# Big Bang Theory: Worst Episode EVER! **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [February 27, 2015, 2:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/big-bang-theory-worst-episode-ever/713766 "2015-02-27T14:28:40Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Biggirl](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/biggirl/32/3294_2.png) [@Biggirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Biggirl)\ **Post date:** [February 27, 2015, 2:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/big-bang-theory-worst-episode-ever/713766/1 "2015-02-27T14:28:40Z")
I don’t see the weekly thread. I did do a search. I don’t think it was the worst episdoe ever, I just wanted to get that out the way first. Loved Penny and Sheldon. Didn’t care about Leonard, Raj, Emily and Amy. Leonard and Amy should have taken the love test. Totally creeped out by Howard. That was not funny at all, just . . . disturbing. ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [February 27, 2015, 3:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/big-bang-theory-worst-episode-ever/713766/2 "2015-02-27T15:05:46Z")
Hardly the worst episode. Howard has always been creepy, so his response to his mom’s ashes going missing is totally in character, as is Bernie’s threat to the baggage drone. The problem with that subplot isn’t that it was creepy - it’s that _nobody cares_. The only reason those two were even on the show this week was to justify their salaries. The “B” plot was a little better, in that it had Emily interacting with the group in a non-creepy manner and fitting right in. The problem here was that there was no pay-off. The plot just…ended. The “A” plot, however, was excellent. Sheldon and Penny are always gold, and this encounter played with the line between serious and hilarious in great fashion. **And** it had a good button. ---
**Author:** ![Son\_of\_a\_Rich](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/son_of_a_rich/32/5439_2.png) [@Son\_of\_a\_Rich](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Son_of_a_Rich)\ **Post date:** [February 27, 2015, 3:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/big-bang-theory-worst-episode-ever/713766/3 "2015-02-27T15:08:57Z")
When I think of the worst ep, I think of the one where Leonard gets contact lenses- unbelievable that he could get lenses so bad that he couldn’t even see, and the efforts at pratfalls were lame. ---
**Author:** ![johnpost](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/f17d59/32.png) [@johnpost](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/johnpost)\ **Post date:** [February 27, 2015, 3:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/big-bang-theory-worst-episode-ever/713766/4 "2015-02-27T15:12:45Z")
there was the suspense of what Penny and Sheldon might do. the rest was less. ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [February 27, 2015, 3:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/big-bang-theory-worst-episode-ever/713766/5 "2015-02-27T15:15:39Z")
The worst ever episode was S5/11 “The Speckerman Recurrance,” wherein Leonard tries to get back at a high school bully and the girls steal clothing from a donations bin. ---
**Author:** ![gytalf2000](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/ac91a4/32.png) [@gytalf2000](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gytalf2000)\ **Post date:** [February 27, 2015, 3:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/big-bang-theory-worst-episode-ever/713766/6 "2015-02-27T15:21:28Z")
Yeah, I usually start the thread, but wasn’t at my interwebs connection yesterday. I really enjoyed seeing Penny and Sheldon together – always love it when they pair up! The rest of the episode, as others have said – not really so great. ---
**Author:** ![Onomatopoeia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/onomatopoeia/32/4145_2.png) [@Onomatopoeia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Onomatopoeia)\ **Post date:** [February 27, 2015, 3:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/big-bang-theory-worst-episode-ever/713766/7 "2015-02-27T15:25:58Z")
In this episode, I think Amy seemed more comfortable as a member of the group than in others I’ve seen where she is so often awkward. I laughed aloud when she said to Leonard “Awww, then I choose a janitor because I’m about to throw up.” ---
**Author:** ![txtumbleweed](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/278dde/32.png) [@txtumbleweed](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/txtumbleweed)\ **Post date:** [February 27, 2015, 4:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/big-bang-theory-worst-episode-ever/713766/8 "2015-02-27T16:54:23Z")
Penny and Sheldon were great together, it’s too bad that the growth you see in Sheldon in those vignettes with her doesn’t seem to last. Nor will the writers explore those strands. Howard and Bernadette’s story line was meh. The airline folks that I have known who worked baggage were a bit more jaded, they’ve seen it all already. Frankly, I’m not sure why Howard put his mom in the cargo hold, crematory remains are permitted in your carry-on. I think the Leonard, Amy, Raj, Emily, story suffered from the plotting of the show itself. Their story wasn’t strong to begin with, but the editing didn’t help at all. If I get the punchline, the whole joke was that given a problem designed to take an hour or so for the general public to figure out, our brainiacs solved the locked room mystery in just 5 minutes. Since the show segments in about 60 second jumps, there’s no real way to convey to the viewer how slowly or quickly time is passing. We figure all the events are taking place simultaneously between the characters. The writers tried to give us some hints as to how quickly things were happening in the locked room, but since that was interspersed with Penny and Sheldon scenes and Howard and Bernadette scenes, the time sense for the viewer was much longer. I think that plot could have worked better as a single segment, maybe the closer, with “go” to finding the key taking all of 30 seconds. Of course, they’ve already done the mystery game plot, and better, with the scavenger hunt episode and the murder mystery episode. Still, not the worst BBT episode of all time. I’ll agree that The Speckerman Recurrence would have to be up for that title. ---
**Author:** ![Cartoonacy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/848f3c/32.png) [@Cartoonacy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cartoonacy)\ **Post date:** [February 27, 2015, 5:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/big-bang-theory-worst-episode-ever/713766/9 "2015-02-27T17:23:35Z")
> [@silenus](#): > > The worst ever episode was S5/11 “The Speckerman Recurrance,” wherein Leonard tries to get back at a high school bully and the girls steal clothing from a donations bin. Agreed! Although “The Good Guy Fluctuation” is a close second, because Leonard came across as a creep. ---
**Author:** ![xizor](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/xizor/32/102_2.png) [@xizor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/xizor)\ **Post date:** [February 27, 2015, 6:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/big-bang-theory-worst-episode-ever/713766/10 "2015-02-27T18:46:55Z")
My favorite lines were Bernadette’s “One way or another we are leaving with a dead woman” and the Zombie doctor, when they bragged at being so smart for solving the puzzle so fast “remember that on Yelp”. ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [February 27, 2015, 6:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/big-bang-theory-worst-episode-ever/713766/11 "2015-02-27T18:52:57Z")
> [@txtumbleweed](#): > > I think that plot could have worked better as a single segment, maybe the closer, with “go” to finding the key taking all of 30 seconds. That would have been perfect. ---
**Author:** ![N9IWP](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/n9iwp/32/3154_2.png) [@N9IWP](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/N9IWP)\ **Post date:** [February 27, 2015, 6:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/big-bang-theory-worst-episode-ever/713766/12 "2015-02-27T18:56:53Z")
But the episode gets great props for mentioning “Gary Con” which is a real live gaming convention in Lake Geneva, which does honor D&D co-creator Gray Gygax. [http://www.garycon.com/](http://www.garycon.com/) [http://www.garycon.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=3&t=1445](http://www.garycon.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=3&t=1445) [QUOTE=Heidi Gygax, though this isn’t direct] Actually, my sister sent some of her Gary Con swag to writer-producer Eric Kaplan last August, as she recognized him from his Futurama work (with Dad) and was cleaning her closets before moving back to Hawaii. Eric called Elise in September to thank her, and my guess is that’s when he decided to write Gary Con into an episode. The mention was a complete surprise to us all, though. [/QUOTE] I’ve never been to it, but I did know about it before the episode aired. Brian ---
**Author:** ![Cartoonacy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/848f3c/32.png) [@Cartoonacy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cartoonacy)\ **Post date:** [February 27, 2015, 7:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/big-bang-theory-worst-episode-ever/713766/13 "2015-02-27T19:06:36Z")
> [@N9IWP](#): > > But the episode gets great props for mentioning “Gary Con” which is a real live gaming convention in Lake Geneva, which does honor D&D co-creator Gray Gygax. That’s one of the reasons I love this show. Almost all of the geek-culture references are genuine, not just made up by the writers. Even [Rock-Paper-Scissors-Lizard-Spock](http://www.samkass.com/theories/RPSSL.html). ---
**Author:** ![N9IWP](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/n9iwp/32/3154_2.png) [@N9IWP](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/N9IWP)\ **Post date:** [February 27, 2015, 7:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/big-bang-theory-worst-episode-ever/713766/14 "2015-02-27T19:30:03Z")
Obviously I meant Gary Gygax, not Gray Gygax (isn’t that some species of ooze? I don’t have the latest Monster Manual) Brian ---
**Author:** ![notfrommensa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/f14d63/32.png) [@notfrommensa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/notfrommensa)\ **Post date:** [February 27, 2015, 7:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/big-bang-theory-worst-episode-ever/713766/15 "2015-02-27T19:49:50Z")
Given her creepiness, I thought Emily was bringing Raj, Leonard, and Amy into something more sinister and less lame than the plastic dungeon. ---
**Author:** ![Dewey\_Finn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dewey_finn/32/4222_2.png) [@Dewey\_Finn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dewey_Finn)\ **Post date:** [February 27, 2015, 8:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/big-bang-theory-worst-episode-ever/713766/16 "2015-02-27T20:05:52Z")
> [@txtumbleweed](#): > > Frankly, I’m not sure why Howard put his mom in the cargo hold, crematory remains are permitted in your carry-on. I was wondering about that. Why would he put the cremains in a checked bag? ---
**Author:** ![FairyChatMom](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fairychatmom/32/22080_2.png) [@FairyChatMom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FairyChatMom)\ **Post date:** [February 27, 2015, 8:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/big-bang-theory-worst-episode-ever/713766/17 "2015-02-27T20:12:54Z")
> [@Dewey\_Finn](#): > > Why would he put the cremains in a checked bag? They’re both too short to reach the overhead compartment?? ---
**Author:** ![RivkahChaya](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rivkahchaya/32/8919_2.png) [@RivkahChaya](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RivkahChaya)\ **Post date:** [February 27, 2015, 8:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/big-bang-theory-worst-episode-ever/713766/18 "2015-02-27T20:18:58Z")
> [@Dewey\_Finn](#): > > I was wondering about that. Why would he put the cremains in a checked bag? It may be that you can’t take ashes on board, because a terrorist could have something combustible masquerading as “cremains.” I don’t know, though. But seeing as the TSAs confiscate things that aren’t allowed, would you want to take a chance with mom’s ashes? Personally, I would have had the funeral home ship them to my place, rather than hand-carry them, but that’s just me. Where’s the thread on jokes that need to be retired? because I want to nominate anything on a TV show or movie having to do with lost luggage. Personally, I liked this episode, but I’m more forgiving than other people, mostly because I lived through 80s TV, I suspect. ETA: worst episode ever was “The Jerusalem Duality.” ---
**Author:** ![Geek\_Mecha](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/ecae2f/32.png) [@Geek\_Mecha](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Geek_Mecha)\ **Post date:** [February 27, 2015, 8:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/big-bang-theory-worst-episode-ever/713766/19 "2015-02-27T20:28:11Z")
Howard and Bernadette’s flight number was also the episode number – 816. ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [February 27, 2015, 8:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/big-bang-theory-worst-episode-ever/713766/20 "2015-02-27T20:42:05Z")
> [@RivkahChaya](#): > > ETA: worst episode ever was “The Jerusalem Duality.” You have a problem with building a replica Jerusalem in the Mexico desert? I know, I know…go away. 😛 [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/big-bang-theory-worst-episode-ever/713766.md?page=2)