The popular CBS sitcom The Big Bang Theory follows a group of nerdy friends navigating life in Pasadena, California. To keep things fresh, the show throws Leonard, Sheldon, Howard, Raj, Penny, Amy, and Bernadette into wacky situations to see how strong their bond is. More often than not, the gang comes out the other side stronger than ever, but there are times when they end up at each other’s throats. Sheldon usually finds himself at the center of the conflicts because he has a knack for saying the wrong thing at the wrong time. However, one episode of The Big Bang Theory sees everyone lose their composure.
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The Big Bang Theory Season 6, Episode 20, “The Tenure Turbulence,” pits Sheldon, Raj, and Leonard against each other as they all go after a tenure position that opens up at their workplace, Caltech. But what seems like a great premise goes off the rails because the show fails to explain who gets the job. In fact, 12 years after the episode’s release, people are still trying to figure out the mystery.
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“The Tenure Turbulence” starts with the guys cracking jokes in the Caltech lunchroom. Unfortunately, the air leaves the room when Kripke shows up and reveals to the table that Professor Tupperman, who never appears in the show, has passed away. The one silver lining in his death is that a tenure position is now open, and while Raj, Leonard, and Sheldon pretend not to be all that interested, they go home and start to hype themselves up. They all want the benefits that come along with the promotion, including a pay bump and a job for life. But to seal the deal, they must win over the tenure committee members.
They set their sights on HR manager Janine Davis, with Leonard trying to work out next to her at the gym and Raj sending her a 90-minute video about his upbringing. Sheldon tries a more direct approach, bringing Janine a gift to make up for a prior meeting they had that went poorly. However, he steps in it again by handing her a DVD copy of Roots because he thinks a Black woman like her will appreciate it. With the situation blowing up in their faces, Raj, Leonard, and Sheldon decide to head to Tupperman’s memorial to smooth things over with the committee.
Sheldon and Leonard have Penny and Amy tag along as backup, but things take a turn when Penny takes off her coat to show off her revealing dress. She’s planning to flirt with committee members to help Leonard get the job, and after some arguing, everyone realizes things are going too far. They’re all ready to pack it up and go home when Kripke shows up with Janine and looks to have her ear. Not wanting to lose to someone like Kripke, they all go inside the memorial to finish the mission. Unfortunately, that’s where the show leaves things, never touching on who wins the competition.
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The tag at the end of “The Tenure Turbulence” feels like one last opportunity to reveal the winner, but it chooses instead to have Sheldon embarrass himself in front of Janine again. It’s a frustrating conclusion, especially because one of the core characters landing a tenure position would have major ramifications on the series. That’s why Kripke schmoozing his way to victory makes the most sense, as it virtually changes nothing for the main cast. However, The Big Bang Theory doesn’t take the time to explore that option.
The likely explanation is that the powers that be didn’t want to write themselves into a corner. Giving any of the characters on the show tenure would limit their options when it came to projects at the university or adventures outside of work, since more is expected of individuals with that status. At the time, The Big Bang Theory was in its prime, so any major changes to the status quo weren’t really in the cards.
The Big Bang Theory is streaming on Max.
Are you upset that The Big Bang Theory didn’t reveal who got tenure? Who do you think deserved it the most? Let us know in the comments below!
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