- Howard is offended when his return from space is met with little fanfare. Penny and Amy take on Sheldon and Leonard during game night.
- Howard returns to Earth feeling dejected when he finds out that his friends are not waiting for him at the airport at the request of Bernadette, who wants to spend some quality time with him. She, however, is suffering from allergies, preventing them from spending some private time together. Howard also feels dejected when he learns that during his time away, his mother is having an affair with his dentist, Dr. Schneider and Stuart has taken over his spot in his friendship with Raj, since they are living together. Meanwhile, Sheldon, Leonard, Penny and Amy hang out at the guys' apartment and participate in a guys versus girls competition. First they are playing Pictionary and then other made-up games where the guys never seem to win.—laird-3
- A relieved Howard makes it back to terra firma in one piece after his stint in space. He is expecting a hero's welcome, at least from his family and friends, but at the airport there is only Bernadette waiting for him, with another "Howie" stealing the spotlight. She tells him that she asked their friends to allow her to have him all to herself for the first night, hence their absence. That night doesn't go quite according to Bernadette's plan or Howard's wants, he who ends up going from his mother's house to his friends' places all in the search for that hero's welcome. Meanwhile, it's boys against the girls in games night, with Leonard and Sheldon on one side and Penny and Amy on the other. Sheldon needs to show his superiority in any game, but that superior attitude may end up being counterproductive.—Huggo
- Over dinner, the gang can't wait for Howard to return. Sheldon tells Stuart that he had a good run as the "fake Wolowitz", but an offer for 30% off comic books from Stuart makes Sheldon change his mind and say, "Welcome aboard, old chum." Howard and his fellow astronauts plummet through the atmosphere with Howard alternately praying and screaming. He feels a jerk and remarks that "that wasn't so bad". Unfortunately that jerk was the parachutes opening and they have six more miles to go. Howard starts screaming again.
Howard feels dejected when he finds out that his friends are not waiting for him at the airport at the request of Bernadette. In the waiting room he hears shouts of "Howie, Howie", but the reporters present are covering the arrival of comedian Howie Mandel (who doesn't believe that Howard is an astronaut). At Bernadette's (and Howard's as well) apartment she dresses in a negligee and tells him that it's like their honeymoon since he left right after their wedding ceremony. After coughing a few times due to a cold, she falls asleep from the Benadryl.
Later, Howard goes to his mother's house where she doesn't let him in. He hears a man's voice which his mother says is the television and then Howard's dentist whom she is having an affair with, hops out the window.
Howard's next stop is Raj's who is very glad to see him. The twist is that Stuart is now living with him and they have tickets to the sold-out Sound of Music sing-along. Howard leaves them to their night out.
At the apartment, Sheldon laments that he wasn't getting to see Howard's expression that night when he gives him his admiration for the first time. Amy and Penny are playing Pictionary against Leonard and Sheldon. Sheldon's drawing concepts and guesses are too complicated and confusing for Leonard and the girls win. For the word "polish", Sheldon draws things that are Polish like sausage and Madame Curie while Penny waits a few minutes to enjoy his act and then draws a hand, paints the nails and Amy says (nail) polish. Then they tell the boys that they can beat them in any contest. Penny does not want to play "Physics Fiesta" where physics questions are given in Spanish since Sheldon just made up the game. Sheldon doesn't want to play darts, pool, beer pong, or have a wet t-shirt contest since they are bar games and Penny has been going to bars since she was of age. Amy suggests water polo and Operation with real cadavers. Next, Amy and Leonard try Where's Waldo? without their glasses and Amy wins. Penny and Sheldon try a contest where they are spinning around a light-saber and then rush over to do a division problem while still dizzy. Although she spun a bit faster than him, Penny beats Sheldon at mathematics because he falls over and knocks down his whiteboard. Next, Penny is wrestling with Sheldon who is pinned almost instantly and can't get up. Then Penny has to try and kiss Sheldon. Sheldon asks Amy to do something, so she joins in also kissing him.
Finally, it is a standard state fair pie eating contest. After they start, Howard shows up. The gang looks up with their faces covered with blueberry pie filling, and yell, "Not now", too busy with their rivalry to give him any kind of attention.
Finally, Howard ends up at a diner where the waitress recognizes him as an astronaut and offers him a free piece of cheesecake. Howard starts to tell her his problems and she replies asking whether he wants the cheesecake or not. He starts eating singing "Rocket Man" quietly to himself. A quick sneeze makes him think that he caught something from Bernadette and he sarcastically says "perfect".
Title reference: Howard expects a big celebration upon his return to Earth from Space; however, the excitement is kept to a bare minimum.
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