The Cooper/Kripke Inversion (31 Jan. 2013)

Sheldon is forced to work with Barry Kripke on a project and must concoct an elaborate lie when he can't hold up his end of the work. Howard and Raj get superhero figurines made of themselves.

Director:

Mark Cendrowski

Writers:

Chuck Lorre (creator), Bill Prady (creator),

Stars:

Johnny Galecki, Jim Parsons, Kaley Cuoco

Cast

Episode complete credited cast:
Johnny Galecki	...	Leonard Hofstadter
Jim Parsons	...	Sheldon Cooper
Kaley Cuoco	...	Penny
Simon Helberg	...	Howard Wolowitz
Kunal Nayyar	...	Raj Koothrappali
Mayim Bialik	...	Amy Farrah Fowler
Melissa Rauch	...	Bernadette Rostenkowski
John Ross Bowie	...	Barry Kripke

Storyline

Sheldon and Barry Kripke are both working on grant proposals for the same thing. As the university can only submit one proposal, they make Sheldon and Kripke work together, which outrages Sheldon. Regardless, Sheldon reluctantly agrees to Kripke's plan that they trade proposals to see where they both stand. After both read the other's proposal, they get sidetracked on an issue behind the quality of Sheldon's proposal. Meanwhile, Raj finds a company that can make action figures of oneself for $500 apiece. He convinces Howard that they each should buy one. The resulting figures don't look remotely like Raj or Howard. They decide that they can make their own by purchasing an expensive 3D printer. Although the resulting figures are more to Howard and Raj's liking, it also has an unexpected consequence.

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Genres:

Comedy

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Certificate:

TV-14

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

31 January 2013 (USA)

Filming Locations:

Stage 25, Warner Brothers Burbank Studios - 4000 Warner Boulevard, Burbank, California, USA

Company Credits

Production Co:

Chuck Lorre Productions, Warner Bros. Television

Technical Specs

Runtime:

20 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

16:9 HD

Did You Know?

Trivia

Sheldon listens to the Imperial March from the Star Wars saga and wears an afghan that looks like the emperor's cloak.

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Quotes

[first lines]
Leonard Hofstadter: Sheldon, your food's getting cold.
Sheldon Cooper: I'll eat later. Right now I'm suckling at the informative boson of Mother Physics.
Penny: Hot when Sheldon talks dirty.

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Crazy Credits

CHUCK LORRE PRODUCTION, #406 According to futurist, inventor and all-around incredibly smart guy, Ray Kurswell, human beings actually reorganize their frontal cortex as they pursue mastery over different skills. For example, a musician redesigns his or her brain by means of constant study, practice and performance. The same thing applies to a mathematician, carpenter and pole dancer. The brain is physically changed over time by activity and learning. This means we have direct influence and control over how our minds operate. This means we actually mold our perception of the world by the way we mold our brains. This means that over the last twenty-five years, I have reshaped my frontal lobe to do one thing, and one thing only -- write sitcoms. I can't tell you what a relief this knowledge is to me. To begin with, it single-handedly explains why I fail so consistently at other activities (golf, common courtesy and marriage come to mind). It also eases my fears about my disintegrating memory. Why would my brain waste precious neurons remembering where I put my glasses (on the top of my head), or the names of the camera crew (I think one guy is named John, or maybe Jamie or Nigel), when it's working overtime trying to structure a joke about a character masturbating like a moth-addled spider monkey? The answer is: It wouldn't. In other words, I have an advanced case of sitcom brain. On the plus side, I have been highly remunerated for my condition. The downside is that I am constitutionally incapable of ending any communication with a straight line. Just can't do it. Have to spin it somehow. Even if it's cheap or makes no sense. God forbid there's no laugh at the end. Vagina!

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Connections

References Star Wars: Episode V - The Empire Strikes Back (1980)

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Soundtracks

"The Imperial March (Darth Vader's Theme)"
(uncredited)
Composed by John Williams

User Reviews

"The Cooper/Kripke Inversion" was another hilarious ep of "The Big Bang Theory"

In this most recent ep of "The Big Bang Theory": Sheldon and Kripke are forced to work together when they're doing the same theory assignment. And Howard and Raj are entertaining thoughts of their own action figures. I'll stop there and just say this was another hilarious ep of this funny and still popular show. The way each character interacts and their various reactions still seems fresh even after 6 years running. Only Raj seems the same after all this time though there's been some developments in him too like him talking a bit normally around Penny even though he's still drinking around her to be able to do even that. So on that note, "The Cooper/Kripke Inversion" was another great ep of "The Big Bang Theory".