Essential Episodes of The Big Bang Theory

The essentials(16)

Episodes that matter to more than one character, the most shared first.

1. Season 1, Episode 1

   "Pilot"

   In 5 guides
   • Sheldon Cooper: Sheldon and Leonard meet their new neighbor Penny and end up pantsless trying to retrieve her TV.
   • Howard Wolowitz: Howard meets Penny and immediately tries to charm her, badly.
   • Leonard Hofstadter: Leonard falls for his new neighbor Penny and gets pantsed trying to retrieve her TV from her ex.
   • Penny: Penny moves in across the hall and borrows Leonard and Sheldon's shower, starting a lifelong friendship.
   • Raj Koothrappali: Raj meets Penny but cannot say a word to her because of his selective mutism.

2. Season 12, Episode 24

   "The Stockholm Syndrome"

   In 4 guides
   • Sheldon Cooper: Sheldon accepts the Nobel Prize in Stockholm and thanks his friends in his speech.
   • Leonard Hofstadter: Leonard and Penny's secret pregnancy comes out on the trip to Sweden for the Nobel ceremony.
   • Penny: Penny reveals she is pregnant as the gang travels to Sweden for the Nobel ceremony.
   • Raj Koothrappali: Raj joins the gang in Stockholm for the Nobel ceremony with Sarah Michelle Gellar as his plus-one, though she insists it is not a date.

3. Season 5, Episode 10

   "The Flaming Spittoon Acquisition"

   In 3 guides
   • Sheldon Cooper: Jealous of Amy's date with Stuart, Sheldon asks her to be his girlfriend with a 31-page relationship agreement.
   • Amy Farrah Fowler: Sheldon interrupts Amy's date with Stuart and asks her to be his girlfriend.
   • Stuart Bloom: Stuart asks Amy out, and Sheldon's jealousy finally pushes him to ask Amy to be his girlfriend.

4. Season 10, Episode 11

   "The Birthday Synchronicity"

   In 3 guides
   • Bernadette Rostenkowski: Bernadette gives birth to her and Howard's daughter, Halley.
   • Howard Wolowitz: Howard becomes a father when his daughter Halley is born.
   • Raj Koothrappali: Feeling left behind, Raj is cheered up by being named Halley Wolowitz's godfather.

5. Season 1, Episode 17

   "The Tangerine Factor"

   In 2 guides
   • Leonard Hofstadter: Leonard finally asks Penny out, and the two go on their first date.
   • Penny: After a bad breakup, Penny goes on her first date with Leonard.

6. Season 3, Episode 5

   "The Creepy Candy Coating Corollary"

   In 2 guides
   • Bernadette Rostenkowski: Penny sets Bernadette up with Howard, and they bond over their mothers.
   • Howard Wolowitz: Penny sets Howard up with Bernadette, and they bond over their difficult mothers.

7. Season 3, Episode 23

   "The Lunar Excitation"

   In 2 guides
   • Sheldon Cooper: A dating site set up behind Sheldon's back matches him with Amy Farrah Fowler.
   • Amy Farrah Fowler: A dating website matches Amy with Sheldon, and the two meet for the first time.

8. Season 4, Episode 20

   "The Herb Garden Germination"

   In 2 guides
   • Bernadette Rostenkowski: Bernadette accepts Howard's marriage proposal.
   • Howard Wolowitz: Howard proposes to Bernadette, and she says yes.

9. Season 5, Episode 24

   "The Countdown Reflection"

   In 2 guides
   • Bernadette Rostenkowski: Bernadette marries Howard on the roof just before he launches into space.
   • Howard Wolowitz: Howard marries Bernadette on the roof before launching into space.

10. Season 6, Episode 24

    "The Bon Voyage Reaction"

    In 2 guides
    • Leonard Hofstadter: Leonard leaves Penny behind for a summer-long research expedition in the North Sea.
    • Raj Koothrappali: After Lucy breaks up with him, Raj realizes he can finally talk to women without a drink.

11. Season 7, Episode 23

    "The Gorilla Dissolution"

    In 2 guides
    • Leonard Hofstadter: After being fired from a movie set, Penny proposes, and Leonard says yes.
    • Penny: Fired from a movie set, Penny decides what she really wants and proposes to Leonard.

12. Season 8, Episode 1

    "The Locomotion Interruption"

    In 2 guides
    • Bernadette Rostenkowski: Bernadette gets Penny a job interview at her pharmaceutical company.
    • Penny: Penny bombs a job interview at Bernadette's pharmaceutical company but gets hired anyway.

13. Season 8, Episode 15

    "The Comic Book Store Regeneration"

    In 2 guides
    • Howard Wolowitz: Howard learns that his mother has died in her sleep, and his friends rally around him.
    • Stuart Bloom: Stuart reopens the store on the same day the gang learns Mrs. Wolowitz has died.

14. Season 9, Episode 1

    "The Matrimonial Momentum"

    In 2 guides
    • Leonard Hofstadter: Leonard and Penny marry in Las Vegas while their friends watch a livestream.
    • Penny: Penny and Leonard elope in Las Vegas.

15. Season 9, Episode 11

    "The Opening Night Excitation"

    In 2 guides
    • Sheldon Cooper: Sheldon gives up opening night of a new Star Wars film to spend Amy's birthday with her, and their relationship takes a big step.
    • Amy Farrah Fowler: On her birthday, Amy and Sheldon take the biggest step yet in their relationship.

16. Season 11, Episode 24

    "The Bow Tie Asymmetry"

    In 2 guides
    • Sheldon Cooper: Sheldon and Amy get married, and a crooked bow tie inspires their Nobel-winning theory.
    • Amy Farrah Fowler: Amy marries Sheldon in a wedding officiated by Mark Hamill.

Every key episode by season(25)

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