The Imitation Perturbation

Episode aired Oct 25, 2018
TV-PG
19m

IMDb RATING

8.2/10

3.1K

YOUR RATING

Jim Parsons in The Big Bang Theory (2007)

Comedy Romance

When Wolowitz dresses up as Sheldon for Halloween, Sheldon seeks retaliation at Leonard and Penny's Halloween party. Also, Leonard is shocked that Penny doesn't remember their first kiss.When Wolowitz dresses up as Sheldon for Halloween, Sheldon seeks retaliation at Leonard and Penny's Halloween party. Also, Leonard is shocked that Penny doesn't remember their first kiss.When Wolowitz dresses up as Sheldon for Halloween, Sheldon seeks retaliation at Leonard and Penny's Halloween party. Also, Leonard is shocked that Penny doesn't remember their first kiss.

See production info at IMDbPro

IMDb RATING

8.2/10

3.1K

YOUR RATING

See production info at IMDbPro

Trivia
Leonard mentions that the original Michael Myers mask used in John Carpenter's Halloween (1978) was a Captain Kirk mask turned inside-out. This isn't entirely correct. It wasn't turned inside-out, it was painted white, the hair was dyed brown, and the eyebrows were removed.

Quotes
Howard Wolowitz: [Howard joins Sheldon walking down the corridor] Hello.
Sheldon Cooper: Hello.
Howard Wolowitz: I see you are dressed as Doc Brown from Back to the Future. May I assume that Amy is going as his wife, Clara Clayton, from Back to the Future Part III?
Sheldon Cooper: She is.
Sheldon Cooper: [Sheldon stares at Howard] Did you do something different to your hair?
Howard Wolowitz: Yes.
Sheldon Cooper: Looking good.
[and walked off without realising Howard is dressing up as him]

Crazy credits
CHUCK LORRE PRODUCTIONS, #598

MY PRAYER

God, (I call you that even though I suspect thou art well beyond names and words and might actually be some sort of ineffable quantum situation), I humbly beseech thee to make thy presence known on November 6th. Demonstrate your omnipotence through us as we make ink marks on little circles in curtained booths. Of course if you, in your divine wisdom, believe a fascist, hate-filled, fear-mongering, demagogic, truth-shattering, autocratic golf cheater is what we need right now, then, you know, thy will be done. But if thou art inclined to more freedom, more love, more compassion, and just more of the good stuff thou hath been promoting in our hearts or our parietal lobes - either one, doesn't really matter - I submissively ask that thy encourage voter turnout in that general direction. Also God, please help Bob Mueller. Guide him and make him strong, brave, wise and true. And yes, I know there must be thousands of guys named Bob Mueller, so why not help them all, just to be on the safe side. Amen. Oh, almost forgot, remind those who collaborate with the darkness that thou art the light, and the light is not above whipping out a little Old Testament wrath. Amen again.

Connections
References Mary Poppins (1964)

Soundtracks
History of Everything
(uncredited)
Written by Barenaked Ladies
Performed by Barenaked Ladies
[Series theme song played during the opening titles]

User reviews16

Review

Featured review

8/10

Amy just killed as Bernadette

I always thought that Mayim Bialik's talents were never truly used in her run on TBBT. She often showed how she could have been able to do much more with a character saddled with the "plain & boring" stereotype. Here we saw an example of peak Mayim.

So, Howard dresses as Sheldon for Halloween. In retailation, Sheldon and Amy dress as Howard and Bernadette. Of all the imitations, Amy as Bernadette is a whole level over the rest. The way she nails the character is scary - helium-boosted voice included. It is also clear that Mayim is having the fun of her life (Simon Helberg as Sheldon too, but, IMHO, his was more a parody; Mayim just became Bernadette).

What I didn't like in this episode is how deadly serious were the reactions by everyone. It was a callback to one of the earliest episodes, when Penny explains in strong words to Howard what a failure of a man he is. TBBT is not about this. Characters already get angry, make gaffes, end up humiliated (big time), only to recover and forge on. That should be enough. Here we are assisting to something that could lead to a real break up in friendships. I don't watch this show for this.

Yet, this leads to the conversation between Sheldon and Bernadette, the first really intimate one between them. When Bernadette says that Sheldon can't know what means to be the smallest person in the room Sheldon, quite correctly, points out how he knows, because he went to high-school when he still was a kid. The whole scene is a nice one and the saving grace of the episode.

(BTW, if Howard dresses as Sheldon, he and Bernadette have no right to complain if Sheldon and Amy do the same thing to them; just my 2 cents).