
While a lot of episodes of The Big Bang Theory are great, there’s only one that stands out as the strongest outing in the show’s entire 12-season run. The Big Bang Theory’s finale was a hit with fans, but it wasn’t without its critics. Some viewers felt that Raj was largely forgotten by the ending’s Sheldon-centric story.
Meanwhile, although The Big Bang Theory’s Penny and Leonard problems predated the finale, the sudden revelation that Penny was pregnant was still seen as a betrayal of the character by some viewers. The lack of foreshadowing for this twist, alongside Penny’s historical disinterest in having children, made it seem sudden.
Thus, although some fans would list The Big Bang Theory’s finale as an all-time great episode, it isn’t the show’s undeniable masterpiece. That title goes to a much earlier episode that deepened the bonds between Sheldon, Leonard, and Penny over the course of one busy Christmas.
The Big Bang Theory Season 2 Episode 11 Is The Show’s Strongest Outing Ever
Penny and Sheldon’s Friendship Was Finally Cemented In This Episode
In season 2, episode 11, “The Bath Item Gift Hypothesis,” Sheldon frets and stresses over what to buy Penny for Christmas while Penny briefly dates Leonard’s handsome new colleague. When Penny discovers that he is married, she runs to Leonard for comfort, and the pair finally almost address their uncertain romantic relationship.
Meanwhile, Sheldon is overjoyed when he receives Penny’s present, setting up one of the show’s first truly sweet moments between the mismatched duo. Judging from the above synopsis alone, readers could be forgiven for wondering what makes this episode stand out in the show’s 12-season run. Unlike The Big Bang Theory’s “The Cooper Extraction,” the episode isn’t particularly experimental.
Similarly, unlike season 7, episode 3, “The Scavenger Vortex,” this episode doesn’t pair off the main cast members in ways that feel new, fresh, or innovative. In every obvious way, it is a fairly conventional outing for the sitcom. However, although some of The Big Bang Theory’s best episodes are more inventive, this was never the show’s standout strong suit.
The Big Bang Theory always relied on consistent character writing more than showy meta comedy, which was part of what made the show gain such a large audience compared to its contemporaries like Community and 30 Rock. Thus, “The Bath Item Gift Hypothesis” is a perfect episode of The Big Bang Theory because the show’s heroes all grow during its storyline.
The infamously touch-averse Sheldon throws caution to the wind and hugs Penny upon learning she got him a napkin signed by Leonard Nimoy. Leonard gains the confidence to ask Penny the real reason they broke up, and Penny finally breaks down Sheldon’s icy exterior for the first time.
“The Bath Item Gift Hypothesis” Changed The Big Bang Theory’s Two Vital Relationships
Leonard and Penny and Sheldon and Penny Both Became Closer
Throughout “The Bath Item Gift Hypothesis,” two of the most important relationships from The Big Bang Theory change massively, even if it takes a while before the impacts of these changes become clear. Romantically and platonically, Leonard and Sheldon both become closer to Penny.
Thus, the Christmas special helps define the two relationships that would go on to shape the rest of the series. Although Leonard and Penny’s The Big Bang Theory relationship went on to stagnate in later seasons, here, their romantic potential remained fresh and unexplored.
Penny’s heartbreak over learning that her new boyfriend was married stopped Leonard from confronting her about their breakup, resulting in him comforting her instead. Although this drew out their uncertain relationship status for longer, it also proved that Leonard did want to support Penny even if they weren’t romantically involved.
Meanwhile, Sheldon hugging Penny might have been a one-off, spontaneous event, but it still underlined a gradual shift in the character’s attitude towards his cheery neighbor. Sheldon and Penny shared The Big Bang Theory’s most important relationship, since the two characters couldn’t have been more different when the series began.
Sheldon and Penny fundamentally altered each other, and both were better as a result, and this would have been impossible without the ending of “The Bath Item Gift Hypothesis” setting up their friendship.
While Leonard and Penny’s love story was the show’s original focus, over the years, Sheldon and Penny’s friendship became the most profound plot of the series. The two characters fundamentally altered each other, and both were better as a result, and this would have been impossible without the ending of “The Bath Item Gift Hypothesis” setting up their friendship.
“The Bath Item Gift Hypothesis” Started An Incredible Big Bang Theory Tradition
The Sitcom’s Christmas Episodes Remained Strong Throughout Its 12 Seasons
As if the episode’s impact on these two pivotal relationships wasn’t enough, “The Bath Item Gift Hypothesis” also set up an iconic tradition that lasted throughout the rest of The Big Bang Theory’s 12 seasons. As the show continued, the sitcom kept using Christmas episodes as a time to experiment with its characters and their world.
Season 3, episode 11, “The Maternal Congruence,” deepens the relationship between Leonard and his mother and exposes a new side of Penny in the process. Season 10, episode 12, “The Holiday Summation,” split up the main cast and then brought them back together to summarize their unique holiday experiences after the fact.
The aforementioned “The Cooper Extraction” imagined a world where Sheldon wasn’t part of the Pasadena gang, and soon the episode split off into a wild range of alternative realities. Given how grounded even The Big Bang Theory’s best episodes were in their storytelling, this plot foreshadowed its upcoming sci-fi spinoff, Stuart Fails To Save the Universe.
After this strong start, The Big Bang Theory’s Christmas episodes were consistently season standouts. Admittedly, the series never managed to outdo the emotional impact of Sheldon and Penny’s hug, but this never hurt the show’s later festive outings.
The Big Bang Theory’s first Christmas episode might have been a modest story focused on character development, but this is exactly what now makes it a standout in the show’s long history. The Big Bang Theory captured the best of Sheldon, Penny, and Leonard in this outing, and didn’t waste a second of its 21-minute runtime.