'The Big Bang Theory' Recap: 'The Empathy Optimization'

In this week's The Big Bang Theory, the gang feels drained after taking care of Sheldon, who was under-the-weather.

Sheldon video chats with Amy, who is still away. Sheldon doesn’t understand why his friends are mad at him. He feels being sick gives him the right to complain and verbally abuse his friends. Amy explains that isn’t the case and he can be very difficult when he is sick. She points out that this is why his friends will stay late at work or go to the movies to avoid being around him. She also confesses that she stayed in Delaware for her neurobiology conference three days after it ended to avoid his sickness.

Everyone decides they need a Sheldon free weekend, so they plan to rent a party bus and go to Las Vegas. Sheldon doesn’t want to go, but becomes upset when he finds out that he wasn’t invited. This prompts him to video chat Amy who tells him that he needs to apologize and learn to have empathy. Sheldon practices and finds that he does actually feel bad that Leonard made him soup and he was mean to him.

Sheldon goes to Leonard and gives him a sincere apology. Leonard however, tells him he still can’t come on the trip because he upset everybody, not just him. Sheldon says he will apologize to everyone in hopes that he will be invited along.

Sheldon goes on his apology tour, which is complete with him playing his pan flute and giving out t-shirts with his face that read “Sheldon Cooper apologized to me and made everything better.” He apologizes to everyone, including Penny who has received her apology and t-shirt while she was in the shower. Everyone forgives Sheldon except for Emily. Sheldon again insults her when he continues to insinuate that dermatologists aren’t real doctors. This starts a fight between her and Raj. Raj feels she should accept the apology and move on with the silly argument. Emily gets up and storms out.

Raj tells Sheldon that he really made Emily feel bad. Sheldon said he would apologize again, but the gang told them it probably wasn’t a good idea fearing he would make things worse. Raj says that Emily won’t go if he does, so Sheldon decides not to go.

After the gang gets on the party bus, Sheldon and Stuart, who also wasn’t invited, jump out of the bathroom and surprise everyone. Sheldon says he wants to truly apologize to Emily. He tells her that although he doesn’t always say the right thing, she is a smart woman and he doesn’t mean to offend her. Emily accepts his apology. Sheldon tells everyone to go without him because they will have a better time. He gets off the bus, dragging Stuart with him. After leaving them, Emily and the others decide that they feel bad, so they go back to get them.

The episode ends with Emily looking horrified, as she watches Raj perform on the stripper pole on the bus. However, Penny and Bernadette are enjoying it, throwing dollar bills at him.