The Dumpling Paradox Season 1, Episode 7 -  Aired November 5, 2007

The Dumpling Paradox

Penny's promiscuous friend from Nebraska is in town and Wolowitz quickly seduces her, taking over Penny's apartment in the process. Penny takes refuge on Sheldon and Leonard's couch. With Wolowitz otherwise engaged, the guys enlist Penny as the fourth member of their Halo team.

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Guest Stars: Brooke D'Orsay as Christy, James Hong as Chen, Carol Ann Susi as Mrs. Wolowitz

Writers: Chuck Lorre (Story), Bill Prady (Story), Lee Aronsohn (Teleplay), Jennifer Glickman (Teleplay)

Director: Mark Cendrowski

Viewers: 9.37 million Households Rating: 5.8/8 Adults 18-49 Rating: 3.7/9

Available on iTunes

Episode Notes

  • The title references the guys' trouble splitting their usual order of four dumplings among the remaining trio.
  • This episode marks the first appearance (so to speak) of Mrs. Wolowitz.

> Weekly Calendar

Sheldon reveals that Wednesday nights are Halo night.

When Penny sleeps on their couch Friday night, Sheldon is annoyed when he wakes up early Saturday to watch Doctor Who on BBC America with a bowl of Shredded Wheat as Penny is in his way.

Episode Quotes

Leonard: Well, the only way we can play teams at this point is if we cut Raj in half.
Raj: Oh, sure, cut the foreigner in half. There's a billion more where he came from.

Penny: Wait. Wait, Sheldon come back, you forgot something.
Sheldon: What?
Penny: This plasma grenade. Ha! Look, it's raining you!

Leonard: Wow, Penny, you're on fire!
Penny: Yeah, so is Sheldon!

Penny: She'll have sex with anyone as long as they keep buying her things.
Howard: Really?
Penny: Yeah!
Howard: Yay! If you'll excuse me, I have some bar mitzvah bonds to cash.

Penny: Hey, guys! My friends and I got tired of dancing so we came over to have sex with you.
(The guys continue to play Halo).
Penny: Told ya.
(Penny and her friends leave).
Sheldon: Why did you hit pause?
Leonard: I thought I heard something.
Rajesh: What?
Leonard: No, never mind.

Recap

The guys are about to start Halo night when Penny arrives at the apartment and informs them her promiscuous friend Christy has come to visit her. After Howard leaves to hit on Christy, the Halo team is a player short and Penny volunteers. Sheldon is outraged when noob Penny beats him at Halo. Later that night, Penny asks if she can spend the night as Howard and Christy are having sex in her bedroom.

The next morning, Sheldon cannot cope when Penny sleeping on the couch interrupts his routine and prevents him from watching Doctor Who. Howard and Christy come and Penny tells Christy she should find another place to stay. Howard proposes that Christy stays with him, undaunted by the fact she's obviously just using him.

When the guys go out for Chinese food, Howard's absence proves tricky when the guys can't scale down their order for free. Later that night, the guy's Halo team is yet again a player short but this time Penny is also busy. Sheldon and the guys decide to "restore balance" by getting Howard back, so they go to his house. When they arrive at Howard's house, they hear Howard's mother and Christy arguing, at which point Howard flees and joins the guys for Halo night.

Later that evening, Penny enters the apartment with three girlfriends as the guys are playing Halo. The guys are so caught up in the game, they don't notice when Penny makes a facetious offer to have sex with them.