Top 20 Hilarious The Big Bang Theory Running Gags
#20: My Mother Had Me Tested
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Sheldon is definitely an odd bird, and although he doesn’t want people to think he’s weird, most of them do. However, while some might also call him crazy, he has empirical evidence to the contrary. As he repeatedly assures us: We never find out much about these tests or what they were testing exactly. But not only does he consistently claim that his mother had him tested, Mrs. Cooper herself confirms this as well during one of her visits to Los Angeles. Maybe that specialist in Houston could have provided a little more insight.
#19: Leonard is Lactose Intolerant
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Being lactose intolerant isn’t fun, but thankfully Leonard isn’t intolerant to being mocked for it. Because if he was he would be in a constant state of flatulence that no amount of open windows would fix. Leonard’s short stature and his asthma are also brought up often, but it’s definitely his inability to digest dairy that is the most recurrent of the running gags related to his character. Sometimes Leonard brings it up, in too much detail, like on his first date with Penny. Frequently it’s the rest of the group that mentions Leonard’s dairy-induced big bangs though.
#18: “Soft Kitty”
Cats in general were a running theme throughout the series, from hypoallergenic calicoes to zazzy felines. But there is no cat-centric gag more prevalent and important than the Soft Kitty song. We first learn about the song in season one when Sheldon gets sick and the guys escape to a “Planet of the Apes” marathon, leaving Penny to care for him. While that’s the first time we hear the song it’s definitely not the last. This gag keeps on running through season after season and even develops its own specific rules. Such as the fact that the song is only for when someone is sick and if you mess up you have to start again from the beginning.
#17: Sheldon Is a Robot
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Okay, so we know that Sheldon isn’t actually a robot. Or at least we’re pretty sure he isn’t. And based on some questioning by Howard and Raj in season one, even they aren’t 100% convinced. What we all do know is that, while Sheldon may not be a robot just yet, he definitely wants to be one and is disappointed when he calculates that he won’t live long enough to make that happen. However, it does lead him to create a pretty cool Mobile Virtual Presence Device in an attempt to avoid the dangers of the outside world, as well as adding brussels sprouts to his diet. The latter of which causes him, and not Leonard, to be the flatulent roommate for once.
#16: Forgetting Stuart
When the series began, Stuart Bloom (yes, that’s his last name) was a confident, talented artist and proprietor of a comic book store. By season three, however, he has begun his regression into sad, depressed, loner Stuart. The poor guy gets stood up by stray cats and is happy to play dead just to be a part of a group activity. Although he becomes a series regular and a part of the gang, it’s a running joke that he is often forgotten about when activities are planned. Or, even when there’s some big news like Bernadette being pregnant.
#15: Sheldon and Sarcasm
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Sheldon can add up the change under a couch cushion just by sitting down but he usually can’t recognize sarcasm when it’s staring him right in the face. This hole in his emotional IQ is something the writers have a lot of fun with throughout the series. Initially the humor is just in him having sarcastic comments go right over his head. But eventually Sheldon tries to improve, and starts to keep track of his stats when it comes to picking up on sarcasm. And it goes really well. For all the Sheldon’s out there…Yes, that was sarcasm.
#14: Howard Doesn't Have a PhD
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As much as Leonard’s lactose intolerance and Sheldon’s not being “crazy” are mentioned throughout the series, there might be no single character point that gets brought up more than Howard’s lack of a PhD. Howard likes to tell people that engineers usually don’t get one, but that doesn’t stop the jokes from coming. For the most part, it was Sheldon commenting on Howard’s PhD-less level of education, but the other members of the group also got their jabs in during the show’s 12-year run. Even his loving wife chimed in on the matter.
#13: The WiFi Password
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Maybe the most impressive thing we noticed in the show is the strength of the WiFi in Sheldon and Leonard’s apartment. Many of us have probably experienced weak WiFi in different rooms of our house, and yet on the fourth floor at 2311 North Los Robles Avenue, the WiFi in the guy’s apartment is strong enough that Penny can use it in her unit across the hall. It might seem a tad unrealistic, but we’re okay with it because it leads to some very funny moments whenever Sheldon changes the WiFi password. Leonard can usually be counted on to give the new password though, and the formatting, at least, is always the same.
#12: Bernadette Sounds Like Howard's Mom
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We got a little glimpse of this one early on in their relationship when Bernadette and Raj were bonding over teasing Howard. They poked fun at some of his favorite jokes and both did their impression of his mother. However, the next time we hear her do the voice, it isn’t in jest and it’s the beginning of this funny running gag. An added dimension to this is the fact that Howard doesn’t initially pick up on the fact that she sounds just like his mother. It isn’t until she yells at Sheldon and Leonard one night during dinner that it finally clicks.
#11: Howard & Raj Are a Couple
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The running gag that Raj and Howard are a couple is hard to miss. Even Leonard’s mother sees it the first time she meets them in season two. Whatever the reason for it, this relationship is played up throughout the series after that. The two best friends often argue like a married couple and have gone as far as seeking professional help. They even kissed two times, once “virtually,” and they’ve felt each other up. We aren’t sure what base that would be for Bernadette, but it sure sounds like “first base” to us.
#10: Restraining Orders
One might not think of restraining orders as great comedic fodder but on “The Big Bang Theory” not only are they played for laughs but they are played on repeat throughout the series. We know Sheldon is harmless and definitely wouldn’t hurt anyone, especially his idols, but he can also be a little...let's call it persistent. It is this quality that led to a number of restraining orders filed against him. The ones from Leonard Nimoy and Carl Sagan are just mentioned on a few occasions, but we are witness to the ones filed by Bill Nye ‘The Science Guy,’ and Stan Lee.
#9: Amy Crushing on Penny
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The growth of Amy Farrah-Fowler was one of the biggest character transformations on the show. When we first met her she was a robotic, female version of Sheldon who only dated once a year to get her mother off her case, and disliked physical contact from anyone, even Penny. Cut to a few years later and she’s getting drunk in Vegas, writing sexy “Little House on the Prairie” fanfiction about Sheldon and totally girl-crushing on Penny. And Penny’s reactions, from awkward to flattered, take these running gags across the funny finish line.
#8: Penny Loves Wine
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After 12 seasons of “The Big Bang Theory '' we still didn’t know Penny’s last name, but we did know that she loves alcohol, particularly wine. She might not have a clean glass to drink it out of, but that won’t stop her from getting her buzz on. And Penny’s love for the grape juice that burns is often commented on and joked about throughout the series. It also serves as the catalyst for a few of the biggest moments on the show. Including her first ever kiss with Leonard and that ill-advised hook-up with Raj “Quick Draw” Koothrappali.
#7: Food Questions
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Sheldon is a man of routines and habits, and when he finds something he likes he sticks to it. And that includes his food, as anyone who brings him his meal is sure to discover via a barrage of questions regarding its contents and preparation. While there are a few people who get the full questioning treatment, most of the time it’s Leonard on the receiving end. Leonard does get to turn the tables on his roommate one time though, and inundate him with questions. It’s a very happy moment for Lenny.
#6: “BAZINGA!”
No running gag or quote from the show has been entrenched into our pop culture lexicon more than “Bazinga!” If you don’t own a red t-shirt emblazoned with the word, know someone who does, or have seen someone wearing one then we assume you haven’t left your house in the last decade. The word was first uttered on the show in the season two finale and was last heard in season eight when Sheldon announced his Sheldon@bazinga.biz email address. In the intervening six seasons “Bazinga” was uttered many a time, but maybe the most memorable was the classic ball pit scene in which Sheldon, while evading Leonard, continuously pops up out of the balls and proclaims his signature catchphrase.
#5: Mrs Wolowitz
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From “Cheers” to “Home Improvement,” there is a history of television shows featuring a character whose face is never completely revealed to the audience. And “The Big Bang Theory” carried on that tradition with Howard’s mother Mrs. Wolowitz. Not only is her face never revealed, besides one brief moment passing by an open kitchen door, but she is never even seen on screen. Although, she is most definitely heard. Her loud, wall-penetrating screams are an integral part of the show and a running gag that continued until the sad day she passed away.
#4: The Roommate Agreement
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While a great laugh-filled running gag for fans of the show, the roommate agreement was anything but funny for Leonard. And in fact, was the cause of much of the anguish he had to endure for all those many years that he and Sheldon lived together. Now, some provisions probably didn’t cause Leonard much stress, like clauses for Zombie apocalypses and correct flag usage. However, there were many items in said agreement that did annoy and enrage Leonard and even led to him retaining a lawyer one time - albeit one that he was sleeping with. Schooled!
#3: Sheldon's Spot
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It’s the singular location in space around which Sheldon’s entire universe revolves, and it is the running gag that began on the very first episode. It is of course Sheldon’s spot, and if you know nothing else about it you know not to sit in it. And if you don’t know that, you find out pretty quickly as Penny did in the pilot episode. Sheldon’s spot is an ever present running gag that even extends beyond the apartment and to his parking spot at the university (the fact that he doesn’t have a car is irrelevant). It also leads to one of the most heartfelt gestures of the entire show when he gives his spot to Howard, even if it only lasts 94 seconds.
#2: Broken Elevator
On the surface there may not be anything inherently humorous about a broken elevator, but the fact that it’s broken does lead to some funny situations, often involving heavy items being carried up the stairs. This includes new furniture for Penny and a time machine for Leonard. The broken elevator with the crime scene tape across it is a silent, yet ever present, character on the series. One that becomes so ingrained in the fabric of the show that when the elevator is finally fixed in the penultimate episode, it leads to one of the biggest audience reactions of the entire series.
#1: 3 Knocks
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This is definitely one of the best jokes on the show, but it also is the one that almost never happened. If we go all the way back to the second episode of the series, the first time we ever see Sheldon knock on a door, he only knocks once! This one-knock anomaly aside, for the next 12 years his multi-knock obsession is a constant running gag. Like the broken elevator, Sheldon’s knocks become so important to the show that in season 10 he even confides in Penny the reason he does it and another burning fan question is answered. Now if only they would have told us Penny’s last name!
