'The Big Bang Theory' CBS Season 8 New Episode Will Feature Sheldon’s ‘Anxiety Optimization’ and Raj’s ‘Emilie vs Cinnamon Game’

The CBS hit show The Big Bang Theory Season 8 episode 13 will air on January 29 and is titled "The Anxiety Optimization." Directed by Mark Cendrowski, it will follow Sheldon (Jim Parsons) as he tries to deliberately raise his anxiety level in order to improve his performance at work.

Sheldon, theorizing that he can improve his performance if things are going on around him that he hates, involves his friend in an exercise to optimize his anxiety level. Of course, all of them agree since they get to irritate Sheldon as much as they want. His girlfriend Amy (Mayim Bialik) first sets up his baseline anxiety level as starting point for further measurement. Then, she proceeds to irritate him. Finally, when he gets a reading for a high irritation level, he becomes overjoyed, ruining the chance to raise and sustain an optimally high anxiety level. Sheldon then goes back and forth several times while watching the meter.

Sheldon did his anxiety optimization exercises everywhere he went. With Penny (Kaley Cuoco-Sweeting) and the girls discussing about a possible Hawaii trip, Sheldon butts in and asks them to irritate him by talking about girly things like periods and PMS. He also listened to loud music which he hates but discovers to his chagrin that he likes Taylor Swift. Sheldon told Amy that he has been hallucinating lately and yet he still refuses to eat or pay attention to her. Frustrated, Amy kicked him out of her apartment. Back in his place, Penny and Leonard (Johnny Galecki) walk Sheldon to his bedroom and put him to bed. Then the two sing 'Soft Kitty' to him until he finally falls asleep.

A sub-plot of the episode involves Raj (Kunal Nayyar) who tells his friends he came up with a new game called 'Cinnamon vs. Emilie.' He asks them to guess whether the relationship quotes he will speak out loud are about Emily (guest star Laura Spencer), his girlfriend, or about Cinnamon, his dog. Emily apparently found out about the game and decides to drop by the cafeteria to talk to the guys. At first, they tried to deny it, but Emilie tells them that she is okay with what they were doing and that she even finds it sexy. Then she kisses Raj passionately. Then she finds there is dog hair in his mouth.