History TheBigBangTheory / SeasonEight

* ChrisCarterEffect: [[invoked]] Discussed in "Commitment Determination," when Amy gets upset that the big thing on Sheldon's mind is whether or not he should start watching the Series/TheFlash2014 (as opposed to their make-out session they were currently engaged in). He argues that it's difficult for him to make such an important commitment to a show knowing it could last years, it's not a matter of catching up on a single season. Leonard agrees, saying that ''Series/{{Smallville}}'' almost killed him and Sheldon ranted that they spent [[ForegoneConclusion 10 years watching a guy everyone knows can fly NOT fly]].

* HotScientist: Bernadette is offered to appear in a magazine promoting beautiful scientists. But behind her back, Amy declines on Bernadette's unauthorized behalf, citing feminist reasons &/or personal insecurity over her own looks. Bernadette is pissed. But both forget about it when they have to rescue the guys from Dr. Lorvis & he's on the make with Amy.

* GiganticGulp: Amy and Bernadette drink margaritas from huge glasses in "The Focus Attenuation".

* InsomniaEpisode: "The Anxiety Optimization", where Sheldon is keeping his anxiety levels up as a way of optimizing his work environment. This leads to him becoming sleep deprived and hallucinating about Isaac Newton being an armadillo.

** In "The Commitment Determination", Sheldon is about to ask Amy something on the fifth anniversary of when they first met. Again, the implication is that he's about to propose, so when he asks instead whether he should commit to watching ''Series/TheFlash2014'', Amy has enough and [[spoiler:calls for a break in their relationship. What's worse is that Sheldon ''was'' eventually going to propose.]]

--->'''Amy''': (via Skype) Okay, well... [[spoiler:this isn't easy to say, because I love you but... I need some time to take a step back and reevaluate our situation]]].

* WhamShot: "Commitment Determination" has [[spoiler: Amy break up with Sheldon. Afterwards he addresses a Gollum statue on his desk and says, "Well, Gollum. You're an expert on rings. (reveals an engagement ring from his desk drawer) What am I going to do with this."]]

* AbsenceMakesTheHeartGoYonder: In "The Commitment Determination", Leonard confesses to Penny that he had a fling (while drunk) with one of the scientists in the research trip to the North Sea from Season Seven. He claims it didn't go further than kissing, but Penny is more upset that [[spoiler:he chose to tell her while on their way to getting married in Las Vegas.]]

* VivaLasVegas: The girls go to Las Vegas in "The Focus Attenuation".

* TimeTravelTenseTrouble: In "The Focus Attenuation," when the guys are discussing the timeline in the second ''Film/BackToTheFuture'' movie.

* LongLostRelative: After [[spoiler: Ms. Wolowitz dies and the lawyers contact Howard's father for thinks like the title on the house,]] Howard gets a surprise visit from his previously unknown half-brother Josh. Howard was initially very upset until Josh sees that he was an astronaut and acquires a BigBrotherWorship, which Howard soaks in with delight.

* AbsenceMakesTheHeartGoYonder: In "The Commitment Determination", Leonard confesses to Penny that he had a fling with one of the scientists in the research trip to the North Sea from Season Seven. He claims it didn't go further than kissing, but Penny is more upset that [[spoiler:he chose to tell her while on their way to getting married in Las Vegas.]]

** Creator/NathanFillion in "The Comic Book Store Regeneration", eating at a cafe when Howard and Raj approach him for a photo. He at first pretends to be someone else but eventually relents (although at the end it's left unclear whether it really was Fillion or not).

** "The Commitment Determination" has some really heavy stuff happen to the characters. The least of which is Raj's question if him and Emily are compatible and Bernadette and Howard trying to get Stuart to move out of their house and live on his own. The big events are [[spoiler: Leonard and Penny running to Vegas to elope, only for Leonard to ruin the mood by confessing a minor infidelity (Penny's not happy about about the infidelity, but is more angry about the timing, doing it right before they elope). Then Amy breaks up with Sheldon over Skype because she didn't feel he was invested in their relationship, with Sheldon afterwards musing what he was going to do with the engagement ring he bought for her]].

* SexyWhateverOutfit: In "The Graduation Deterioration", Penny gets Leoard a cap and gown for his commencement speech, but the store ony had the "sexy graduate" costume with the short skirt gown.

* ThereAreTwoKindsOfPeopleInTheWorld: According to Howard in "The Graduation Deterioration", it's "those who call tech support, and those who laugh at those who call tech support."

* TimeTravelTenseTrouble: In "The Focus Attenuation", when the guys are discussing the timeline in the second ''Film/BackToTheFuture'' movie.

* YouLookFamiliar: In ''The Intimacy Application'', the hostess who shows Emily, Raj, Amy and Leonard into the "[[TheCrystalMaze escape room]]" (where they have to solve a puzzle to get out) appeared in an earlier series[[note]] Series three episode three, ''The Gothowitz Deviation''[[/note]] as one of two Goth girls picked up by Raj and Howard.

* YouLookFamiliar: In ''The Intimacy Application'', the hostess who shows Emily, Raj, Amy and Leonard into the "[[CrystalMaze escape room]]" (where they have to solve a puzzle to get out) appeared in an earlier series as one of two Goth girls picked up by Raj and Howard.

* YouLookFamiliar: the hostess who shows Emily, Raj, Amy and Leonard into the "[[CrystalMaze escape room]]" (where they have to solve a puzzle to get out) appeared in an earlier series as one of two Goth girls picked up by Raj and Howard.

* WikiWalk: In "The Focus Attenuation", the boys try to come up with new inventions, but keep getting sidetracked watching movies and looking up random stuff on the internet.