The Spaghetti Catalyst (3 May 2010)

With Leonard and Penny now broken up, Sheldon is forced to go behind Leonard's back to spend time with her.

Director:

Anthony Joseph Rich

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

Storyline

One of the consequences of Penny and Leonard breaking up is that Sheldon now has mixed allegiances. Leonard is his best friend and roommate, but he wants to remain friends with Penny if only because of all the work he's put into including her into his life. Sheldon goes to extreme lengths not to tell Leonard - or Howard or Raj for that matter - that he is having dinner with Penny. Will it be worth all the grief that he has to go through to keep this secret? Meanwhile, Leonard and Penny have to learn how to deal with the fact that they will still be seeing each other, and decide what form their new relationship will take.

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Plot Keywords:

motor scooter | food in title | expression taken literally | hot dog | rottweiler | 

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Genres:

Comedy

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Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

3 May 2010 (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:

20 min

Sound Mix:

Stereo

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.78 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

The title refers to the dinner of spaghetti (with little pieces of hot dog) that Penny shares with Sheldon.

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Goofs

Howard tells Sheldon that Leonard was trying to invent the memory wiper from "Men in Black". Sheldon replies that he would like to use one to erase the memory of Ben Affleck as "Daredevil", however to erase a specific memory computer system such as the one in "Eternal Sunshine of a Spotless Mind" would be needed.

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Quotes

[first lines]
Penny: [checking her mail] Oh, damn. They canceled my Visa.
[flips to the next envelope]
Penny: Oh, yay! A new MasterCard!

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Crazy Credits

CHUCK LORRE PRODUCTIONS, #285 The Sitcom Writers' Prayer Lord, if it be thy will, give unto us a story that has lots of comic potential while simultaneously exploring and defining our characters and their relationships (preferably something that hasn't been done on Dick Van Dyke or Friends). If, in thine infinite wisdom, the story you provideth is over-the-top, please help us convince ourselves that we are creating a classic farce so we can look our actors in the eye and explain, with face straight, that jumping the shark is how we demonstrate our love for you. Also make us into a channel through which true and honestly funny dialogue flows to our principal, supporting and guest characters. If, on the day of judgement, thy heavenly words elicit silence from the studio audience, relieve us of our suffering, O' Divine Master, by giving us the strength to tell our friends and family that we are doing a "dramedy." Finally Lord, we call on your infinite mercy, praying that you forgiveth our many network sins, most notably Lenny and Squiggy-style smash cut jokes, and that after we are brought low by the Nielsonites, you lift us up and lead us into the valley of high-concept, vaguely sentimental feature films like thou didst with thine exalted emissary, Judd of Apatow. Amen. Oh, couple more things: May our directors someday figure out a way to start a restaurant scene that does not require a waiter to walk across the room, and may all those internet residuals we fought for during the last strike start rolling in. Amen redux.

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Connections

References Friends (1994)

User Reviews

"The Spaghetti Catalyst" is both a funny and touching episode of "The Big Bang Theory"

In this last season episode of "The Big Bang Theory": Now that Leonard and Penny have broken up, Sheldon is tip-toeing around Penny at the mailboxes. Their awkward conversation leads her to invite him to dinner which Sheldon accepts. When he gets to his apartment though, the others asks him whether he's on Team Leonard or Penny implying he should be on the former but Sheldon goes back and forth covering various tracks along the way. Eventually, a truce is reached...This was one of the more poignantly touching eps of "TBBT" concerning the characterization of Sheldon Cooper and his divided loyalties to his roommate and the latter's former girlfriend while still compellingly exploring the funny of this most fascinating character. Quite a good dramady this episode was so on that note, "The Spaghetti Catalyst" is quite recommended.