- Sheldon and Bernadette spend the evening together while the rest of the gang go to a wine tasting party, but things get uncomfortable for Raj when Penny's ex-boyfriend Zack shows up and takes an interest in Claire.
- Penny has received tickets to a wine tasting, and has invited all her friends to go with her. Everyone accepts except Sheldon, who has no interest, and Bernadette, who can't drink since she's pregnant. So Sheldon suggests that when everyone else is at the wine tasting, he and Bernadette spend time together doing things for that he normally likes to do and that Bernadette is reduced to now only being able to do since she's pregnant. Bernadette reluctantly accepts Sheldon's invitation. She ends up being surprised by their time together. At the wine tasting, the gang runs into Zack, Penny's old boyfriend who she hasn't seen since before she and Leonard got married. Zack's simplistic way of looking at the world makes for an uncomfortable evening for Leonard, Howard and Raj, the first two who reevaluate working on their prototype for the guidance system, and Raj who is trying to play it overly casual with his date for the evening, Claire, upon her first meeting with his friends.—Huggo
- While fixing dinner, Penny tells them that she won a night of wine tasting at work. Leonard wonders why scientists don't win things. Howard claims that they are in it for the groupies. Sheldon claims that he just pursues science for the intrinsic joy of discovery. Amy reminds him that he always says that he wants to win a Nobel Prize. Howard, Amy, Raj and Leonard plan on going; however, Bernadette is pregnant and Sheldon has had enough of wine. Sheldon then tells Bernadette that it'll just be the two of them. Sheldon wanted her to join him and explained that all the things she has to avoid, he never liked in the first place.
Working on their invention, the infinite persistence gyroscope navigation system, in the Mechanical Engineering Lab, Raj wonders if he can bring Claire. Leonard wondered if he was still dating Emily. Raj concurs and says that he is keeping the two casual relationships casual. Howard is ready to start up their gyroscope while Sheldon documents it on video. The three rotating rings start up successfully. Raj thinks it looks beautiful, while it makes Howard and Leonard dizzy.
Raj calls up Claire and invites her to the winery. She is fine with it as long as meeting his friends is not too big a step. Claire wants to know if she'll be introduced as his girlfriend.
Leonard is reading a scratch-and-sniff book about wine tasting. Leonard can't really smell anything because his sinuses are acting up. Sheldon tells Penny that he is going to prove that you can have fun without alcohol, tobacco, caffeine, sushi, soft cheese, processed meats, Jacuzzi's or anything else that is harmful to a pregnant lady.
At the wine tasting, Howard and Amy are the first to arrive. At first they are nervous with nothing to say; then they remember the last time they were together. It was three years ago during the scavenger hunt. Leonard, Penny and Raj show up. Claire is going to meet them there and Raj doesn't want them to ask too many questions since they are keeping it casual. Leonard then won't ask her about how it is being in his harem. Amy then notices Zack (Brian Thomas Smith), Penny's old boyfriend. Raj wants her to ask who was better in the sack.
Bernadette shows up with some bubbly apple cider which unfortunately tickles Sheldon's nose. Sheldon has a fetus friendly festival of fun discussing trains and types of toast that thrills Bernadette.
The guys are describing what they smell in the wine, except for stopped-up Leonard. Zack comes by to say hello. He sees that they are married and wonders if it's to each other. Despite breaking up with Leonard and despite her coming back to Zack, he was always rooting for them. The guys tell Zack about their navigational system and he wonders if it could be misused by the military. Zack then asks if it's better than the one they're using now. "Yea!" they exclaim as they realize that the military would want it
Sheldon is describing the various model train gauge scales. The smallest gauge railroad engine he accidentally swallowed and had to pass. Bernie wondered why he liked trains. Life was confusing when he was young and trains represented order. He could line them up, categorize them, etc. They gave Sheldon a sense of calm in a world that did not.
Leonard is telling Howard that he is worried about the military applications ever since Zack mentioned it. Amy cites Einstein's theory and the development of the atomic bomb. Claire then joins them and is introduced as a casual friend who needs no other questions. Leonard asks her if she would like some wine. Raj shouts that he said no questions.
Now Sheldon has laid out all the different types of toast including Star Wars toast. It has a light side and a "dark side". Next on the evening's agenda is D & D. Bernadette says that she might play for a little while. Sheldon doesn't think that she will want to stop or will be allowed to. The game was designed for her. Her character's name is Bernadetrix, a tall brave warrior queen. She likes being tall. Also only the men get pregnant in this universe. She thinks it might be fun. She starts out having a drink at the tavern. Bernadette says that she storms into the tavern, throws down her sword and wants his strongest ale in the skull of a goblin.
Penny tells Claire that they have heard nothing, but good things about her. Claire stumps them by asking what they had heard. Zack comes over and then hits on Claire. Zack asks why she was introduced as his friend since she is so great. Claire says that she doesn't know, so Zack then asks Raj who is stumped. Leonard is still worried about their project and wants to take another look at it. Howard doesn't want to stop because he needs the money. How do they know that their invention is not going to be used to destroy the world? Howard retorts that no one has come back from the future to kill them.
Back at D&D, Bernadette is killing the ogre that attacked her. After being in a hot spring, the ogre is reduced to sushi and begs to be eaten. Bernadette enjoys the sushi, bathes in the hot spring and does not have swollen ankles. The end. She thanks him since for one night she didn't have to be "pregnant Bernadette". Sheldon tells her that if she ever needs another break, Bernadetrix the Warrior is there for her.
Raj asks Zack to not come onto Claire since he is bigger and more handsome. Raj doesn't want him to talk about how great Claire is. Claire then asks Penny and Amy if he brings around other girls. The girls are stumped. Leonard calls Raj loyal to a fault. Zack comes over and tells everyone that Raj is right that Claire is not so great. Raj counters that he says crazy things all the time. So what had they been talking about while he was gone? Claire tells him that they were discussing all of the girls he had been dating. Raj complains that he didn't want them to mention that. Penny tells him that they didn't, he did.
Leonard wakes up, walks into the kitchen and tells Sheldon that he overdid it that previous night. Sheldon did too, but it was making too much toast. Leonard then inquires if Sheldon has ever thought about the military applications. It first bothered him and then he talked to Alicia and Fred about it and they put it into perspective. Sheldon tells him that friends are like toilet paper since it's always good to have a couple of extra under the sink.
Title reference: The group separates into two branches because of the wine tasting trip.
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