- Koothrappali is worried people won't take him seriously in his own field after publishing a paper that suggests he may have discovered alien life. Leonard wants to be the principal investigator on a plasma physics study.
- Leonard discovers that he does things solely to please people - a "satisfizer" in Sheldon's vernacular - with no consideration for what he really wants, which in turn usually makes him miserable. In standing up for what he believes he truly wants, Leonard may have to renegotiate his relationships with the university, with Sheldon and with Penny in particular. Meanwhile, Raj has written a paper in which he does not rule out the possibility of alien life being the cause of something he discovers. In the process, the figurative "world" begins solely to fixate on the alien issue of the paper, he being mocked in the process. Raj has to figure out how to restore his reputation as a serious scientist.—Huggo
- The gang is in apartment 4A discussing dinner and seeing the latest Avengers movie. Sheldon doesn't want to eat at 10 PM which leads into a discussion of Hemingway's dinner habits and his six-toe cats. The decision has to be made whether to see the film in 2D or 3D. Three-D makes Leonard queasy though he gives in to go with the crowd. Sheldon calls him a "Satisficer", though there is a question whether that is a word. It is pointed out that Leonard accepts what is satisfactory to everyone without even considering what would make him happy.
After the movie Leonard is home with a headache having missed the last part of the movie due to his queasiness. According to Leonard, the group sat too close to the screen. Penny wants him to stand up for himself more.
Raj takes Anu into his telescope lab to show her where he works. She wonders where the telescope is. Hawaii. Raj is observing optical flashes on a distant planet that might be reflections off objects that indicate an alien presence. Anu finds that work exciting.
Amy comes up the stairs finding Leonard sitting on a step. Penny wants him to decide what they are doing that night without taking her feelings into consideration. Amy is going to get a 25-minute lecture from Sheldon on what it would be like if the Hulk were made of metal. Leonard admits that he was always a people-pleasing person; however, he doesn't want to pick something that she doesn't want to do or he'll disappoint her. Amy then reminds Leonard that he went after Penny because he wanted her despite what others wanted including Penny.
Leonard then charges into his apartment determined to do something that doesn't take Penny's feelings into consideration at all. What he wants is sex! And then afterwards they are going to watch "Star Trek: Discovery". Penny doesn't think he sets a very high bar since he wants sex with his wife, though she is game; however, she may be on the phone while they watch television.
Raj finishes his planetarium lecture and has Howard and Bernadette ready to ask questions. Howard asks how far away the star he was talking was and whether he planted friends to ask questions. A woman complimented him on his paper about solar reflections and asked whether he meant that he found intelligent life in the universe. Raj replies that as a scientist, he can't rule that out. Howard then has a question about the aliens he found which Raj tries to deny. Another person had had a sister that had been abducted by aliens. Finally the whole audience gets excited thinking that Raj had found alien life out there.
Getting dinner ready, Sheldon thinks that the Chinese food smells funny. It's a barbecue because that's what the new Leonard wanted. Sheldon claims to be flexible until Leonard claims the right to sit in Sheldon's Spot on the couch. Sheldon blames Penny and then goes to his place in a huff. Both Leonard and Penny agree that watching Sheldon leave was more exciting than the sex they had just had.
Driving Sheldon to work leads the new Leonard to take a different route. Sheldon warns him that if they cross the county line, it's kidnapping. Sheldon claims that he has changed and now gives knowing winks with his condescending remarks. Leonard wants to be the principle investigator on a plasma physics study and he was determined to have the university fund it. If the university doesn't accept his proposal, he plans to look for a job elsewhere.
Raj is finding himself getting notoriety on the Internet for claiming to have found alien life. He is on a conspiracy theory website and is getting kidded by his colleagues. Howard tells him to not worry about it since people are just having fun with him. Then Raj finds his office full of aliens and UFO blow-up dolls and alien cardboard cutouts.
Amy is again walking up the stairs and finds Sheldon sitting on a step. Sheldon asks Amy how to determine if his actions are for a noble reason or a selfish reason. Sheldon doesn't want Leonard to demand a new job because he doesn't think that he'll succeed. Amy adds that since he is worried about his friend, it shows that he cares. Sheldon thanks her and tells Amy that she earned a sponge Hulk lecture.
Leonard shows Penny the proposal that he put together, which Penny thinks looks great. She hasn't even read it. Penny can tell by the weight of the science-y heft of the paper that it's great. Sheldon comes in and tells Leonard that he doesn't think that he should demand that the university fund his project while threatening to leave. Penny is shocked that he is willing to quit. Leonard counters that there are plenty of other universities in the world. Penny cracks that she can't get him to the beach and now he wants to move to the world? Penny felt that he should run it by her before he is planning on quitting his job. Leonard still thinks that he has a strong proposal. Unfortunately President Siebert turns him down.
At the planetarium Raj is commenting on the buzz about him claiming to have found alien life. He compares it to other science fiction concepts that eventually became facts and that scientists must keep an open mind on things like a round earth, germs, subatomic particles, Martian colonies on Mars, matter transporters, the Loch Ness monster, etc.
Next Howard is checking his computer and finds the news that a Caltech scientist claims that the Loch Ness monster is real.
Leonard returns home and Penny asks him how it went. Leonard claims that it went great. He didn't get the project. Penny injects that doesn't want to move because she just bought a membership to SoulCycle. Leoanrd did threaten to quit, but after leaving the President's office, Siebert told him that he didn't want to lose Leonard and that he offered him a co-lead on another project. Penny is happy for him and wants to celebrate. Leonard really doesn't want to make another decision that night.
Sheldon climbing the stairs with Amy tells her that he knows that she thinks that Broccoli Hulk was just another Jolly Green Giant. They both find Leonard sitting on a step. This time after going to SoulCycle, he can't make it up the steps. Amy suggests that Sheldon keep him company. Sheldon then asks Leonard about how the Hulk would be if he were made out of sherbet. Leonard gives up. He would be delicious.
Title reference: Leonard deciding to be more assertive and threatening to quit if the university does not support his idea.
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