Episode 3 – The Zazzy Substitution (403)
Sheldon and Amy Farrah Fowler are very compatible with each other, as evidenced by how well they can play “counter-factuals”, a game they invented requiring them to know what the other is thinking would be the answer to a question about “an alternate world that differs from ours in one key aspect” (Leonard flunks miserably when he attempts to play this game). Bringing Amy into the group is a source of consternation, as the guys can barely handle Sheldon by himself, let alone with Amy who is his female equivalent. At one lunch, Amy belittles Sheldon’s occupation as a theoretical physicist relative to, in her opinion, her more superior occupation of neurobiologist. This leads Sheldon to propose for the “relationship [with Amy to] terminate immediately”, much to the delight of the other guys. As a result of the breakup, Sheldon becomes more peculiar than his normal self, and adopts a cat as a substitute for Amy. This one cat quickly grows into a collection of 25 cats. This worries Leonard, who calls Sheldon’s mother (Laurie Metcalf) to come for help. When she arrives, Mrs. Cooper is shocked, as she never expected this, so she calls Amy to come and help. Amy agrees out of scientific curiosity, because since Mrs. Cooper told her that Sheldon is losing his mind over Amy, as a neurobiologist, Amy wants to see how someone can lose their mind. As Amy, Sheldon, Leonard, and Sheldon’s mother sit around the living room, Sheldon’s mother employs a technique of reverse psychology which Leonard instantly picks up on, but Sheldon is completely oblivious to. She tells Sheldon that it was a good thing he and Amy broke up because they are completely incompatible. Sheldon is instantly offended, so to prove his mother wrong, he offers Amy to reconcile, which she agrees after a negotiation on the amount of responsibility Sheldon has to accept for the break up (Amy offered 80%, Sheldon countered with 40%, settling at 65%). The episode ends with Sheldon and Amy giving away $20 to anybody willing to adopt a cat.
Title reference: Sheldon describes one of his cats as very “zazzy”. The cats are a substitution for the void left when Amy was no longer a part of Sheldon’s life.
Directed by Mark Cendrowski.
Written by Lee Aronsohn, Steven Molaro & Maria Ferrari based on a story by Chuck Lorre, Bill Prady & Jim Reynolds.
Originally aired on October 7, 2010.
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