The honeymoon is over for Amy (Mayim Bialik) and Sheldon (Jim Parsons) on the latest episode of The Big Bang Theory, but only in a strictly literal sense. “The Wedding Gift Wormhole” finds the happy newlyweds home in Pasadena, where love is in the air. 

After giving their friends I <3 NY shirts Sheldon bought from Amazon Prime while on the flight home, ShAmy dives in to opening wedding gifts and writing thank you cards. Gift number 17 is from Penny (Kaley Cuoco) and Leonard (Johnny Galecki), and it comes with a card that says it’s the “perfect gift for the perfect couple.” If only Amy and Sheldon could figure out what it is!

We learn pretty early on that it’s a crystal chakra wand that Raj (Kunal Nayyar) gave Bernadette (Melissa Rauch) and Howard (Simon Helberg) for their wedding, and that the Wolowitzes regifted to the Hofstadters for theirs. Since it had driven Penny and Leonard crazy not to know what it was, they decided to pass the puzzle (and its frustrations) on to Amy and Sheldon. 

The new Dr. and Dr. Cooper spend their first night at home trying to solve the mystery of the gift, determined not to reveal to their friends that Sheldon’s superior intellect is inadequate in this instance. The next morning, Sheldon hand-delivers a thank you note to Penny and Leonard so he can fish for hints. He leaves unenlightened, with Penny and Leonard gloating over his ill-concealed confusion. 

By lunchtime, the Coopers have determined that the gift must be a clue in a scavenger hunt that leads to the “real” gift. Sheldon seeks confirmation of this from Howard, who gleefully gives it. This leads to Raj revealing what it is to both Leonard and Howard as they reveal how it’s been passed around, but Sheldon runs off to find Amy before any of that comes out. 

Amy and Sheldon begin their hunt by seeking insight into the gift’s composition from Bert (Brian Posehn), who tells them it’s quartz. With the help of Google, the Coopers deduce that since “quarz,” the German spelling of quartz, has no “t,” the clue is directing them to the coffee shop where they first met. 

At the coffee shop, Sheldon makes the occupants of the table where he and Amy sat on their first date uncomfortable by searching the table for a clue. Amy asks a barista if anyone has left anything for them there, and the barista directs her to the lost and found. Inside they find an empty locket with a piece of quartz (or quarz, if you prefer) on the outside and are sure it’s the real gift– a symbol of how their marriage is just beginning. Sheldon finds a pair of sunglasses, too, a likely companion gift because their “future’s so bright.”

Penny and Leonard are dumbfounded when the Coopers come over to express their deep thanks for the wonderful gift and share the story of how they found it. The Hofstadters get their karmic due when Amy and Sheldon give them a thank you card written in a secret code based on Sanskrit (but not the Sanskrit you’re thinking of), which will reveal the new password for their wifi when cracked. 

Meanwhile, sparks are flying for Stuart (Kevin Sussman) and his assistant manager, Denise (Lauren Lapkus). They made out at Amy and Sheldon’s wedding, but they haven’t talked about it since. Encouraged by Raj, Stuart asks her out on a date, and she says yes!

Unfortunately, in the lead-up to the date he gets so nervous that he makes a series of bad decisions. First he dyes his hair, which makes him look paler. So he gets a spray tan, but it turns him so orange that even after aggressive scrubbing he still looks like an Oompa Loompa. And he alludes to a misstep in the “personal grooming” department as well. 

He’s so excited about the date that he doesn’t want to postpone until the spray tan fades, so Bernadette encourages him to just go ahead with it and tell Denise the truth. He does, and Denise still wants to go– and to spend the evening making fun of him, which he seems to enjoy. 

Stuart’s luck with a lady seems to be the last straw for lonely Raj. In desperation, he Skypes his father (Brian George) and asks him to arrange a marriage with an Indian girl. His father agrees on the condition that he stop posting photos of himself and his dog wearing matching sweaters online. Raj takes the deal.

In no time he’s announcing his imminent nuptials to his friends. Provided he’s able to make it through a series of dates without revealing his true self, Raj plans to marry Anu, an Indian woman in her 30s who is from a good family and works in hospitality management. 

Look out, Raj: if all goes well, there’s a regifted chakra wand in your future!

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