The Big Bang Theory

The Best Episodes of The Big Bang Theory Season 1

Genre:Comedy
Network:CBS

Every episode of The Big Bang Theory Season 1 ranked from best to worst. Discover the Best Episodes of The Big Bang Theory Season 1!

Physicists Leonard and Sheldon find their nerd-centric social circle with pals Howard and Raj expanding when aspiring actress Penny moves in next door.
Episodes
17
Avg. Rating
8.1
S1
S2
S3
S4
E1
E2
E3
8.1
8.2
7.6

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  1. 8.5/10(5.2k votes)

    #1 - The Tangerine Factor

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    S1:E17

    Penny's break-up spurs Leonard to summon the courage to ask her out, and each goes to Sheldon for advice on their upcoming date.

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    Writer:N/A
  2. 8.3/10(5.6k votes)

    #2 - The Middle-Earth Paradigm

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    S1:E6

    Penny hosts a Halloween party, putting Leonard, Sheldon, Wolowitz, and Koothrappali through a new test of their social skills.

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    Writer:N/A
  3. 8.3/10(5.0k votes)

    #3 - The Peanut Reaction

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    S1:E16

    Penny wants to throw a surprise party for Leonard, but Sheldon's indulgence at an electronics store throws her off-track.

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    Writer:N/A
  4. 8.2/10(6.3k votes)

    #4 - The Big Bran Hypothesis

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    S1:E2

    Leonard volunteers to sign for a package in an attempt to make a good impression on Penny, but when he enlists Sheldon for help, his attempt at chivalry goes terribly awry.

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    Writer:N/A
  5. 8.2/10(5.3k votes)

    #5 - The Pancake Batter Anomaly

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    S1:E11

    With his friends knowing how sour he acts when sick—and avoiding him as a result—Sheldon is nursed by Penny, who hasn't a clue what she's in for.

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    Writer:N/A
  6. 8.2/10(5.2k votes)

    #6 - The Bat Jar Conjecture

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    S1:E13

    Sheldon finds himself booted from the gang's Physics Bowl team and replaced with Leslie, so he forms his own team, hoping to prove he's superior.

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    Writer:N/A
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  8. 8.2/10(5.3k votes)

    #7 - The Pork Chop Indeterminacy

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    S1:E15

    The rest of the gang fall for Sheldon's twin sister, and Leonard's plan to win her heart is derailed when Sheldon declares he'll be the one to decide who can date her.

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    Writer:N/A
  9. 8.1/10(7.9k votes)

    #8 - Pilot

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    S1:E1

    Brilliant physicist roommates Leonard and Sheldon meet their new neighbor Penny, who begins showing them that as much as they know about science, they know little about actual living.

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  10. 8.1/10(5.3k votes)

    #9 - The Dumpling Paradox

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    S1:E7

    With Wolowitz AWOL with one of her friends, Penny's recruited to fill in for him on the guys' Halo team

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    Writer:N/A
  11. 8.1/10(5.4k votes)

    #10 - The Grasshopper Experiment

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    S1:E8

    Raj's parents set him up on a blind date, but just when he discovers he can talk to her, she shows interest in Sheldon.

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    Director:Ted Wass
    Writer:N/A
  12. 8.0/10(5.7k votes)

    #11 - The Luminous Fish Effect

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    S1:E4

    Sheldon's getting fired forces him to explore what life has to offer outside physics, leaving Leonard to take drastic action to snap his friend out of his funk.

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    Writer:N/A
  13. 8.0/10(5.3k votes)

    #12 - The Loobenfeld Decay

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    S1:E10

    Leonard and Sheldon each lie to avoid seeing Penny's concert, but Sheldon's is a bit too complicated for his own good.

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    Writer:N/A
  14. 8.0/10(5.1k votes)

    #13 - The Nerdvana Annihilation

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    S1:E14

    When delivery of another collectible leads to Penny's lashing out at Leonard, he decides it's time to give up his habit, much to his friends' protestation.

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    Writer:N/A
  15. 7.9/10(5.2k votes)

    #14 - The Cooper-Hofstadter Polarization

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    S1:E9

    When they're invited to present at a physics conference, Sheldon's reluctance to share the credit leads to a tiff between him and Leonard, and Penny's intervention only exacerbates the situation.

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    Director:Joel Murray
    Writer:N/A
  16. 7.8/10(5.4k votes)

    #15 - The Hamburger Postulate

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    S1:E5

    Fearing he's wasting his time on Penny, Leonard ends up making a connection with Leslie.

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    Writer:N/A
  17. 7.8/10(5.0k votes)

    #16 - The Jerusalem Duality

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    S1:E12

    With Sheldon rattled over meeting Dennis, a 15-year-old physicist who's smarter than he, Leonard helps him look for a way to debunk Dennis's research.

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    Writer:N/A
  18. 7.6/10(5.7k votes)

    #17 - The Fuzzy Boots Corollary

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    S1:E3

    Leonard asks a woman out after he finds out that Penny is seeing someone.

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    Writer:N/A

Season 1 Ratings Summary

"The Tangerine Factor" is the best rated episode of "The Big Bang Theory" season 1. It scored 8.5/10 based on 5223 votes. Directed by Mark Cendrowski and written by N/A, it aired on 5/19/2008. This episode is rated 0.2 points higher than the second-best, "The Middle-Earth Paradigm".