This week on a very somber episode of The Big Bang Theory, tragedy strikes amid the opening of Stuart’s new comic book store. Thursday night’s episode of “The Big Bang Theory” was an emotional one for viewers. The CBS comedy addressed the November death of actress Carol Ann Susi, who died at 62 after a battle with cancer. In episode 15, her beloved character, Mrs. Wolowitz, passed away.
The opening scene showed Sheldon and his girlfriend Amy at work when a co-worker comes in and thanked Amy for helping him with a paper he wrote and published online. The couple then discussed why Amy would help Sheldon’s co-worker but not help him and Amy said Sheldon never thinks she can help him with his work.
In the next scene Howard was on the phone with his mother, who was on vacation in Florida. His mother asked him to check on her house because Stuart lives there and she wanted to make sure he was ok.
Then Sheldon and Penny discussed Amy helping Sheldon’s co-worker and how annoyed Sheldon was as a result. The co-worker she helped is Sheldon’s enemy at work, who is performing the same type of work and research Sheldon previously did. Penny told Sheldon to let go of his anger towards Amy and just talk to her about the problem.
As Stuart set up his comic book shop, Raj and Leonard stopped by to help. Then Howard came in and saw that Stuart was using furniture from Howard’s mother’s house in his new store. Howard then accused Stuart of mooching from his mother.
Penny and Sheldon talked more about how Sheldon should let go of his anger towards Amy and Penny told him how to let go. She told him to visualize his problems as an object and put the object down and walk away from it. Penny then thought back on Amy questioning her intelligence without her knowing it, because Sheldon told Penny that’s what Amy had been doing to her for a while now. Sheldon then told Penny to let go of the anger she felt over realizing Amy periodically tries to test Penny’s intelligence.
Penny then confronted Sheldon about being tested by Amy. Sheldon said Amy had been conducting an experiment where monkeys could figure out puzzles and Amy wanted to see if Penny could figure out the same puzzles the monkeys could.
Bernadette and Howard talked about how upset Howard was that Stuart was using his mom’s furniture in the new comic book shop. Howard told Bernadette he married her so she would support him in whatever he wanted.
Leonard and Raj went to pick up some food for everyone at the store. Raj spots “Firefly’s” Nathan Fillion and tries to figure out with Leonard how to approach him as he’s delicately taking cherry tomatoes off of his salad.
Penny confronted Amy on testing her intelligence as compared to the monkeys Amy has been studying. Amy was trying to get into Sheldon’s apartment, but kept arguing with Penny anyway. Penny said she wanted her dignity back.
Raj and Leonard approach Fillion who at first pretends he’s someone else, but admits he’s himself and offers to take a picture with the two. Then Raj asked him to say a famous line from “Firefly.” Naturally Raj is doubting it’s Fillion, but they still take a picture with him anyway.
Leonard and Penny talked about how Sheldon and Amy were testing Penny and that they had tested Leonard the same way. The tow then confronted Sheldon and Amy about it.
Howard expressed his anger to Bernadette about Stuart using his mom’s furniture. He then got a phone call that changed his entire life. After he got off the phone he told his friends that his aunt just called to tell him his mother had died in her sleep. Bernadette then comforted Howard and Sheldon told Howard that when Sheldon’s father died Sheldon didn’t have any friends but Howard does.
The gang discusses the death of Howard’s mother and Stuart said if she hadn’t taken him in he would have been homeless. Raj then told the gang that Howard was his first friend when he moved to America and Howard’s mother was there for him. Penny and Amy also shared their memories of her. Sheldon said he didn’t care for her yelling but he was sad she would never yell again. Then the gang made a toast to Howard’s mom.