The Big Bang Theory is a super hit CBS sitcom created by Chuck Lorre and Bill Prady. The show ran for 12 seasons from 2007 to 2019. It revolves around the lives of four geeky and socially awkward friends- Leonard Hofstadter, Sheldon Cooper, Howard Wolowitz, and Rajesh Koothrapalli played by Johnny Galecki, Jim Parsons, Simon Helberg, and Kunal Nayyar respectively. They all work together at Caltech.
In season 6 episode 20 titled “The Tenure Turbulence”, the storyline takes an interesting turn when a tenure position opens at Caltech. All three friends who have Ph.Ds.- Leonard, Sheldon, and Rajesh take an interest in the tenure position, but not Howard. They all competed against each other as it was a major career opportunity for them. The efforts they put in to have the tenure add comedic elements to the episode.
What happens in 'The Tenure Turbulence'?
In the episode “The Tenure Turbulence”, the story revolves around the fierce competition for the tenured position at Caltech. When Professor Tupperman dies, a tenured position opens up at Caltech. A tenure provides job security as it gives a lifetime job position. Leonard, Sheldon, and Raj apply for the tenure position and they try to impress the tenure committee.
They all approached Janine Davis from HR so that she could recommend their names for the tenure position. Sheldon fails to impress because of his inappropriate gifts and words which can be considered offensive. Leonard went out of his way and visited her in the gym. To impress her, he started doing cardio with her but soon it backfired as he had asthma. On the other hand, Raj sends her a 90-minute-long video on his background and why he deserves that tenure.
In the heat of the competition, they all decide to attend Professor Tupperman’s funeral as all the members of the tenure committee will be present there. In order to do office politics, they all bring their partners to the funeral to impress the committee members. Howard found the rivalry entertaining as he was not part of the competition.
Read More: What happened to the time machine in the big bang theory
Who got the tenure?
The makers kept the episode open-ended as they didn’t reveal whether someone got the tenure position or not. By the end of the episode, all of them decide not to get into office politics for the sake of their friendship. But when they see their colleague Barry Kripke impressing Mrs. Davis at Professor Tupperman’s funeral, they decide to give their best shot because they do not want to lose the tenure to him. In the end, Sheldon thanked Mrs Davis as she recommended all three of their names for the tenure position. According to her, they deserved it despite their quirks as they are very accomplished in their respective fields.
It is unclear who got the tenure in the show but the competition among Sheldon, Leonard, and Raj added humor and drama to the episode. The plotline highlighted the concept of office politics and the competitive nature of the career. The episode sparked several fan theories about who they think might have gotten the tenure position. The open ending and comedic approach of the episode made it one of the most memorable episodes of the show.
FAQs about The Big Bang Theory
A. In The Big Bang Theory’s season 6, episode 20, titled “The Tenure Turbulence”, Leonard, Sheldon, and Raj competed for tenure.
A. In the show, they did not reveal who got tenure.
A. Howard didn’t compete for the tenure because he doesn’t have a Ph.D.
