The Pilot is the first episode of The Big Bang Theory. This episode
Plot Summary
Leonard and Sheldon are brilliant physicists who meet a girl from Nebraska named Penny. She introduces them to a world outside of academia and comic books.
Extended Plot
Leonard and Sheldon go to a "High I.Q." sperm bank, but back out while filling out the donation form after Sheldon informs Leonard that high I.Q. people some times don't produce high I.Q. sperm, ergo meaning they are committing genetic fraud.
A girl Penny moves into the apartment next door and becomes Leonard and Sheldon's new neighbor. Leonard and Sheldon agree that she is an improvement over their old neighbor, Louie/Louise, who, according to Sheldon, was a 200-pound transvestite with a skin condition. Penny is invited to their apartment and she is impressed by their work. Penny is introduced to Sheldon's obsessiveness when she accidentally sits in Sheldon's spot on the couch, as well as to their lifestyle, like their game of Klingon Boggle.
Penny's shower is out of order, so she borrows Leonard and Sheldon's. As she is taking a shower, Howard and Rajesh arrive and she exits the shower only wearing a towel, and she is introduced to them. Howard, thinking he is a professional ladies' man, hits on Penny while Rajesh is rendered silent since he can't speak in front of beautiful women due to his selective mutism, which was unknown at the time.
Penny asks Leonard to pick up her TV from her ex-boyfriend, Kurt. Sheldon joins him, but Penny's ex-boyfriend refuses to give up the TV, and steals Leonard and Sheldon's pants. Penny feels sorry for Sheldon and Leonard after their incident and decides to make it up to them by paying for dinner for them (along with Howard and Raj).
Notes
- This episode was not the first pilot, the first one was unaired because it was not approved.
- With 9.52 million viewers, the Pilot is the second most viewed episode in the first season.
Trivia
- Sheldon wears briefs, Leonard wears boxers.
- This Episode has the worst graphics, possibly because it is the Pilot.
- Sheldon & Leonard's apartment is shown for the first time in the series.
- Sheldon reveals that he has 212 friends on Myspace.
- Sheldon has the first line in the series.
- Sheldon has the last line in the episode (except for Howard, who is still singing).
- There were 6 magazines on the table in the high-IQ sperm bank.
- In this episode, Sheldon stated he has an IQ of 187 and the total IQ with Lenoard's is 360, indicating Lenoard's IQ is 173.
- In this episode, Sheldon was seen drinking a beer and still retaining his normal behavior. This contradicts with later episodes, in which Sheldon would get drunk after a very small dose of alcohol.
Critics
Penny is a brave new world for Sheldon and Leonard and it’s a fun start to The Big Bang Theory. The show will have to work hard to maintain the delicate balance between geek jokes and real characters. I wish them luck." - The TV Critic's Review
Production Notes
Quotes
(Leonard and Sheldon are going upstairs to their apartment after an unsuccessful visit to the "High IQ" sperm bank. They have to use the stairs since the elevator has been broken for at least four years.)
- Sheldon: Are you still mad about the sperm bank?
- Leonard: No.
- Sheldon: You wanna hear an interesting thing about stairs?
- Leonard: Not really.
- Sheldon: If the height of a single step is off as more than 2 millimetres, most people will trip.
- Leonard: I don't care. 2 milimet...?, that doesn't seem right.
- Sheldon: No, it's true, I did a series of experiments when I was 12; my father broke his clavicle.
- Leonard: Is that why they sent you to boarding school?
- Sheldon: No, that was a result of my work with lasers.
- (The guys are about to go in their apartment, but they soon realise there is a new neighbour across the hall who has just moved in. She is a young and attractive blonde woman and is reading a magazine.)
- Leonard: New neighbour?
- Sheldon: Evidently.
- Leonard: Significant improvement over the old neighbour.
- Sheldon: 200-pound transvestite with a skin condition?, yes, she is.
- (The woman notices the guys.)
- Woman: Oh, hi.
- Leonard: Hi.
- Sheldon: Hi.
- Leonard: Hi.
- Sheldon: Hi.
- Woman: Hi?
- Leonard: We don't mean to interrupt, we live across the hall.
- Woman: Oh, that's nice.
- Leonard: Oh, w..., a..., w..., we don't live together, we..... We live together, but in, separate, heterosexual bedrooms.
- Woman: Oh, OK, guess I'm you're new neighbour. Penny.
- Leonard: Uh, Leonard, Sheldon.
- Penny: Hi.
- Leonard: Hi.
- Sheldon: Hi.
- Penny: Hi.
- Leonard: Hi.
- (There is a short Silence.)
- Leonard: Well, uh, oh, welcome to the building.
- Penny: Oh, thank you, maybe we can have coffee sometime.
- Leonard: Oh, great.
- Penny: Great.
- Sheldon: Great.
- Leonard: Great (silence). Well, uh, bye.
- Penny: Bye.
- Sheldon: Bye.
- Leonard: Bye.
- (Penny closes her door.)
- (The guys have decided to invite Penny over for lunch.)
- Penny: So, what do you guys do for fun around here?
- Sheldon: Well today, we tried masturbating for money.
- (Leonard and Sheldon are about to get Penny's T.V. from her ex-boyfriend, Kurt. They're about to talk to the intercom.)
- Leonard (To Sheldon): Now let me do the talking.
- Kurt (via intercom): Yeah.
- Leonard: (via intercom): Hi, I'm Leonard and this is Sheldon.
- Sheldon (To the intercom.): Hello
- Leonard (To Sheldon muttering a few random words): Ah! Uh, just... (To Kurt via intercom) We're here to pick up Penny's T.V.
- Kurt (via intercom): Get Lost.
- Sheldon (To Kurt via intercom.): OK, Well thanks for your time.
- (After being refused entry into the building by Kurt, Sheldon and Leonard manage to get into the building after some scout girls selling cookie enter and the guys sneak in after them before the door closes. They then arrive at Kurt's door. When the two see what Kurt looks like (a big, strong and tough guy), they get nervous.)
- Kurt: Yeah.
- Leonard: Hi. I'm Leonard and that's Sheldon.
- Sheldon: From the intercom.
- Kurt: How the hell did you get in the building?
- (Leonard is frightened and Lost for words)
- Leonard: Uh...we're scientists.
- (Kurt is just staring at him, Sheldon whispers to Leonard)
- Sheldon: Tell him about our IQ.
- (A short time Later, Leonard and Sheldon come out the building without their pants as Kurt stole them from the guys.)
- Sheldon: Leonard.
- Leonard: Yes?
- Sheldon: My mom bought me those pants.
- Leonard: I'm sorry.
- Sheldon: You're gonna have to call her.
- (After Penny has just met Howard and Raj, she slumps down on the couch next to Rajesh.)
- Penny (To Raj): So, you guys work with Leonard and Sheldon at the university?
- (Raj doesn't answer and just continues to eat his food.)
- Penny: I'm sorry? Do you speak English?
- Howard: Oh, he speaks English, he just can't speak to women.
- Penny: Oh. Why?
- Howard: He's kind of a nerd. (starts talking smooth) Juice Box?
| Episodes | Season 1 | ||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
]]