The Big Bang Theory Season 1 - Episode 17

"The Tangerine Factor"



Penny breaks up with her boyfriend after he posted intimate details about her on his blog. Leonard goes to comfort her and in doing so accidentally convinces her to get back with her boyfriend. As Leonard laments the situation to the guys, Penny returns and screams at Leonard, saying he made things worse. He tries again and she apologizes; saying it wasn't his fault: she explains that when she went over to make up, she found her boyfriend had already moved on.

As Penny laments her choices in men Leonard awkwardly asks her on a real date. Penny thinks for a moment and agrees saying, "Sure, why not?". A few days pass and both Leonard and Penny are worried that this date will ruin their friendship. They both seek Sheldon's advice. Sheldon advises Penny that “just like Schrödinger's cat being alive or dead at same time” her date with Leonard currently has both “good and bad” possible outcomes. The only way to find out is to “open the box”, or in other words to go on the date and find which outcome it is. Leonard is also given the same advice, and understands it right away.

When Leonard arrives to pick Penny up for their date she says they need to talk. Leonard asks her if she has ever heard of Schrödinger's cat and when she says she has, he passionately kisses her. Penny says "the cat's alive" and they leave for dinner.

Meanwhile, Sheldon asks Wolowitz to teach him Mandarin as he's convinced the Chinese restaurant is selling 'Orange Chicken' as 'Tangerine Chicken'...a lesser citrus. He doesn't become very good at it, and as a result the owner (James Hong) thinks he's crazy due to his humorous mistranslations (such as "Show me your mucus!", "This is not a tangerine bicycle!", and "Oxen are in my bed! Many, many oxen!"). It appears Leonard and Penny were going to go to this restaurant on their date but when they see Sheldon fighting with the owner they leave before entering.
The title refers to Sheldon's attempt to learn Mandarin to convince the Chinese restaurant that their Tangerine chicken is infact Orange chicken.