# The Big Bang Theory, Season 9, Episode 9 (November 19, 2015) -- "The Platonic Permutation" **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [November 19, 2015, 12:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-big-bang-theory-season-9-episode-9-november-19-2015-the-platonic-permutation/737972 "2015-11-19T12:03:51Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![TruCelt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/trucelt/32/523_2.png) [@TruCelt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TruCelt)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2015, 5:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-big-bang-theory-season-9-episode-9-november-19-2015-the-platonic-permutation/737972/21 "2015-11-20T17:41:14Z")
> [@Richard\_John\_Marcej](#): > > If that’s so, that’s still pretty damn short They average about 19 minutes if you watch them online, and I’m not clear as to whether that counter includes the reduced number of commercials that are streamed along with the episode. > [@gytalf2000](#): > > It wasn’t aired in my area (Nashville) – got preempted by a dang’d football game. Crud! [www.cbs.com](http://www.cbs.com) has the episodes. I watch them there because the commercials are shorter and less intrusive. Even DVR’d I spend as much or more time fast forwarding and then trying to queue it up correctly as I do watching the show. > [@TriPolar](#): > > Except for the really stupid part with Leonard toward the end this wasn’t too bad of a show. Well, not quite, kind of a weak result for having 4 of them in a soup kitchen, just one nerdoerotic squirt from a sprayer by Howard. So pretty much Sheldon and Amy were good at being Sheldon and Amy this episode, which is better than some of them. Credit where it’s due though, that squirt was a masterpiece of comedic timing. 😃 I was totally expecting Musk to start regaling Howard with stories he’d been hearing from the folks on the front line, about the " . . .selfish troll who didn’t want to come and got stuck in the kitchen Ha ha!" I can’t believe I’m the only one confused and frustrated. Why on Earth did Sheldon say that? He loves her and wants her back. What the frack is he about? Leonard getting caught in the lingerie made me laugh out loud, though. ---
**Author:** ![Ranger\_Jeff](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ranger_jeff/32/2065_2.png) [@Ranger\_Jeff](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ranger_Jeff)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2015, 6:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-big-bang-theory-season-9-episode-9-november-19-2015-the-platonic-permutation/737972/22 "2015-11-20T18:26:44Z")
> [@raventhief](#): > > Leonard offering to make things right by sharing from his online journal would have made me mad, if I were Penny. Not only did he lie about what he wrote, but an online journal is meant for public consumption, even if only among friends, It is a whole different thing than a private journal meant only for yourself. Yes, I thought that myself. I thought the cross-dressing as an act of contrition/penitence was amusing, even before the others returned. And it was in character as Leonard’s way of trying a quick fix for a problem. And it was in character for Leonard because it failed miserably partially because he missed the big picture, i.e., he constantly was winning in that “I know you better than you know me” contest with Penny. All Penny had to counter that was “You read my diary.” which, in the poker game of male-female relationships, is a straight flush to Leonard’s straight or 3 of a kind. Leonard’s going to have to ride this out. As for Shamy? I think Sheldon’s on the fence. Even without that spoiler upthread, they’re a good match and I think it’s mostly a matter of how long the writers want to stretch it out. I hope they don’t make it a 2 season long Ross and Rachel thing. ---
**Author:** ![Nonsuch](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/nonsuch/32/2922_2.png) [@Nonsuch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nonsuch)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2015, 6:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-big-bang-theory-season-9-episode-9-november-19-2015-the-platonic-permutation/737972/23 "2015-11-20T18:50:31Z")
> [@silenus](#): > > 1. I kinda liked the Leonard slutty carrot bit. Not _him_, mind you, but his actions. But the scene really needed some follow-up, like a minute of ribbing by everybody before Amy called. The fact that it ended abruptly was the only thing I liked about the bit. As soon as Lenoard pops out in that ugly thing, you know the others are going to walk in on him; it’s just a matter of when. So it was nice to see him face the inevitable humiliation with a hint of dignity and even defiance: “Yeah, here I am in an orange negligee. What about it?” ---
**Author:** ![TriPolar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripolar/32/3008_2.png) [@TriPolar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TriPolar)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2015, 9:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-big-bang-theory-season-9-episode-9-november-19-2015-the-platonic-permutation/737972/24 "2015-11-20T21:19:11Z")
> [@TruCelt](#): > > I can’t believe I’m the only one confused and frustrated. Why on Earth did Sheldon say that? He loves her and wants her back. What the frack is he about? His fear of breaking up again is simply greater than his need to have Amy in his life. When it comes to matters of humanity Sheldon is the ultimate pessimist, and also a nitwit. What I can’t figure out is why Penny didn’t tell Amy that Sheldon was going to propose to her, and also tell Sheldon to go ahead and propose. I suppose that could be coming up since Penny heard the phone call, but the idea that Bernadette and Amy don’t already know about the ring from Penny makes no sense. ---
**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:** [November 20, 2015, 9:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-big-bang-theory-season-9-episode-9-november-19-2015-the-platonic-permutation/737972/25 "2015-11-20T21:31:40Z")
I don’t think Amy has been hanging with the girls very much since the break-up. There’s a good chance Penny just hasn’t had the opportunity to tell her in passing, because it isn’t the type of information you make a special phone call for. That would just be cruel. ---
**Author:** ![Idle\_Thoughts](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/838e76/32.png) [@Idle\_Thoughts](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Idle_Thoughts)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2015, 9:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-big-bang-theory-season-9-episode-9-november-19-2015-the-platonic-permutation/737972/26 "2015-11-20T21:57:28Z")
> [@BobLibDem](#): > > The Sheldon-Amy drama is feeling too much like Ross-Rachel. Thanks to some leaks, we know it’s going to end well so knowing that kept me from being too upset that Sheldon put Amy in the friend zone. Of course that makes no sense considering his earlier obsession with getting her back. > > Don’t know why they bothered getting Emily for the soup kitchen plot. She had little to say and zero interaction with Raj, who was also pretty much phoning it in. > > Leonard in lingerie. Okay, it set up a pretty funny scene when the door opened, but we saw way too much of Leonard. A much better ending would have been a cut to Penny in the same outfit saying doesn’t this look better on me. Well maybe not one cut, maybe an entire episode. Added a spoiler tag for an upcoming spoiler. ---
**Author:** ![Ranger\_Jeff](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ranger_jeff/32/2065_2.png) [@Ranger\_Jeff](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ranger_Jeff)\ **Post date:** [November 21, 2015, 6:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-big-bang-theory-season-9-episode-9-november-19-2015-the-platonic-permutation/737972/27 "2015-11-21T06:09:14Z")
> [@silenus](#): > > 1. If you are going to have guest stars on a show like this, that is the kind of guest star you get! They’ve been really good about getting the nerds to guest. I agree. And I’m sure it’s partly because science, technology, geeks, and nerds enjoy appearing on sitcoms where they’re NOT objects of derision, but of admiration. It doesn’t happen all that often. “Friends” had a lot of guest stars also, usually actors and pop culture icons. Firearms tend to be a lot more accurate when you aim them at the target you want to hit. > [@silenus](#): > > 1. I kinda liked the Leonard slutty carrot bit. Not _him_, mind you, but his actions. But the scene really needed some follow-up, like a minute of ribbing by everybody before Amy called. Nah, it didn’t need any follow-up. We know the characters by now. Well, maybe not Emily, but Howard, Raj, and Bernadette? There was nothing the writers could write that could be half as funny as what our imaginations could come up with. It was a [Noodle Incident.](http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/NoodleIncident) ---
**Author:** ![kaylasdad99](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kaylasdad99/32/3398_2.png) [@kaylasdad99](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kaylasdad99)\ **Post date:** [November 21, 2015, 12:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-big-bang-theory-season-9-episode-9-november-19-2015-the-platonic-permutation/737972/28 "2015-11-21T12:27:54Z")
The bit about “another 40 minutes” for the drive to the aquarium didn’t ring true for me. ---
**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:** [November 21, 2015, 3:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-big-bang-theory-season-9-episode-9-november-19-2015-the-platonic-permutation/737972/29 "2015-11-21T15:24:31Z")
If they were headed to Carlsbad, had just left, and there was holiday traffic I could see it. ---
**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:** [November 21, 2015, 4:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-big-bang-theory-season-9-episode-9-november-19-2015-the-platonic-permutation/737972/30 "2015-11-21T16:25:06Z")
Cheated! Cheated, I tell you! Amy doesn’t know it but it’s better that Sheldon learns how to be a friend before he can be a boyfriend. He’s terrible at it. More terrible at being a friend than he was at breaking up with Amy. Sexy carrot Leonard was hilarious. There was an Emily sighting but I’m of the opinion we all need to lose sight of her. ---
**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:** [November 21, 2015, 4:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-big-bang-theory-season-9-episode-9-november-19-2015-the-platonic-permutation/737972/31 "2015-11-21T16:50:58Z")
It’s a toss-up as to which is worse: Emily the Absent, or Raj bitching and moaning about not having a girlfriend. ---
**Author:** ![kaylasdad99](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kaylasdad99/32/3398_2.png) [@kaylasdad99](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kaylasdad99)\ **Post date:** [November 21, 2015, 8:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-big-bang-theory-season-9-episode-9-november-19-2015-the-platonic-permutation/737972/32 "2015-11-21T20:26:47Z")
> [@kaylasdad99](#): > > The bit about “another 40 minutes” for the drive to the aquarium didn’t ring true for me. > [@silenus](#): > > If they were headed to Carlsbad, had just left, and there was holiday traffic I could see it. But they were going to Long Beach. ---
**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:** [November 21, 2015, 8:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-big-bang-theory-season-9-episode-9-november-19-2015-the-platonic-permutation/737972/33 "2015-11-21T20:32:41Z")
> [@kaylasdad99](#): > > But they were going to Long Beach. Then I definitely believe it. You ever _seen_ the Harbor Freeway on Thanksgiving? 😛 Or any other time, for that matter. ---
**Author:** ![kaylasdad99](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kaylasdad99/32/3398_2.png) [@kaylasdad99](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kaylasdad99)\ **Post date:** [November 21, 2015, 8:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-big-bang-theory-season-9-episode-9-november-19-2015-the-platonic-permutation/737972/34 "2015-11-21T20:42:14Z")
Not in several years, actually. But it’s far more likely that they’d be on the 710, since they’re starting in Pasadena and headed to Long Beach, as opposed to starting at Staples Center, and heading to San Pedro. 😛 ---
**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:** [November 21, 2015, 8:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-big-bang-theory-season-9-episode-9-november-19-2015-the-platonic-permutation/737972/35 "2015-11-21T20:59:25Z")
Nah. Amy would pick up Sheldon at home (2311 North Los Robles). South to Colorado Blvd., then west until she could pick up Arroyo Secco Parkway. Arroyo Secco is the 110 for all intents and purposes. It becomes official at Staples Center is all. If she goes your way it works even better. She’d be on surface streets from Pasadena down through Alhambra. If there is heavy traffic where the 710 meets the 5, it can easily take an hour to get from Pasadena to the aquarium. ---
**Author:** ![Dewey\_Finn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dewey_finn/32/4222_2.png) [@Dewey\_Finn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dewey_Finn)\ **Post date:** [November 21, 2015, 9:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-big-bang-theory-season-9-episode-9-november-19-2015-the-platonic-permutation/737972/36 "2015-11-21T21:05:28Z")
This thread is starting to sound like an episode of the SNL sketch _[The Californians](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Recurring_Saturday_Night_Live_characters_and_sketches_introduced_2011%E2%80%932012#The_Californians)_. I never liked that sketch. ---
**Author:** ![TruCelt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/trucelt/32/523_2.png) [@TruCelt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TruCelt)\ **Post date:** [November 22, 2015, 2:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-big-bang-theory-season-9-episode-9-november-19-2015-the-platonic-permutation/737972/37 "2015-11-22T02:40:21Z")
I was thinking more like Kramer riding the back of the Fire Engine and shouting directions on _Seinfeld._ ---
**Author:** ![panache45](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/panache45/32/64_2.png) [@panache45](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/panache45)\ **Post date:** [November 22, 2015, 5:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-big-bang-theory-season-9-episode-9-november-19-2015-the-platonic-permutation/737972/38 "2015-11-22T05:49:48Z")
When the others walked in on Slutty Carrot Leonard, I laughed so hard, my cats ran out of the room. That made my husband laugh even more. ---
**Author:** ![Danja](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/48db29/32.png) [@Danja](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Danja)\ **Post date:** [November 22, 2015, 6:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-big-bang-theory-season-9-episode-9-november-19-2015-the-platonic-permutation/737972/39 "2015-11-22T06:51:10Z")
> [@silenus](#): > > Nah. Amy would pick up Sheldon at home (2311 North Los Robles). South to Colorado Blvd., then west until she could pick up Arroyo Secco Parkway. Arroyo Secco is the 110 for all intents and purposes. It becomes official at Staples Center is all. > > If she goes your way it works even better. She’d be on surface streets from Pasadena down through Alhambra. If there is heavy traffic where the 710 meets the 5, it can easily take an hour to get from Pasadena to the aquarium. Jeez. I grew up in a small town in the Midwest. It’s been years since I moved, but it still weirds me out that complete strangers on the internet discuss the roads that I drive. ---
**Author:** ![kaylasdad99](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kaylasdad99/32/3398_2.png) [@kaylasdad99](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kaylasdad99)\ **Post date:** [November 22, 2015, 7:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-big-bang-theory-season-9-episode-9-november-19-2015-the-platonic-permutation/737972/40 "2015-11-22T07:01:58Z")
> [@silenus](#): > > Nah. Amy would pick up Sheldon at home (2311 North Los Robles). South to Colorado Blvd., then west until she could pick up Arroyo Secco Parkway. Arroyo Secco is the 110 for all intents and purposes. It becomes official at Staples Center is all. > > If she goes your way it works even better. She’d be on surface streets from Pasadena down through Alhambra. If there is heavy traffic where the 710 meets the 5, it can easily take an hour to get from Pasadena to the aquarium. Well, then, take 110 to the Century Freeway, then take THAT to the Long Beach Fwy (or to the 405 South, then to the 710). Really, the implausible thing is Amy describing the distance remaining in terms of time instead of miles. Californians don’t do that (even if Texan passengers ask “how much longer,” we respond with “how much farther”). [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-big-bang-theory-season-9-episode-9-november-19-2015-the-platonic-permutation/737972.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-big-bang-theory-season-9-episode-9-november-19-2015-the-platonic-permutation/737972.md?page=3)