The Most Underrated Moment of Each Season of The Big Bang Theory

The Most Underrated Moment of Each Season of The Big Bang Theory

Welcome to MsMojo, and today we’re counting down our picks for the moment from each “Big Bang” season that doesn’t get talked about enough despite how great it is.

Season One: The Intervention
“The Loobenfeld Decay”

Sheldon was never comfortable with lying and, over the show’s 12 seasons, there were multiple times when his discomfort with fibbing led him to create ridiculously elaborate stories to cover the lie. Fans got their first look at this all the way back in the 10th episode of the first season. The initial lie here is one Leonard tells Penny in order to avoid having to see her perform in a play. Worried that she might figure out the lie, Sheldon concocts a story about a fake cousin and substance use intervention. He even goes so far as to get a research assistant to come to the apartment and pretend to be said cousin.

Season Two: Howard Looks Good
“The Friendship Algorithm”

While Penny and Howard became quite good friends, we all remember that their relationship didn’t start off on the most respectful foot. In those first few seasons, Howard’s constant flirting and unwanted advances eventually led to Penny punching him right in the nose. In fact, that punch happened in the episode prior to the one we’re talking about here which kind of makes the moment in question even funnier. As the scene goes, Barry Kripke is over at the guys’ apartment and meeting Penny for the first time. Needless to say he’s being extra creepy and rude with his flirtations. Howard points out that he must seem alright in comparison and even Penny can’t help but smile at that one.

Season Three: ​​Sheldon Doesn’t Like Fighting
“The Guitarist Amplification”

There’s an episode in season three where Penny and Leonard get into a big argument about Penny letting an ex boyfriend crash on her couch. One of the running jokes throughout the episode is Sheldon’s intolerance for the quarreling, and Leonard and Penny eventually parenting him. What’s less appreciated is where that reaction comes from. The whole thing becomes less amusing when you remember Sheldon’s deep-seeded childhood trauma regarding his parents’ constant fighting. The writers may have tried to rewrite history with their portrayal of his family life in “Young Sheldon” but that doesn’t negate the importance of what these moments reveal.

Season Four: Sheldon Apologizes to Howard
“The Apology Insufficiency”

There were many big moments and grand gestures throughout the series’ 12-season run. From Howard’s song for Bernadette to Leonard buying Penny a car. But perhaps the biggest and grandest gesture of them all was when Sheldon apologized to Howard in season 4. Having cost him a job opportunity with the Department of Defense, Sheldon first just tells Howard he’s sorry. But when Howard doesn’t accept that apology, Sheldon makes the grandest of gestures - one no one ever could’ve seen coming. He gives Howard his spot on the couch! And as fans know, Sheldon’s spot is a HUGE deal. Sure, he takes it back soon thereafter, but the fact that he gave it to Howard - even for a short while - is a moment that can’t be overstated.

Season Five: Howard Ate a Butterfly
“The Werewolf Transformation”

While Sheldon is usually the character who gets the lengthy, rambly monologues, season 5 saw the writers giving one to Howard - and it’s gold. The set up here is Howard calling Bernadette to tell her about his experience with the overnight NASA survival training. The hysterical story he recounts includes spending the night in a hole being spooned by an armadillo, surviving a sandstorm and eating a butterfly. It’s truly one of the best written and performed moments of the entire series and wholly underappreciated by the casual fan.

Season Six: Library Date
“The Contractual Obligation Implementation”

Raj gets a lot of flack for not being a great boyfriend. Heck, he even gets all of his exes together at one point and hears them list off all the ways he failed with them. But, while that may be the perception, let’s not ignore the times he truly was a sweet, caring and wonderfully romantic partner. There may be no better example of that than the library date he arranged for Lucy in season 6. Knowing about her anxiety in social situations, Raj comes up with the idea to have a texting date in the library. Now come on! How considerate is that?!

Season Seven: Sheldon Supports Penny’s Dreams
“The Occupation Recalibration”

When Penny quit her job at The Cheesecake Factory in order to focus all of her attention on pursuing her acting career, it was a big deal. We can all appreciate how that kind of life decision can be scary to make. And while Leonard is usually good at giving Penny the advice she needs, what she needed here was support and encouragement - not cautious practicality. What doesn’t get talked about enough is where – or rather who – the support ended up coming from: Sheldon. He, of all people, appreciated the logic behind her decision and provided her with the encouragement that she was doing the right thing.

Season Eight: Raj Customer Service
“The Graduation Transmission”

There are many emotions that most of us experience when calling tech support… anger, boredom, frustration - but joyous laughter has never been one of them. Thankfully, “The Big Bang Theory” provided us with at least one hysterical tech support moment, and it came in season 8. When Howard can’t fix Raj’s toy helicopter, Bernadette suggests he call tech support for help. Howard reluctantly agrees but, as he dials, he laments that he’ll: “probably wind up talking to some foreign guy reading from the same manual I have.” He places the call and a second later Raj’s phone rings. The joke is made even better by the looks of surprise on everyone’s faces.

Season Nine: Sheldon Provides for Howard’s Child
“The Application Deterioration”

Now, normally when we talk about Sheldon the word we’d use is selfish - not selfless. However, in the season 9 episode “The Application Deterioration”, Dr. Cooper provides one of the show’s best instances of the latter. The guys are writing up a contract to evenly split any proceeds they make from their gyroscope idea. As they read over the revisions Sheldon has put together, they see that he has personally agreed to give a quarter of his profits to Howard’s baby. It’s even more surprising and heartwarming considering his and Howard’s frequently strained friendship, which is another reason it should be talked about more than it is.

Season Ten: Leonard Is the Man at Comic-Con
“The Fetal Kick Catalyst”

The whole Penny-is-too-hot-for-Leonard joke is one that they go back to a lot throughout the series. Maybe the best use of it - and the one that doesn’t get enough love - happens in season 10 when Leonard accompanies Penny to the Van Nuys Comic-Con. The scene is worth it for Leonard’s changemaker alone, but we’re here to talk about the reaction from the convention-goers learning that he’s married to Penny. Their complete disbelief is good, but the pinnacle moment comes as Leonard holds court, recounting his conquest to a crowd of awestruck nerds.

Season Eleven: Penny & Beverly
“The Explosion Implosion”

Obviously, the relationship Leonard has with his mother is an important aspect of the show - but what often gets overlooked is the relationship between his mother and significant other. Penny and Beverly are very different in many ways and yet, an actual friendship develops between them as the series progresses. In fact, by season 11, Beverly calls Penny just to chat. She even tells Leonard that she’s proud of him for how well he married. Just hearing she’s proud of him for anything is enough to bring Leonard to tears.

Season Twelve: Control Group Tent
“The Conference Valuation”

Highly praised in the episode “The Conference Valuation” is Sheldon getting excited to perform experiments on Howard’s kids. And it should be. It’s funny, and Amy’s use of the experiments to get Sheldon excited about children is some next-level Jedi Mind trick. What’s less recognized is Leonard’s reaction to the experiments, and how they trigger some deep-seeded memories about his childhood, leaving him feeling like he was basically just his mother’s lab rat. It’s a feeling that comes fully into focus when he remembers that the tent he was in at camp was called “control group”. It’s heartbreaking with just the right amount of humor and also provides some deep insight into his childhood.

What “Big Bang” moments do you think don’t get the love they deserve? Let us know in the comments.