The Middle Earth Paradigm (Season 1, Episode 6)
Speaking of Leonard and Pennyâs first kiss, The Big Bang Theory season 1, episode 6, âThe Middle Earth Paradigmâ provided this classic moment in the showâs history. This episode places highly thanks to Leonard and Pennyâs big scene, but it’s an otherwise standard season 1 outing with a lot of lazy jokes about Leonard, Sheldon, Howard, and Raj failing to fit in with Pennyâs friends at her Halloween party. Luckily, a few great gags elevate this episode, like Sheldon attending the party dressed as âThe Doppler Effectâ and struggling to see what’s so strange about his outfit.
The Good Guy Fluctuation (Season 5, Episode 7)
Easily the showâs worst Halloween episode, The Big Bang Theory season 5, episode 7, âThe Good Guy Fluctuation,â is particularly unpopular as this is the outing that saw Leonard cheat on Priya. While this Big Bang Theory Halloween episode was a betrayal of Leonardâs usually sweet character, that wasn’t the only issue with its plot. The show soon revealed that Priya had also cheated on Leonard, a twist that made their entire multi-episode romance seem pointless in retrospect. Like many of Leonardâs doomed romances, this storyline was played for laughs but ended up feeling surprisingly bleak despite this.
The Holographic Excitation (Season 6, Episode 5)
While The Big Bang Theory season 6, episode 5, âThe Holographic Excitation,â isnât the showâs best outing, it is the strongest Halloween episode in the series. Not only does âThe Holographic Excitationâ feature a rare Howard-centric storyline, the episode also explores what draws Penny to Leonard. The Big Bang Theoryâs Howard refusing to shut up about his recent space mission, along with him and Bernadette attending a Halloween party dressed as the Smurfs, is a classic bit. Meanwhile, Penny admitting that she finds Leonardâs scientific prowess hot explains a lot about their unlikely pairing.
The Imitation Perturbation (Season 12, Episode 6)
While The Big Bang Theory season 12, episode 6, âThe Imitation Perturbationâ is admittedly not an all-time great episode, this final season entry did feature some strong gags as Howard and Sheldon dressed as each other for Halloween. The simmering tension between Sheldon and Howard was always good for a few laughs as Howard usually took Sheldonâs constant mockery with good humor, but sometimes lashed out with hilarious pranks that drove his friend to unhinged breakdowns. The strength of The Big Bang Theoryâs cast proved pivotal to the appeal of âThe Imitation Perturbation,â as seeing four of the showâs stars imitate each other was enough to carry the episode on its own.