The Financial Permeability (2 Feb. 2009)

Penny cannot afford to pay her rent, so Sheldon and Leonard each come up with unique ways to help her out.

Director:

Mark Cendrowski

Writers:

Chuck Lorre (creator), Bill Prady (creator),

Stars:

Johnny Galecki, Jim Parsons, Kaley Cuoco

Cast

Episode complete credited cast:
Johnny Galecki	...	Leonard Hofstadter
Jim Parsons	...	Sheldon Cooper
Kaley Cuoco	...	Penny
Simon Helberg	...	Howard Wolowitz
Kunal Nayyar	...	Raj Koothrappali
Brian Patrick Wade	...	Kurt

Storyline

Penny is hiding from the building manager since she is behind in her rent due to some unforeseen bills and her hours being cut back at the restaurant. After she borrows money from Sheldon, who freely offered it to her, and after Leonard allows her to forgo paying for her share of their group meals, Penny begins to get agitated whenever the issue of money in whatever form is discussed. Since she is obviously stressed about her financial situation, Leonard looks over her finances, and sees one financial outlay which is a cause of most of the problem. Although he could get physically hurt by this action, Leonard decides to help Penny get this money back which is rightfully hers.

---

Plot Keywords:

board game | sarcasm taken literally | hidden money | network diagram | can of snakes

---

Genres:

Comedy

---

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

2 February 2009 (USA)

Filming Locations:

Stage 25, Warner Brothers Burbank Studios - 4000 Warner Boulevard, Burbank, California, USA

Company Credits

Production Co:

Chuck Lorre Productions, Warner Bros. Television

Technical Specs

Runtime:

21 min

Sound Mix:

Stereo

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.78 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

The fantasy-themed board game that Sheldon, Howard and Rajesh are playing is "Talisman" (4th edition). When Leonard asks they guys what they are doing, Rajesh says that they are on a quest to the Valley of Fire to acquire the Sacred Crown. The goal of the real board game is to reach the center area, called the Valley of Fire, and to acquire the Crown of Command. The "Talisman" game can be seen in numerous episodes of the series.

---

Goofs

Kurt's position in his doorway changes between shots.

---

Quotes

Leonard Hofstadter: Okay, is everyone clear on the plan?
Howard Wolowitz: Yes. Koothrappali's gonna wet himself, I will throw up, Sheldon's going to run away, and you're going to die. Shall we synchronize our watches?

---

Crazy Credits

CHUCK LORRE PRODUCTIONS, #239 TO DO LIST Live to see a highly educated, deeply thoughtful, articulate, cool, biracial President who is not overly crippled by childhood wounds and capable, in no particular order, of freeing the nation of its oil dependence, restoring its international standing, creating universal health care, resurrecting the economy, ending two wars, rebuilding the public education system, finally bringing about an end to the mindlessness of racism, encouraging science and technology, firmly addressing environmental issues and global warming, and uniting the nation - and the world - in a giant cultural, tipping point leap forward. Meet super-intelligent aliens who disarm the entire planet, cure every disease and take us all for rides across the galaxy. Play a round of par golf. Trade solos with Eric Clapton. Win an Emmy. Get married, stay married. One down, five to go.

User Reviews

The Financial Permeability was perhaps the funniest episode of "The Big Bang Theory" I've seen yet!

In this episode, as they fail with a drawn chart to find the right restaurant and movie combo for Sheldon's satisfaction (no way will he take Slupree over Icee!), Leonard, Howard, and Raj leave without him. With them gone, as Sheldon comes back to his apartment, Penny comes inside and tells him to close the door. He does while still outside. When Penny motions him inside, she tells him about her financial difficulties. Sheldon graciously gives his hidden money from a snake can which Penny reluctantly accepts. Unfortunately, despite Sheldon not caring if she pays back right away, Penny feels interrogated by him when seen getting a package she ordered months ago or eating Chinese take-out with the guys. So Leonard goes to Penny's candlelit apartment and finds on her computer that she's had a courthouse record because she paid for her ex-boyfriend Kurt's arrest for drunkenly peeing on a cop car. So Leonard, with his friends reluctantly going along, confronts Kurt who eventually writes his I.O.U. on Leonard's forehead. Back at the apartment, Penny tells Sheldon and a ski-capped Leonard that Kurt has not only agreed to give her money back but is having dinner with her the next night. As she leaves and with Sheldon now back with his money, he tells Leonard that minstrels will write about him as he sings his own ditty ending with a line about Raj peeing which was a running gag for the entire episode...This was the funniest episode of the season and perhaps the series I've seen yet! I especially loved the lines concerning Sheldon's hidden money also being in the posterior of a superhero doll who shall remain nameless which Leonard reveals to Howard and Raj later on! And how about Howard's stomach ache concerning mushu? And what about Leonard comparing his mission to that of The Lord of the Rings with Sheldon's rebuttal? Once again, with both this and "Two and a Half Men", Chuck Lorre can do no wrong!