The Hofstadter Insufficiency Season 7, Episode 1 -  Aired September 26, 2013

The Hofstadter Insufficiency

With Leonard still away at sea, Sheldon and Penny bond by sharing some intimate secrets. Meanwhile, still recovering from his break-up from Lucy, Raj tries to get back on the dating scence. Elsewhere, Amy and Bernadette attend a biology convention together.

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Guest Stars: Regina King as Mrs. Davis, Sophie Oda as Grace, Aaron Takahashi as Scientist, Alex Ball as Waiter

Writers: Chuck Lorre (Story), Steven Molaro (Story), Tara Hernandez (Story), Eric Kaplan (Teleplay), Jim Reynolds (Teleplay), Steve Holland (Teleplay)

Director: Mark Cendrowski

Viewers: 18.99 million Households Rating: 11.9/20 Adults 18-49 Rating: 5.5/17

Available on iTunes

Episode Notes

  • The title simply refers to Leonard's absence from the group.

> Sheldon's Knock

When Sheldon has a nightmare while Leonard's away, he runs over to Penny's apartment and knocks on her door in the middle of the night, asking if he can sleep over.

> Sheldon's Beverage Protocols

When Sheldon tries to comfort Penny who was upset that she and Sheldon were missing Leonard while he had a blast on his expedition, Sheldon brings Penny a hot beverage.

"Sheldon: Here is a hot beverage to comfort you. It's in a to-go cup. Make of that what you will."

> Serial Ape-ist

When Sheldon and Penny exchange personal secrets as they bond while Leonard's away, Penny admits she once did a topless scene in a low-budget horror movie about a killer gorilla which was never released. Sheldon told her that he'd seen that film, Serial Ape-ist, when Howard found it online immediately after meeting Penny.

Episode Quotes

Amy: It would be nice to be with a man who wants to know what's underneath my cardigan. FYI, it's another cardigan.

Sheldon: As rock and roll bad boy Paul Simon once said, "I am a rock. I am an i.....sland".

Raj: Who died and made you the king of moments?

Sheldon: A while back, YouTube changed its user interface from a star-based rating system to a thumbs-up rating system. I tell people I'm okay with it, but I'm really not.

Amy: Your husband's weird and his clothes are ridiculous.

News Stories

Title Date Posted
UK premiere date set for Season 7 October 16, 2013

The seventh season of The Big Bang Theory will start airing in the United Kingdom later this month. E4 and E4 HD will be airing new episodes weekly from Thursday, October 31 at 8:30.  Full story

The Big Bang Theory hits new highs in Live+7 ratings October 14, 2013

The Big Bang Theory's record-breaking seventh season premiere has reached new highs in the Live +7-day ratings. The L+7 ratings include DVR viewership over the following week.  Full story

The Big Bang Theory rises higher with Live+3 ratings October 1, 2013

The Big Bang Theory's seventh season premiere ratings rose to even higher levels with the inclusion of Live 3-day DVR playback. These ratings add viewers who watched the show on DVR within 3 days of its broadcast to the ratings of the show's live broadcast.  Full story

The Big Bang Theory hits Canada ratings high September 29, 2013

The Big Bang Theory hit new ratings highs north of the border, too, with a record 4.61 million people watching the show across Canada.  Full story

Seventh Season Premiere Final Ratings September 27, 2013

The final ratings for last night's hour-long season premiere of The Big Bang Theory are in. Both of the night's episodes were adjusted upwards in the final ratings, with the night's second episode hitting a new series high in viewers.  Full story

Seventh Season Premiere Ratings September 27, 2013

Last night's hour-long season premiere of The Big Bang Theory dominated its time slot and the night as a whole, ranking as the night's most-watched and highest-rated broadcast. The seventh season opener posted strong gains over its half-hour sixth season premiere a year ago.  Full story

CBS Announces Seventh Season Premiere August 27, 2013

CBS has issued the press release for the special one hour season premiere of The Big Bang Theory. Regina King (Southland) reprises her role as Mrs. Davis.  Full story

Recap

After having a nightmare that Leonard, who is away at sea on an expedition, got consumed by a kracken, Sheldon runs across the hallway to Penny's. Although Sheldon pretends to be there in case Penny's missing Leonard, she realizes he had a bad dream and eventually lets him sleep in her apartment. The next day, in the university cafeteria, Raj tells Howard how he's finally moving on after Lucy dumped him, although he still sees her face everywhere - in oil stains and chicken pot pies. With Bernadette out of town with Amy at a conference, Howard invites Raj to a party at the university where he might meet somebody. Later, Amy and Bernadette phone their men to say good night. While Bernadette tells Howard she can't talk dirty as Amy's standing right there, Amy deals with Sheldon's fear that she will bring bed bugs back.

As Sheldon sets up a game of 3D chess for him and Penny, she asks him why he won't admit he's lonely with Leonard gone. Sheldon tells her she's overestimating Leonard's importance to his life. Meanwhile, at the university's welcome party, Raj's new found ability to talk to women doesn't stop his conversations with them from being awkward. When the university's human resources director, Ms. Davis, arrives, Raj again makes awkward chit chat by bringing up her recent divorce. Elsewhere, Amy and Bernadette head to the hotel bar, where two guys buy them drinks. The girls are excited that they're being hit on and, for once, it's not just guys trying to get to Penny.

When Sheldon and Penny take a break from 3D chess, they decide to call Leonard in the North Sea After it sounds like Leonard's having the time of his life on the ship, Penny wonders why she was missing him. Back at the hotel bar, Bernadette tells Amy nobody would blame here if she wanted to talk to one of their suitors, suggesting she could do better than Sheldon. Amy is angered that Bernadette was dismissive of her relationship with Sheldon. Back at the apartment, Penny is still angry that Leonard doesn't seem to be missing them at all. Her feelings are softened when Sheldon reveals that Leonard made him promise he'd take care of her during the expedition. Meanwhile, Raj apologizes to Ms. Davis for bringing up her break-up, and tries to bond with her by regaling her with the story of his own heartbreak.

Penny decides she and Sheldon should spend some time talking about their lives to each other. Penny reveals to him that she was did a topless scene in a low-budget horror movie about a killer gorilla, "Serial Apeist". Sheldon tells her he's already seen this as Howard found it online the very day they met Penny. After hearing Penny's embarrassing secret, Sheldon reveals something he's been keeping to himself: he only pretends to be comfortable with YouTube's thumbs-up rating system. Feeling Sheldon hasn't opened up, Penny decides she's had enough and goes to leave. Sheldon tells Penny she hurt his feelings by belittling his secret. Penny apologizes and offers Sheldon a rare hug.

After Bernadette and Amy return to their hotel room, they talk about which of their suitors they would have gone for. Amy says she liked the short guy with a goofy haircut, while Bernadette was interested in the tall, thin, intelligent one. When they realize the guys sound like Howard and Sheldon, the girls say good night. Back at the university mixer, after Raj says goodbye to Ms. Davis, assuring her he wasn't trying to hit on her, he tells Howard he had a moment with her.