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The Best Episodes of The Big Bang Theory Season 3

Every episode of The Big Bang Theory Season 3 ranked from best to worst. Discover the Best Episodes of The Big Bang Theory Season 3!

The Best Episodes of The Big Bang Theory Season 3

Physicists Leonard and Sheldon find their nerd-centric social circle with pals Howard and Raj expanding when aspiring actress Penny moves in next door.
  1. Background image for The Electric Can Opener Fluctuation
    8.3/10(4.8k votes)

    #1 - The Electric Can Opener Fluctuation

    S3:E1

    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.

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  2. Background image for The Jiminy Conjecture
    7.7/10(4.4k votes)

    #2 - The Jiminy Conjecture

    S3:E2

    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.

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  3. Background image for The Gothowitz Deviation
    8.1/10(4.5k votes)

    #3 - The Gothowitz Deviation

    S3:E3

    Howard and Raj visit a Goth nightclub to pick up women while Sheldon attempts to build a better Penny using chocolate-based behavior modification.

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    Writer:Unknown
  4. Background image for The Pirate Solution
    8.0/10(4.4k votes)

    #4 - The Pirate Solution

    S3:E4

    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.

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  5. Background image for The Creepy Candy Coating Corollary
    8.3/10(4.5k votes)

    #5 - The Creepy Candy Coating Corollary

    S3:E5

    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.

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    Writer:Unknown
  6. Background image for The Cornhusker Vortex
    7.4/10(4.3k votes)

    #6 - The Cornhusker Vortex

    S3:E6

    Sheldon becomes Leonard's teacher in order to understand football, while an incident with flying a kite threatens Howard and Raj's friendship.

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    Writer:Unknown
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  8. Background image for The Guitarist Amplification
    7.7/10(4.3k votes)

    #7 - The Guitarist Amplification

    S3:E7

    A squabble between Leonard and Penny sees Sheldon playing mediator, though out of his own incovenience from the sitiation rather than altruism.

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    Writer:Unknown
  9. Background image for The Adhesive Duck Deficiency
    8.9/10(6.1k votes)

    #8 - The Adhesive Duck Deficiency

    S3:E8

    With Leonard, Howard and Raj away camping in the desert, an injured Penny has only Sheldon to rely on.

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    Writer:Unknown
  10. Background image for The Vengeance Formulation
    8.3/10(4.5k votes)

    #9 - The Vengeance Formulation

    S3:E9

    After he's humiliated on National Public Radio, Sheldon vows to destroy Kripke, while Wolowitz tries not to destroy his new relationship with Bernadette.

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    Writer:Unknown
  11. Background image for The Gorilla Experiment
    8.4/10(4.6k votes)

    #10 - The Gorilla Experiment

    S3:E10

    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.

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    Writer:Unknown
  12. Background image for The Maternal Congruence
    8.2/10(4.5k votes)

    #11 - The Maternal Congruence

    S3:E11

    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.

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    Writer:Unknown
  13. Background image for The Psychic Vortex
    8.2/10(4.4k votes)

    #12 - The Psychic Vortex

    S3:E12

    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.

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    Writer:Unknown
  14. Background image for The Bozeman Reaction
    8.0/10(4.3k votes)

    #13 - The Bozeman Reaction

    S3:E13

    When their apartment is robbed, Leonard and Sheldon turn to their friends to create a state-of-the-art security system.

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    Writer:Unknown
  15. Background image for The Einstein Approximation
    8.4/10(4.7k votes)

    #14 - The Einstein Approximation

    S3:E14

    Sheldon's search for the answer to a physics problem leads him to work at the Cheesecake Factory with Penny.

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    Writer:Unknown
  16. Background image for The Large Hadron Collision
    8.0/10(4.2k votes)

    #15 - The Large Hadron Collision

    S3:E15

    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.

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    Writer:Unknown
  17. Background image for The Excelsior Acquisition
    8.2/10(4.3k votes)

    #16 - The Excelsior Acquisition

    S3:E16

    Sheldon winds up in traffic court when he gets a ticket because of Penny.

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    Director:Peter Chakos
    Writer:Unknown
  18. Background image for The Precious Fragmentation
    8.4/10(4.6k votes)

    #17 - The Precious Fragmentation

    S3:E17

    When the guys find a ring from "The Lord of the Rings" at a garage sale, it threatens to tear them apart.

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    Writer:Unknown
  19. Background image for The Pants Alternative
    8.4/10(4.5k votes)

    #18 - The Pants Alternative

    S3:E18

    Sheldon's friends come to his aid when his fear of public speaking stands between him and a coveted award.

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    Writer:Unknown
  20. Background image for The Wheaton Recurrence
    7.8/10(4.2k votes)

    #19 - The Wheaton Recurrence

    S3:E19

    A fight between Leonard and Penny threatens their relationship, while Sheldon battles Wil Wheaton in bowling.

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    Writer:Unknown
  21. Background image for The Spaghetti Catalyst
    8.1/10(4.2k votes)

    #20 - The Spaghetti Catalyst

    S3:E20

    When Leonard and Penny aren't speaking, Sheldon goes to extremes to keep them both happy.

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  22. Background image for The Plimpton Stimulation
    8.1/10(4.5k votes)

    #21 - The Plimpton Stimulation

    S3:E21

    Leonard and Sheldon compete for the attention of a famous female physicist.

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    Writer:Unknown
  23. Background image for The Staircase Implementation
    9.0/10(5.8k votes)

    #22 - The Staircase Implementation

    S3:E22

    Leonard tells Penny about how he met Sheldon for the first time...and what happened to the elevator.

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    Writer:Unknown
  24. Background image for The Lunar Excitation
    8.6/10(4.6k votes)

    #23 - The Lunar Excitation

    S3:E23

    While Penny worries that dating Leonard has ruined her for normal guys, Wolowitz and Koothrappali search for Sheldon's perfect match online.

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    Director:Peter Chakos
    Writer:Unknown

Season 3 Ratings Summary

"The Electric Can Opener Fluctuation" is the best rated episode of "The Big Bang Theory" season 3. It scored 8.3/10 based on 4827 votes. Directed by Mark Cendrowski and written by Steven Molaro, it aired on 9/21/2009. This episode is rated 0.6 points higher than the second-best, "The Jiminy Conjecture".