The Maternal Congruence Season 3, Episode 11 -  Aired December 14, 2009

The Maternal Congruence

Leonard's mother, Dr. Beverly Hofstadter, is in town over the Christmas holiday. His mother's visit is distressing for Leonard, especially after she finds out about his relationship with Penny. Sheldon, however, is pleased to spend time with Dr. Hofstadter, whose analytical mind he finds enthralling.

Rate this episode

Guest Stars: Christine Baranski as Beverly Hofstadter

Writers: Lee Aronsohn (Story), Steven Molaro (Story), Richard Rosenstock (Story), Maria Ferrari (Story), Chuck Lorre (Teleplay), Bill Prady (Teleplay), Dave Goetsch (Teleplay)

Director: Mark Cendrowski

Viewers: 15.56 million Households Rating: 9.3/14 Adults 18-49 Rating: 5.6/14

Available on iTunes

Episode Lists

  • Christmas Episodes Christmas Episodes

    Celebrate Christmas with Sheldon, Leonard, Penny, Howard, Raj, Amy and Bernadette in these classic Christmas episodes of The Big Bang Theory.

Episode Notes

  • The title refers to the visit Leonard's mother's visit. The congruence could refer to Beverly getting closer to Penny or, indeed, getting a bit too close to Sheldon.

> Sheldon's Knock

Sheldon uses his knock when he goes to check on Leonard in his bedroom. 

Episode Quotes

Sheldon: I made tea.
Leonard: I don't want tea.
Sheldon: I didn't make tea for you. This is my tea.
Leonard: Then why are you telling me?
Sheldon: It's a conversation starter.
Leonard: That's a lousy conversation starter.
Sheldon: Oh, is it? We're conversing. Checkmate.

Leonard: When we watch Frosty the Snowman, he roots for the sun.
Sheldon: Excuse me, but the sun is essential for all life on earth. Frosty is merely a bit of frozen, supernatural ephemera in a stolen hat. A crime, by the way, for which he is never brought to account.

Penny: Sheldon, did you have a Christmas tree?
Sheldon: Oh, yes. We had a tree, we had a manger, we had an inflatable Santa Claus with plastic reindeer on the front lawn. And to make things even more jolly, there were so many blinking lights on the house they induced neighborhood-wide seizures.

Penny: I always tear up when the Grinch's heart grows three sizes.
Sheldon: Tears seem appropriate. Enlargement of the heart muscle, or hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, is a serious disease which can lead to congestive heart failure.

Beverly Hofstadter: So, Howard, have you and Rajesh finally summoned the courage to express your latent homosexual feelings towards one another?

Recap

While Penny and Leonard decorate the Christmas tree, Sheldon mentions that Leonard's mother will be arriving soon. Penny is surprised that Leonard hadn't informed her of their visit - or told his mother that they're dating. When Leonard and Sheldon pick Beverly up from the airport, Leonard finds out that Sheldon and his mother have been communicating and Sheldon now knows more about what's been happening in her life than he does.

As the guys, Penny and Dr. Hofstadter eat dinner, Leonard learns that his mother had surgery, his dog is dead and that his parents are getting divorced - none of which revelations to Sheldon. Beverly also takes the opportunity to ask Howard and Raj about their "ersatz homosexual relationship", to which Howard tells her about his girlfriend Bernadette. When Beverly doesn't believe Howard has a girlfriend, Leonard refuses to back him up.

Penny and Beverly go to the Cheesecake Factory and get terribly drunk. Penny reveals to Beverly that she and Leonard are in a relationship, though Beverly's more interested in the busboy. When they get back to the apartment, Beverly scolds Leonard for not telling her about his relationship with Penny. Leonard admonishes her for not telling him about her surgery, Mitzi's death or her divorce, and admits that he wants a closer mother/son relationship. Beverly hugs Leonard. After Leonard has left the room, Beverly kisses Sheldon, though she concedes she would have preferred the busboy.

The next day, Penny and Beverly are hung-over as Leonard and Sheldon take his mother to the airport. Beverly asks for forgivness for her indiscretions the previous night, though they all agree not to tell Leonard what happened.