Known for its quirky characters and focus on science, “The Big Bang Theory” has plenty of Halloween, Thanksgiving, and Christmas special episodes, to get in the Christmas spirit!
The show originally centered on five characters: Sheldon, Leonard, Penny, Howard, Raj, Amy and Bernadette living in Pasadena, California. This group of friends was entertaining to watch as they went through familiar highs and lows with work, relationships, and friendships. Like the universe after the big bang, the show’s popularity expanded, premiered on September 24, 2007, and ended on May 16, 2019, with a total of 279 episodes over the course of 12 seasons.
The show has become a fan favorite over the years, ever since its release in 2007. Some of the most memorable moments and memorable lines from these classic Christmas episodes of The Big Bang Theory. There could be a plethora of lists detailing the best episodes. But here if you’re trying to figure out how to watch the The Big Bang Theory Christmas episodes in order to get in the Christmas spirit. Then here I recommend watching all of the Christmas The Big Bang Theory episodes in chronological order as mentioned.
The Big Bang Theory Christmas Episodes in order to watch
1. The Bath Item Gift Hypothesis (Season 2, Episode 11)
The eleventh episode of the second season of the series, is the best Christmas episode of The Big Bang Theory all time. In episode, Leonard meets visiting researcher and fellow experimental physicist Dr. David Underhill. Though Leonard envies David for being handsome and a more successful physicist than himself, he jumps at David’s offer to help him in his research. Things come to a halt when David meets Penny and the two start dating – though they quickly break up when Penny discovers nude photos of his wife on his phone. Leonard only learns this when he comes to Penny’s apartment to yell at her about their own on-off relationship. When he realizes his mistake, he and Penny cuddle each other to comfort each other.
Meanwhile, Sheldon worries about the approaching Christmas holidays and his indecision about what to buy for Penny, as he needs it to match the value of her gift to him. After deciding on a basket of bath items he discovers a large selection, so not knowing what Penny will get him, he buys the entire range to cover all contingencies. Penny’s gift to Sheldon is a napkin both autographed and used by Leonard Nimoy. Sheldon, overwhelmed since he now possesses Nimoy’s DNA and can grow his own Leonard Nimoy, gives Penny all the gift baskets and also a rare “Sheldon” hug.
2. The Maternal Congruence (Season 3, Episode 11)
It’s approaching Christmas, and Leonard’s mother is coming for a visit, something Leonard fails to tell Penny. Sheldon surmises it’s because Beverly Hofstadter will not approve of Penny as a suitable mate for her son. Leonard has not even yet told Beverly that Penny is his girlfriend. Conversely, when Beverly arrives, Leonard finds out that Sheldon knows more about what’s going on in her life than he does. When Leonard does find out news about the senior Hofstadter household, he becomes emotionally distraught as what he deems important news to him was previously withheld. But more importantly, Leonard sees this action as a further demonstration of the poor relationship he has with his family. Meanwhile, Penny believes she has a way for Beverly to be a bit more emotionally expressive.
3. The Santa Simulation (Season 6, Episode 11)
In this Christmas spirit The Big Bang Theory holiday episode, Leonard sending his friends on a Dungeons & Dragons quest to save Santa Claus. The men and Stuart play Dungeons and Dragons without the women. Dungeon master Leonard sets up a Christmas theme where players must rescue Santa Claus from a gang of ogres, to Sheldon’s chagrin as he hates Christmas. Raj’s character dies early on, so he joins Penny, Bernadette and Amy for girls’ night at a bar. There, Raj laments remaining single despite otherwise being successful. The women sympathize, Amy even sharing her experiences of loneliness with him. This comforts him but also draws him to Amy, the only woman in the gang to whom he was not yet attracted. In the game, meanwhile, Sheldon paralyses Howard’s and Stuart’s characters in Santa’s dungeon, berating Santa for not bringing Pop-Pop (Sheldon’s maternal grandfather, the only family member to encourage his scientific pursuits) back to life, his childhood Santa wish. He abandons Santa to be eaten alive by the ogres. Sheldon later has a nightmare about Santa, who apologizes for being unable to resurrect Pop-Pop, before firing a cannon at him.
4. The Cooper Extraction (Season 7, Episode 11)
Sheldon travels to Texas to help with his sister’s home birth, but is as usual totally self-absorbed and unsympathetic to her discomfort, and no help at all. Between video calls, his friends wonder how their lives would be had they never met him (as in It’s a Wonderful Life). Penny notes Leonard would have been too afraid to date her, Bernadette thinks she would not be with Howard because of his strange friendship with Raj, and Leonard speculates Penny would be living with Zack, who would trade money for useless items such as beans. Amy suggests that if Leonard had not moved in, Penny would have tried to seduce Sheldon in Leonard’s absence, while Howard notes he would be caring for his mother even after her death (referencing Psycho), and Raj and Leonard suggest they would be obese flatmates owing to Raj’s cooking and Leonard’s loneliness. Amy thinks she would be sad and alone. After Amy encourages Sheldon to be with his newborn nephew, Raj observes that Amy has significantly influenced Sheldon, and Leonard shows her her picture on Sheldon’s screensaver, among the other scientists Sheldon admires. On returning home, Sheldon tells Amy he would have preferred her to have been in Texas with him (or instead of him). In a final Cheesecake Factory scene with Howard and the obese Raj and Leonard, Leonard asks Penny out; she turns him down to reveal she is dating an extremely cool Stuart. The scene changes to reveal this as Stuart’s fantasy while sitting alone in the restaurant.
5. The Clean Room Infiltration (Season 8, Episode 11)
The Clean Room Infiltration continues The Big Bang Theory lighthearted Christmas-themed episode, is feels unbalanced and tone deaf, the two contrasting storylines failing to gel with one another.
Raj will be unable to host Christmas dinner as his father is coming to town and is depressed about his divorce. Amy hosts a Victorian era Christmas dinner instead. Her traditional party games bore everyone. Sheldon and Amy have agreed not to exchange gifts, but Sheldon decides to get her one anyway as revenge for the dinner and kissing him in public under the mistletoe. Bernadette takes him to the mall where he gets his picture taken with Santa and a frame which includes a personalized Christmas message to Amy. To his surprise she loves it and gives him a box of Christmas cookies made from his grandmother’s recipe, making them both happy and makes Sheldon wonder about the spirit of giving presents at Christmas time. Meanwhile, Leonard and Howard are working together in a clean room when a pigeon flies in. They are unable to get the bird out even with Raj’s help. Howard is devastated when he accidentally injures the pigeon with a blast from a fire extinguisher. Leonard tells him how to revive it; however, a crow flies in. Howard and Leonard agree to take the blame for ruining the lab together until Penny convinces them to erase their names off the sign-up sheet for the lab and leave.
6. The Holiday Summation (Season 10, Episode 12)
After the Christmas holiday, Sheldon and Amy tell Leonard and Penny about their visit to his mother Mary, who upset Sheldon by confessing she never thought he would find a partner. Sheldon reacted by acting anti-socially and getting his ear pierced. Also, Leonard and Penny had a series of mishaps chopping down a Christmas tree and bringing it home, while Bernadette and Howard have been struggling to cope with a constantly screaming baby. Eventually, Bernadette does resolve the problem by climbing into Halley’s crib and sleeping with her.
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