Handlung

Howard tries to bond with Bernadette's father during a fishing trip. When Sheldon is obligated to take care of a sick Amy, she finds ways to take advantage of the situation.

Howard isn't looking forward to the dinner he and Bernadette are having at her parent's house. In particular, he and Bernadette's father, with who Bernadette would really like him to bond, have nothing in common. Mr. Rostenkowski doesn't make it any easier since he isn't the most talkative of people. That dinner, which ends up being as bad for Howard as he initially believed, gets worse when Bernadette pressures Howard and her father to bond through going on a fishing and hunting trip together, activities about which Howard knows nothing and in which he has even less interest. Howard goes on a quest to learn about these stereotypically macho activities in order to please his wife and bond with his father-in-law. Meanwhile, Amy has come down with a fever. As per her and Sheldon's relationship agreement, Sheldon is forced to take care of her, even though he has no interest in doing so. Despite Sheldon's bedside manner being less than caring, the experience ends up being not quite what Amy had expected.—Huggo

While playing the Ticket to Ride board game, Sheldon complains about the Spider-Man theme song which is his third favorite cartoon theme song preceded by Inspector Gadget and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. Even though the song says that he can do whatever a spider can, he can't crawl into your ear and die, legally leave Guatemala without a passport, or have sex with another spider. Raj suggests a evening of movie sequels that killed their franchises. Leonard mentions Jaws 4, Indiana Jones 4 or Daredevil 1. Raj mentions Miss Congeniality 2: Armed and Fabulous. Leonard agrees because Penny is working, but Howard is having dinner with his in-laws and Sheldon has to attend a memorial service with Amy. Sheldon suggests that Howard could bring up an interesting topic to pass the time with the Rostenkowski's like problems with the Spider-Man song or that you can't really dig through the center of the Earth to China from the United States.

Sheldon arrives at Amy's dressed to attend a funeral and finds her in a bathrobe with the flu. Amy asks if he is going to take care of her per their Relationship Agreement, but Sheldon leaves saying that the clause is so she can take care of him. He plans to return to the movie sequel marathon. Amy says goodnight and Sheldon head down the hall but returns to her door and knocks. Sheldon explains that he has a commitment to her in writing to care for her and that as his girlfriend he is concerned about her well-being.

Howard is sitting with his father-in-law trying to make conversation as dinner is being prepared getting very short answers; his retirement is "fine". Mrs. Rostenkowski's trip to the Grand Canyon was "good". All of Howard's jokes also fall flat and dinner will not be ready for quite a while.

Meanwhile, Sheldon is checking Amy's temperature of 102.2 degrees Fahrenheit and it is the same as half an hour before. He tells Amy that she isn't trying to get better. He asks if she believes in the placebo effect and then gives her a Tic Tac, telling her that it is a strong flu medication. Amy doesn't like his bedside manner and tries to get to sleep. Sheldon said that she can't sleep because he is not done taking care of her. He has to put a cold rag on her head, sing to her (presumably "Soft Kitty") and rub Vicks_VapoRub on her chest which is exactly what his mother did and what Penny did for him when he was sick. Amy perks up and says that he should start with the Vicks. He tells that it might tingle and she replies that she is counting on it.

The subject of M. Rostenkowski's weekend fishing trip comes up. Bernadette suggests that Howard go with him so that they can get to know each other better. His mother-in-law looks at her husband and he says that Howard can tag along. Howard resists, but Bernadette makes him to agree to do it.

Back at the apartment, Howard complains that he doesn't know how to fish and neither do Leonard or Raj. They wonder who knows how to do manly stuff and they end up at Penny's door. First Penny shows Howard how to put a worm on a hook. Howard first lays the worm across the hook, but Leonard is sure that he has to stab the worm with the hook.

Back at Amy's, Sheldon is reading Amy a genetics scientific book like one would read a bedtime story. Amy thanks him and asks for more Vicks' VapoRub. Sheldon disagrees saying that she needs to rest and that the Vicks only gets her all fired up. Bernadette visits Amy to check on her and brings some experimental drugs with some unusual side effects. While Sheldon goes to fix Amy a bath, she admits she has been well for two days and that she has been enjoying Sheldon taking care of her. She plans on telling him tomorrow, but Sheldon is now going to help her with her bathing, saying "Mama needs a bath."

Penny shows Howard how to gut a fish (if he were to catch one from a miracle). She tells him to take the knife, slice the fish right up the belly, which causes Howard to gag. She then tells him that he will not want to cut too deep into the fish's guts or the blood will squirt all over Howard's face. Leonard's dad was an anthropologist whose father-son time was spent only with a 2000-year-old skeleton of an Etruscan boy, a kid who Leonard hated; Raj's dad just took Raj to his gynecology office and Raj got so bored, he'd put vaginal lubricant at the bottom of his shoes and pretend he was ice-skating; Howard's quality father-son time was spending his adolescence looking out the window waiting for his dad to come back some day. Howard then successfully pulls out the fish's insides and the guys are pleased until Penny points out that it is a female as all the eggs can be seen which causes all the guys to get queasy again.

Back at Amy's apartment, she is dancing to "Walking on Sunshine" and drinking a drink soda until Sheldon shows up. Amy tells him that she is taking a turn for the worst and needs another bath. Sheldon tells her that he was concerned about her lengthy recovering and took a cheek swab from her and had a throat culture lab report made. Then he asks her if she has symptoms of a growing nose or heat in the lower extremities, meaning "liar, liar, pants on fire". Amy apologizes, but Sheldon thinks that she needs to be punished. Amy suggests that she should not be allowed to see the premiere of the new Star Trek movie. Sheldon says that that would be overly harsh since she hadn't killed anyone. Sheldon decides to go old school like his father who did not spare the rod. She is intrigued that Sheldon wants to spank her. Amy seems fine with Sheldon spanking her and she admits that she's been a very bad girl.

Howard shows up for his fishing trip dressed like a cartoon fisherman. Mike also plans to hunt some ducks in the morning. He likes using a big shotgun shell so that they explode. Howard says that he does want Mr. Rostenkowski to like him, but he doesn't think that this trip is the best way. Both guys admit that they are only going because their wives want them to go. Since neither wants to go, Mr. Rostenkowski suggests that they go to an Indian casino near Palm Springs. He'll teach Howard how to shoot craps and his son-in-law can now call him "Mike" instead of "Sir". As they get in the truck Howard says that they're married to a couple of ball busters. Mike points out that Howard is referring to his wife and daughter.

As Sheldon asks Amy if she is prepared for her punishment and she puts on some romantic music so that "the neighbors wouldn't hear her". When she seems to be enjoying it, she suggests that maybe he should spank her harder and he does, which she seems to enjoy even more.

Title reference: The fish cleaning lesson that Penny gives the men.