The Maternal Congruence (14 Dec. 2009)

Leonard's mother makes a visit to his dismay and Sheldon's delight.

Director:

Mark Cendrowski

Writers:

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

Stars:

Johnny Galecki, Jim Parsons, Kaley Cuoco

Cast

Episode cast overview:
Johnny Galecki	...	Leonard Hofstadter
Jim Parsons	...	Sheldon Cooper
Kaley Cuoco	...	Penny
Simon Helberg	...	Howard Wolowitz
Kunal Nayyar	...	Raj Koothrappali
Christine Baranski	...	Beverly Hofstadter

Storyline

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.

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Plot Keywords:

visit | christmas | santa hat | reference to isaac newton | drunkenness | 

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Genres:

Comedy

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Details

Official Sites:

Official site

Country:

USA

Language:

English German

Release Date:

14 December 2009 (USA)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Chuck Lorre Productions, Warner Bros. Television

Technical Specs

Runtime:

20 min

Sound Mix:

Stereo

Color:

Color

Did You Know?

Trivia

The title refers to the visit of Leonard's mother.

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Goofs

At the bar when Penny and Beverly are drinking and Penny orders the final shot, she drinks it as soon as it's poured. The angle changes and the shot glass is suddenly filled again, even though no alcohol is poured into it, allowing Penny to drink it again before they leave.

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Quotes

Sheldon Cooper: December 25, 1642, Julian calendar. Isaac Newton was born. Jesus, on the other hand, was actually born in the summer. His birthday was moved to coincide with the traditional pagan holiday that celebrated the winter solstice with lit fires and slaughtered goats. Which frankly sounds more fun than 12 hours of church with my mother followed by a fruitcake.
Leonard Hofstadter: Merry Newtonmas, everyone!
Sheldon Cooper: I sense that's not sincere, but I have no idea why.

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Crazy Credits

For this Christmas episode the Executive Producer's credit is shown in red and green instead of the normal white.

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Connections

References How the Grinch Stole Christmas! (1966)

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Soundtracks

"Deck the Halls"
(uncredited)
Traditional
Performed by Johnny Galecki

User Reviews

"The Maternal Congruence" was an excellent holiday episode of "The Big Bang Theory"

After Penny and Leonard watch "How the Grinch Stole Christmas" during which Sheldon comments how he felt compatible with the leading character...until he gave the presents back, Sheldon casually mentions Leonard's mother is coming. Tomorrow. Penny is aghast since she didn't know about it and becomes more so when Sheldon also mentions that her boyfriend's mom doesn't know about his relationship with Penny. Actually, Beverly and Sheldon have been e-mailing each other about stuff her son Leonard doesn't know like her surgery, her divorce, and their dog's death...This was another hilarious ep of "The Big Bang Theory" with Christine Baranski's return as Leonard's mom a big treat here. Her delivery with the lines are just sublime here especially when she and Penny have a few drinks. Oh, and just try to keep a straight face when she discusses with Howard his "relationship" with Raj! So on that note, "The Maternal Congruence" was another excellent episode of "The Big Bang Theory".