Plot
Wil Wheaton invites Sheldon to be part of a documentary about Leonard Nimoy. During the interview, Sheldon reveals a few surprises. Meanwhile, Bernadette decides to renovate Howard's childhood home, and more secrets are revealed.
Tropes
- Added Alliterative Appeal: Invoked in this following exchange:Sheldon: [shows contents of his personal safe] My Wil... [shows Wesley Crusher action figure] my 1/8 scale Wil Wheaton action figure. I also have the other kind of will. And in it I will my Wil back to Wil.
Leonard: Will Wil want it?
Wil Wheaton: Wil won’t. - All of the Other Reindeer: Played with. During the "cold open," Leonard discusses a child development study; a child who is popular at thirteen will grow up to have problems later. Raj says he was popular...but it was amongst the servants. Whose names he didn't know. We also get examples of the others' Hilariously Abusive Childhoods.
- Armor-Piercing Response: Prompting perhaps the biggest Big "WHAT?!" in the series:Penny: What's that ringbox?
Sheldon: Oh, that is an engagement ring that I was going to give my girlfriend, Amy. - Ask a Stupid Question...: Leonard says he heard about a study determining that popular teenagers ended up being less successful as adults.Penny: The study say what happens to the unpopular kids?
Leonard: You tell me; you woke up in bed with one. - Based on a Great Big Lie: Subverted. In this case, Sheldon has based most of his Real Life on fictional characters and lessons (rather than fiction based on "reality"). Now that he's confronted with real situations, he has no idea how to cope with them.
- Big Brother Bully: Both Sheldon and Leonard were bullied by their brothers as kids.
- Big "WHAT?!": Penny gives probably her biggest "What!?" of the series when she finds out about Sheldon having planned on asking Amy to marry him.
- Blatant Lies: After calming down, Sheldon cites a Vulcan proverb in the Vulcan language. Penny asks Leonard if he knows what it means and doesn't believe him when he first claims he doesn't.
- Closet Geek: Penny's spent enough time with the nerds to remind Sheldon that Spock was half-human and thus had more emotions than he let on.
- Concealing Canvas: Sheldon keeps his valuables in a wall safe hidden behind his dry erase board. This comes as a complete surprise to Leonard, as does the "floor safe" that Sheldon had installed previously.
- Continuity Nod: Sheldon brings out the napkin signed by Nimoy in "The Bath Item Gift Hypothesis."
- Disproportionate Retribution: Discussed in a joke. While Adam is interviewing Sheldon, Leonard asks Wil why he wants to punish Adam.
- Also, the schoolyard bully breaking Sheldon's collarbone when Sheldon attempted a "Vulcan nerve pinch" on him. Made even worse in the fact Sheldon only attempted it cause said bully was threatening him.
(rotates shoulder) I can still hear it clicking. - Documentary Episode: The parts when Sheldon is on camera, anyway.
- Follow Your Nose: When she learns that Sheldon started hiding his Pop-Tarts in the floor safe, Penny says "I knew I could smell them."
- I Want Grandkids: Mike Rostenkowski is revealed to be this trope and urges Howard to imagine how the den can be converted into a nursery.
- Internal Reveal: Other characters (most especially Leonard and Penny) find out of Sheldon's plan to propose to Amy.
- Men Can't Keep House: Howard and Mike both leave the household duties (and child rearing in Mike's case) to their wives.
- Mood Whiplash: The light, awkward humour of Sheldon's fanboy gushing quickly changes when the others find out about the ring.
- Nerds Speak Klingon : In this case, Vulcan.
- No Sympathy: Though sympathetic towards Sheldon's stories of being bullied by his older brother, Penny is flippant about Leonard having similar experiences.
- Noodle Incident: Sheldon says the ring has been in his family for generations. His great-great-great grandmother lost it (and a finger!) to Comanches, but Texas Rangers eventually retrieved it in brutal fashion.Sheldon: It was a happy ending. [beat] Well, for my nine-fingered Nana.
- Oh, Crap!: Upon learning of the Spy Cam, an embarrassed Penny reminds Leonard of how they've "done things" in front of it.
- Pun: "Spockumentary."Sheldon: It was Leonard's joke.
- The Scapegoat: Bernadette is apprehensive about having kids, but rather than just be honest with Mike about it, she threw Howard (who does want kids) under the bus to save face.
- Spy Cam: Sheldon reveals there's one inside the Aquaman figure atop a bookcase.
- Suddenly Shouting: As more and more is discussed about how his relationship with Amy ended, Sheldon tries to maintain a stoic appearance, but he's clearly upset. It eventually boils over with him shouting, "I SAID I'M FINE!"
- Tearjerker / Wham Episode : You feel kind of bad for all the gang, but the last scene when Sheldon decides to ask Amy to marry him...and sees her on a date, kissing another man is utterly heartbreaking.Penny: When I see him like this, I just want to give him a big hug.
- This Is Reality: In The Tag, Sheldon and Leonard discuss the folly of focusing too much on fictional TV characters.
