The Jiminy Conjecture

"The Jiminy Conjecture" is the 42nd episode of *The Big Bang Theory* and the second installment of its third season. It originally aired on CBS on September 21, 2009.

In the plot, Sheldon, Raj, and Howard are at the comic book store when Leonard shows up, surprising them because they assumed he would be with Penny. After some prodding from Howard and Raj, Leonard describes his and Penny’s sex as “just fine” and “not bad, but not great.” This gets back to Penny through Sheldon, leading to an awkward confrontation. Leonard tries to smooth things over, and the couple decides to get drunk before having sex again, but both end up vomiting repeatedly.

Meanwhile, a dispute erupts between Howard and Sheldon over the species of a cricket they hear from the apartment. Sheldon bets his “Flash of Two Worlds” comic against Howard’s *Fantastic Four* #48. Their search for the insect leads Sheldon into an elevator shaft, where his flashlight dies, while Howard and Raj find the cricket in the stairwell. Unable to identify it themselves, they take it to Professor Crawley, a depressed Caltech entomologist who recently lost his funding. Howard is proven right—it’s a common field cricket—disappointing Sheldon.

Later, Sheldon advises Penny that she and Leonard could always revert to being friends. After Sheldon mentions this conversation to Leonard, Leonard goes to talk to Penny. They agree to be friends, but the decision doesn’t stick, and they quickly start kissing.

Upon its initial broadcast, the episode drew 13.27 million households, earning an 8.0 rating/12 share overall and a 5.3 rating/13 share among viewers aged 18–49. The TV Critic gave it a 58 out of 100, calling it “decent,” “enjoyable,” and “simple.” Emily VanDerWerff of *The A.V. Club* praised Sheldon’s precise language and the cricket subplot but criticized the Leonard-Penny storyline, giving the episode a B. James Chamberlin of IGN rated it 8.7 out of 10, calling it “one of *The Big Bang Theory*’s funniest episodes.”