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ftg/32/2801_2.png) [@ftg](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ftg)\ **Post date:** [May 6, 2016, 6:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-big-bang-theory-season-9-episode-20-april-7-2016-the-fermentation-bifurcation/753360/39 "2016-05-06T18:19:55Z")
Better than average episode for recent seasons. Very good use of Zack. His character got tiresome a _long_ time ago, but having him commenting on the others not being so smart was a nice use. The Sheldon/Bernadette subplot was weak. Yet Another Attempt At Humanizing Sheldon. Too out of character. As noted, Leonard and Howard have worked closely with the military and the Armageddon implication would have dawned on all of them a long time ago. So what on Earth was that gimbaled\*gadget that they were so excited about? The center “can” was obviously not being kept stabilized. If the gyro was working properly just to _detect_ the change in orientation, then looking at a dancing can proves nothing. They’d be looking at computer screens. - Why is this not “gimballed”? One “l” doesn’t seem to fit. “Baled” has a long “a”. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-big-bang-theory-season-9-episode-20-april-7-2016-the-fermentation-bifurcation/753360.md?page=1)