The Big Bang Theory: Season 3

2009 · 23 episodes · ★ 7.7

What Season 3 of The Big Bang Theory

Upon returning from his Arctic expedition, Sheldon discovers that Leonard, Raj, and Howard falsified the research results. Disgraced, he decides to return to Texas. The season revolves around the on-and-off relationship between Leonard and Penny, which disrupts the group's routine and forces Sheldon to adapt to change. Penny spends more and more time in the guys' apartment, while Howard starts dating Bernadette. Sheldon tries to correct certain habits of the young woman with chocolate, Raj loses his job, and Leonard works hard to fit in with Penny's friends. Every character struggles to relate to others.

23episodes

Sep 21, 2009premiered

May 24, 2010latest episode

7.8 hrtotal runtime

Season 3 Episodes

3x01 The Electric Can Opener Fluctuation
Sep 21, 2009 · 22 min · ★ 7.9
When Sheldon learns the guys tampered with his expedition data he got from the arctic, he leaves to Texas in disgrace. This results in the guys following him, which threatens Leonard's hope for some romantic time with Penny and the guys' friendship with Sheldon.
Directing: Mark Cendrowski · Writing: Steven Molaro · Starring: Laurie Metcalf, John Ross Bowie
3x02 The Jiminy Conjecture
Sep 28, 2009 · 21 min · ★ 7.4
Leonard and Penny struggle to recover from an awkward first hookup while Sheldon and Howard stake their best comic books on a bet to determine the species of a cricket.
Directing: Mark Cendrowski · Writing: Jim Reynolds · Starring: Lewis Black
3x03 The Gothowitz Deviation
Oct 5, 2009 · 20 min · ★ 7.5
Howard and Raj visit a Goth nightclub to pick up women while Sheldon attempts to build a better Penny using chocolate-based behavior modification.
Directing: Mark Cendrowski · Writing: Bill Prady, Maria Ferrari · Starring: Molly Morgan, Sarah Buehler, Andy Mackenzie
3x04 The Pirate Solution
Oct 12, 2009 · 21 min · ★ 7.5
Raj must find a new job or be sent back to India, but Sheldon has a solution, which leaves Leonard and Penny dealing with Howard as a third wheel.
Directing: Mark Cendrowski · Writing: Steve Holland · Starring: Elizabeth Bogush, Oliver Muirhead
3x05 The Creepy Candy Coating Corollary
Oct 19, 2009 · 21 min · ★ 7.7
After overhearing that Wil Wheaton is entering a trading-card competition, Sheldon decides to enter it himself. Meanwhile, Penny sets up one of her friends on a date with Wolowitz.
Directing: Mark Cendrowski · Writing: Steven Molaro, Lee Aronsohn · Starring: Melissa Rauch, Kevin Sussman, Wil Wheaton
3x06 The Cornhusker Vortex
Nov 2, 2009 · 20 min · ★ 7.1
Sheldon becomes Leonard's teacher in order to understand football, while an incident with flying a kite threatens Howard and Raj's friendship.
Directing: Mark Cendrowski · Writing: David Goetsch, Richard A. Rosenstock · Starring: Zachary Abel, Jason Mesches
3x07 The Guitarist Amplification
Nov 9, 2009 · 19 min · ★ 7.3
A squabble between Leonard and Penny sees Sheldon playing mediator, though out of his own incovenience from the sitiation rather than altruism.
Directing: Mark Cendrowski · Writing: Bill Prady, Jim Reynolds, Richard A. Rosenstock · Starring: Kevin Sussman, Alice Amter, Brian George, Carol Ann Susi
3x08 The Adhesive Duck Deficiency
Nov 16, 2009 · 21 min · ★ 8.3
With Leonard, Howard and Raj away camping in the desert, an injured Penny has only Sheldon to rely on.
Directing: Mark Cendrowski · Writing: Steven Molaro, Maria Ferrari, Eric Kaplan
3x09 The Vengeance Formulation
Nov 23, 2009 · 19 min · ★ 7.8
After he's humiliated on National Public Radio, Sheldon vows to destroy Kripke, while Wolowitz tries not to destroy his new relationship with Bernadette.
Directing: Mark Cendrowski · Writing: Jim Reynolds, Steve Holland, Richard A. Rosenstock · Starring: Melissa Rauch, John Ross Bowie, Carol Ann Susi, Ira Flatow
3x10 The Gorilla Experiment
Dec 7, 2009 · 21 min · ★ 7.9
Penny gets help from Sheldon in order to understand what Leonard's work is, while Wolowitz develops a jealousy when Leonard starts hanging out with his new girlfriend.
Directing: Mark Cendrowski · Writing: Steven Molaro, Bill Prady, Maria Ferrari · Starring: Melissa Rauch, Carol Ann Susi
3x11 The Maternal Congruence Mid-Season Finale
Dec 14, 2009 · 20 min · ★ 7.6
A Christmas visit from his mother has Leonard discovering she's kept a lot of news from him that she shares with Sheldon and worrying if she'll approve of his romance with Penny.
Directing: Mark Cendrowski · Writing: Bill Prady, David Goetsch, Chuck Lorre · Starring: Christine Baranski
3x12 The Psychic Vortex
Jan 11, 2010 · 19 min · ★ 7.9
Leonard is aghast to find out a secret of Penny's: she believes in psychics. Meanwhile, Sheldon tries to assist Koothrappali in picking up a girl at a university mixer.
Directing: Mark Cendrowski · Writing: Jim Reynolds, Chuck Lorre, Eric Kaplan · Starring: Melissa Rauch, Danica McKellar, David Trice, Jen Drohan
3x13 The Bozeman Reaction
Jan 18, 2010 · 20 min · ★ 7.7
When their apartment is robbed, Leonard and Sheldon turn to their friends to create a state-of-the-art security system.
Directing: Mark Cendrowski · Writing: Steven Molaro, Steve Holland, Chuck Lorre · Starring: Julio Oscar Mechoso, Artie O'Daly
3x14 The Einstein Approximation
Feb 1, 2010 · 19 min · ★ 8.0
Sheldon's search for the answer to a physics problem leads him to work at the Cheesecake Factory with Penny.
Directing: Mark Cendrowski · Writing: Steven Molaro, Chuck Lorre, Eric Kaplan · Starring: Melissa Rauch, Yeardley Smith, Kevin Brief
3x15 The Large Hadron Collision
Feb 8, 2010 · 21 min · ★ 7.7
Leonard can only bring one guest on a trip to see CERN's Large Hadron Collider (the world's largest and highest energy particle accelerator) in Switzerland on Valentine's Day.
Directing: Mark Cendrowski · Writing: Maria Ferrari, Richard A. Rosenstock, Lee Aronsohn
3x16 The Excelsior Acquisition
Mar 1, 2010 · 21 min · ★ 7.8
Sheldon winds up in traffic court when he gets a ticket because of Penny.
Directing: Peter Chakos · Writing: Bill Prady, Steve Holland, Maria Ferrari · Starring: Kevin Sussman, Marcus Folmar, Stan Lee, Steve Paymer
3x17 The Precious Fragmentation
Mar 8, 2010 · 20 min · ★ 7.9
When the guys find a ring from "The Lord of the Rings" at a garage sale, it threatens to tear them apart.
Directing: Mark Cendrowski · Writing: Steven Molaro, Bill Prady, Richard A. Rosenstock · Starring: Frank Maharajh
3x18 The Pants Alternative
Mar 22, 2010 · 21 min · ★ 7.9
Sheldon's friends come to his aid when his fear of public speaking stands between him and a coveted award.
Directing: Mark Cendrowski · Writing: Jim Reynolds, Eric Kaplan, Richard A. Rosenstock
3x19 The Wheaton Recurrence
Apr 12, 2010 · 21 min · ★ 7.4
A fight between Leonard and Penny threatens their relationship, while Sheldon battles Wil Wheaton in bowling.
Directing: Mark Cendrowski · Writing: Bill Prady, Jim Reynolds, David Goetsch · Starring: Kevin Sussman, Wil Wheaton
3x20 The Spaghetti Catalyst
May 3, 2010 · 20 min · ★ 7.8
When Leonard and Penny aren't speaking, Sheldon goes to extremes to keep them both happy.
Directing: Anthony Rich · Writing: Lee Aronsohn, Chuck Lorre, Bill Prady
3x21 The Plimpton Stimulation
May 10, 2010 · 21 min · ★ 7.4
Leonard and Sheldon compete for the attention of a famous female physicist.
Directing: Mark Cendrowski · Writing: Steven Molaro, Jim Reynolds, Maria Ferrari · Starring: Judy Greer
3x22 The Staircase Implementation
May 17, 2010 · 20 min · ★ 8.4
Leonard tells Penny about how he met Sheldon for the first time...and what happened to the elevator.
Directing: Mark Cendrowski · Writing: David Goetsch, Chuck Lorre, Maria Ferrari · Starring: Carol Ann Susi, Ed Lieberman, Ally Maki, Steven Yeun
3x23 The Lunar Excitation Season Finale
May 24, 2010 · 20 min · ★ 7.8
While Penny worries that dating Leonard has ruined her for normal guys, Wolowitz and Koothrappali search for Sheldon's perfect match online.
Directing: Peter Chakos · Writing: Steven Molaro, Steve Holland, Lee Aronsohn · Starring: Mayim Bialik, Sara Gilbert, Lauri Johnson, Brian Thomas Smith