Trama

Penny continues to have doubts about her relationship with Leonard. Meanwhile, Howard becomes the target of practical jokes on the space station.

Penny tries to figure out what her feelings for Leonard are, since she is happy with their relationship, yet she is unsure if she is in love just yet. She confides in Bernadette and Amy about the matter, which results in Amy telling Sheldon about it. Sheldon, out of concern for Leonard and his hatred for changes, tries to talk Penny into maintaining her relationship with Leonard. Meanwhile, Raj finds a new friend in Stuart, to fill the void left by Howard, and Stuart gets accepted into their social group by Sheldon, so long as he behaves as Howard would. Howard meanwhile, gets bullied by his fellow astronauts.—laird-3

While Penny, Bernadette and Amy talk about their respective relationships, Penny implies that she isn't sure what her feelings are for Leonard. She thinks she loves Leonard, but she has been in love before, and her feelings for Leonard no where match that experience. From those statements, Bernadette and Amy infer that Penny may be contemplating breaking up with Leonard. This information gets back to Sheldon, who now has a vested interest in seeing that Leonard and Penny stay together. Sheldon does whatever he can to tell Leonard without telling him directly, which may be a bit confusing for Leonard, while Penny contemplates what she should do without hurting Leonard. Meanwhile, Stuart becomes the official unofficial "Howard" in the group during Howard's absence. And Howard feels like he's being picked on by the other astronauts.—Huggo

At Bernadette's apartment, Penny and Amy are helping her sort through her wedding presents. Sheldon's gift, a gravy boat, is engraved with instructions to return it should the couple get divorced. Amy says that she plans on marrying Sheldon in four years, but she tells Bernadette to not tell Sheldon about it because he is still a flight risk. When Penny is asked about Leonard, she keeps saying that he is a great guy. Bernadette thinks that Penny does not sound like she is in love. Penny admits that the feelings she has for Leonard are not the same as the feelings she had when she was in love before. She doesn't want to tell him that she loves him because he would just take it the wrong way.

Meanwhile, Raj, Leonard, and Sheldon are talking to Howard at the International Space Station and Howard tells them he cannot believe that he is on this incredible adventure. His Russian crew member then tells him to go clean the space toilet since he is the new guy; and that next time, they might even let him use a brush.

The gang, minus Bernadette (who doesn't come), goes to a movie and Stuart tags along, claiming that Raj invited him. Sheldon insists that he acts just like Howard would and among them, he has to eat Raisinets. He also asks Stuart where he went to school to compare him to Howard. Stuart attended an art school, which Sheldon thinks is equally ridiculous as Howard's education so Stuart passed his test. During the movie, Amy insists that Sheldon holds her hand, which he hesitantly obliges to do. He sees that Leonard is not holding Penny's hand. Amy tells Sheldon that Penny may be breaking up with him. Sheldon does not believe her because Penny is seen drinking Leonard's diet (and germ filled) Dr. Pepper. For the sake of argument, Sheldon asks Amy what she means about Penny wanting to break things off with Leonard. Amy tells him that Penny is not sure how she feels about Leonard. Amy tells him that regardless, he has to keep it a secret, something Sheldon openly admits he does not like to do.

Later in Sheldon and Leonard's apartment, Sheldon is in a dilemma about whether or not to tell Leonard about the secret. Sheldon succumbs and decides to tell Leonard anyway. He uses Transformers as an analogy about Leonard's relationship with Penny, by telling him that what he sees outside can mean a different thing inside, just like how their current conversation about Transformers can actually be regarding one of them in the room. Leonard misinterprets Sheldon's words as pertaining to him and how he used to be a heartless robot, but after meeting Amy he maybe becoming a red-blooded man with sexual desires. Sheldon tells Leonard that that was the stupidest thing he has ever heard.

Sheldon attempts to tell Leonard again during the early morning hours, but instead he goes into Penny's bedroom waking her up as she screams hysterically. Sheldon beats around the bush telling Penny about Leonard's great attributes as a boyfriend, until Penny asks him what Amy had said. Sheldon replies that he had heard that she was thinking of breaking up with Leonard. Penny patiently tells him that it is sweet that he is worried about his friend, but that her relationship is none of his business. He asks her to keep dating Leonard no matter how she feels and to keep everything in "homeostasis" or unchanging, the way that Sheldon likes his life. Finally Sheldon leaves and asks her "not to hurt my friend".

Amy gets an early morning phone call from Penny complaining that because of what she had told Sheldon, she was now in a terrible position. At the same time, an incoming call from Sheldon comes and he tells Amy that he is calling just to give her the heads up since he has told Penny about the secret. Amy says that Penny is already on the other line.

Bernadette is talking to Howard at the ISS who complains about his fellow astronauts being mean to him. She tells him to stand up and tell them that "being mean is lame, but being nice is cool". She asks if she should call NASA, and Howard replies that his mother already did that and it made things worse.

Stuart is playing Mystic Warlords of Ka'a with the rest of the gang and plays a card that Sheldon says Howard would not play. After changing cards, Sheldon goes out and wins. Stuart and Raj are going out to a bar to pick up women. Sheldon suggests that Leonard go along to find a back-up for Penny because of her illogical death-defying actions, though he thinks that they may be breaking up.

Later Penny and Leonard are having dinner at her place. While Leonard is telling her about Sheldon's misadventures at the dentist, Penny seems very distracted. Finally she says that she has to tell him something. Leonard sits back, looks at her with what Penny describes as his big sad eyes and she appears conflicted again.

Later, at Howard and Bernadette's Apartment, she tells the girls about what happened and Amy exclaims, "You slept with him?" Penny says that she was looking into his big sad eyes and could not tell him. Penny demonstrates and Amy replies that it is a good thing that she does not have a dog. Bernadette tells her that she will have plenty of times to break-up with him like on their wedding day, their honeymoon or their 50th anniversary. Leonard texts her telling her how amazing she is while Amy and Bernadette look at her with big sad eyes.

Finally Bernadette is again talking to Howard about how her idea worked and that he got a great night's sleep. Unbeknownst to him, his fellow astronauts had drawn a mouse's face, whiskers, glasses and his nickname "F. LOOPS" on his face. Bernie gives him a "proud" face and does not tell him that she knows.

Title reference: Penny contemplating whether or not to break up with Leonard given her uncertainty about her feelings in their relationship.