The Thanksgiving Decoupling

"The Thanksgiving Decoupling" is the ninth episode of the seventh season of the sitcom The Big Bang Theory. The episode first aired on Thursday, November 21, 2013.

Summary
Sheldon protests when the gang drags him to Mrs. Wolowitz's house for. Meanwhile, Leonard and Penny must deal with Penny's accidental marriage to Zack Johnson.

Extended Plot
In Apartment 4A, Sheldon and Leonard are trying to prove to Penny that  is impossible. Penny doesn't buy that because she believes she has done it at the age of 16 though she was. Raj wonders how she can push over something that is. Penny uses the hyperbole that she has seen Raj eat a s. Raj comments that a  can be both sacred and delicious. Penny returns to the cow tipping argument saying that she can clearly remember the cow standing up and the cow lying on its side. Leonard wonders if she was drunk and lying down. Penny then remembers that that would explain why the was on its side. Howard enters and Penny asks his opinion on cow tipping. He thinks that based upon trying to roll his mother over when she was, he doesn't think that it's real. He also announces that his mother has invited everyone over for. Sheldon tells him that tell him that a bald face refusal without an explanation is rude. So he tells Howard that he would to go, but it sounds awful. Penny tells him that they were planning to have dinner in 4A. Since Bernadette's mom is out of, Howard would like help since he never has anything to say to his Mike Rostenkowski and he could use the help. Sheldon tells him, but that sounds even worse. Leonard thinks that it might be nice to have Thanksgiving without Sheldon complaining all day about his. Sheldon insists that that every Leonard prepares a terrible meal and every year he  it. Do their s mean nothing to him? Leonard, Penny and Raj agree to go. Howard again asks Sheldon. He says fine, but if the is  and Thanksgiving is ruined, then it's all on Leonard's.



A pre-dinner is being served at apartment 4A, Sheldon is still complaining about having to go. Amy tells him that she expects him to be on his best. Sheldon states that being dragged off to dinner akin to being an being dragged away from their  and put under the  of the. Amy wants to know if he is comparing going to dinner at the Wolowitz's the same as one of the greatest in the  of. Sheldon agrees. Penny tries to help by saying that he can have a nice Thanksgiving anyway. She had a one in once when she was  Zack. It was more fun than she thought. They d, went to one of those cheesy s and had a real good which was surprising since it was at a. Leonard asked her if she went to a. Penny thinks it's funny that they had one of those silly fake. Everybody looked shocked. Leonard asks if she knows that they are real. Thinking he's, she tells them that they aren't. Leonard disagrees. Now worried she denies it again. Everybody tells her that they are real. Penny timidly says that it didn't seem real. Sheldon then asks her that at any point did Las Vegas seem on its side. Penny looks shocked and starts to.

At the Wolowitz, Bernadette lets her in carrying two six packs of. She remarks that he brought beer for everyone. He reluctantly agrees that it's for everyone. He really wanted to have a quiet and watch. Bernadette tells him that he can have a quiet day and watch the game there. Mrs. Wolowitz and Howard then shout at each other that her isn't working. Her is acting up. Howard quips that an a day doesn't keep the  away. He gave her enough to choke a ...well... her. Bernadette realizes that they will have to do all the cooking. Howard has a better idea. Bernadette snaps that he better not expect her to do all the cooking. Howard corrects her that Raj could do all the cooking. That's fine for Bernadette.



Shamy and Lenny are driving to Mrs. W's house. Amy finds it great that there is not and they were sailing. Sheldon agrees since it's like they are on a coming from  to. Amy finds it completely inappropriate to keep comparing himself to a slave. "Yes, Miss Amy," he sarcastically replies. Leonard cannot believe Penny is to that, Zack. Penny says that the whole was a goof and why is he making it such a big deal. Sheldon suggests that the reason could be because she said to Zack, but to Leonard's  she always said no. Penny wonders how she can undo the deed. Leonard hopes that she can get a quick. Amy looks up grounds for annulment. The first is that they were unable to the marriage which causes Sheldon to bust out in. Then, she lists, , wont of understanding. Penny asks what "want of understanding" means. "Ding, ding, ding. We have a !", announces Amy.

In the Wolowitz kitchen, Bernadette thanks Raj for stepping in as cook. He quips that it wouldn't be Thanksgiving without an n supplying the. Bernadette wants Howard to go out and keep her father company. Howard feels that he doesn't want him there. He's just the creepy little that is having  with his . Bernadette replies not to be silly because he s you. Howard disagrees. That's not true insists Howard. Then, Bernadette snaps that she does that crap for him all the time and to get out there.

Later in the : Howard is trying to talk to Mike about his 's trip to and gets an "Uh, huh." His mother once went to the and rode one of the s into the. Long made short, they had to shoot the mule. As usual, this joke didn't amuse Mike. The rings and Howard goes to let in the others. Amy tells him "Happy Thanksgiving." Sheldon tells him that the food smells wonderful and asks if someone is slaving away in the kitchen. Amy gets mad and shoves him through the. Penny quietly shoves a of  in his hand and nonchalantly thanks him for having them. Howard asks what wrong. Leonard replies that she is mad at him for finding out she is married to Zack. Howard thinks that that is. Penny grabs the wine back from Howard, telling him that she cannot believe that she feels bad for opening it in the.

In the , Amy enters and asks if they need any help. Raj asks her to get the. Raj puts Bernadette on, and. Amy gets, and keeping Bernadette out of the. Raj is going to his  off. Keep focused. Amy then announces that Penny married Zack three years ago. Raj and Bernadette turn around shocked with Bernadette having a marshmallow in her mouth.

In the living room, everyone else is watching. Howard asks Mike if he ever played, and he had a little in. Howard then jokes that he once got tackled in the at  and everybody ed. No reaction. Leonard found annulment papers and tells her that he will print them out at home. First, Penny says "Fine" and then admits that she screwed up and doesn't want to about it anymore. Leonard can't imagine why she is at him. Penny leaves to get some air. Sheldon remarks that he knows nothing about, but still suggests that he doesn't follow her. Mike tells Leonard to listen to "Stretch".

Leonard states that he is not the bad guy, he is the victim. Howard feels that maybe Zack is the victim since Leonard is with his wife. Mike wants to weigh in with his thirty-five years of marital experience. He wants everyone to be quiet so he can watch the game. After the next play, Mike wants to know how they couldn't make a. Sheldon then analyzes their problem. Mike seems very surprised. Sheldon reveals his father made him watch football before he could do his. Penny returns. She spoke to Zack, who is willing to sign the papers and is on his way over now. Leonard wants to know why she invited him over on Thanksgiving. Mike asks if he was to weigh in again on this. Leonard and Penny leave. Mike then asks Sheldon what the s should do next. Sheldon gives his on what is necessary since he expects a. Howard says that he enjoys a good blitz with. No one laughs at his blitz joke. Then, Howard's mother calls down about the blintz.

Over in the, Leonard is talking to Penny. He can't understand why Penny invited him over on Thanksgiving. Penny's response is that he wouldn't shut up about it. Zack had nothing to do, so she invited him over. Raj pops in from the kitchen door so Penny tells him that they will be quieter. Raj retorts that he needs them to speak up since he is running the. Leonard tells him to cook for one more since Penny has invited Zack. "What?!" shouted Amy and Bernadette from the kitchen. Raj adds that like his gravy, the thickens.

Sheldon returns from the complaining about all the  staring at him. Howard says that that is why he sits. Mike sarcastically says, "Yea, that's why." Mike then asks Sheldon about the Thanksgiving Day game when it ed. Sheldon gives the details of that game. Mike was so pissed that he wanted to shoot the television. Sheldon reveals his father actually did shoot it. Howard leaves to get him a. Mike asks about Sheldon's dad who died when he was. Mike says that he is sorry. Sheldon adds that the manager of the local was also sorry. Howard brings Mike another beer. He gives it to Mike who thanks him. Mike then tells Sheldon that he was never old enough to have a beer with his father. Sheldon's father did try to give him one for his, but he was only eleven and his mother wouldn't let him do it. Mike found that amusing and told him that he was going to have a beer with him. Sheldon accepts and they to his father. Howard adds that he never had a beer with his father. Sheldon excuses him and says that he and Mike were having a moment together.

In the kitchen, Amy is talking about how she can not believe that Penny married Zack. Raj wonders what she saw in him. Bernadette finds him, and. Amy notes his broad and good. Raj then wonders what she sees in Leonard. Howard wanders into the kitchen, complaining about Mike and Sheldon and ignoring him. Amy mentions the that Sheldon ignored her after he got a. Howard describes how they are watching football, having a beer together, toasting Sheldon's deceased father and ignoring anything Howard says. The doorbell rings. Bernadette notes that Zack has arrived. Bernadette, Amy and Raj leave with Howard left alone. Raj hands him the to stir the gravy. Bernadette pops back in to tell Howard she will finish listening to him in five or ten s and doesn't forget to fetch a marshmallow when leaving.

In the dining room, the kitchen is staring at Penny, Leonard, and Zack as they very slowly get the  ready. Leonard feels that Zack didn't have to hurry right over on Thanksgiving. That was fine with Zack, since he was doing anything and since he was married to Penny, Thanksgiving is a time for. Penny just wants to get it over with. After they sign, the paperwork will be filed with the on. Zack claims that he does not want to sign the annulment papers because is rough on. Penny insists that they don't have any kids. Zack wants to make sure since she didn't know they were married until this. Penny points out that neither of them thought the marriage was real. They were married by an. Zack points out that they could never afford a real. Leonard sarcastically quips that Penny would marry Zack over himself. Then they get into a fight about him always pointing out her mistakes whenever she screws up. Zack calls out Leonard and tells him that he's not cool. Leonard is not the kind of guy he wants dating his. Leonard assures him that she is not going to be his wife for long. Zack gets worried that she is. Penny snaps that she is about to, so Zack signs the papers with "Happy wife. Happy life. Let's eat."

Sheldon and Mike are now drunk in the living room. Sheldon the equation of  to the 21st decimal. Mike admits it's not what he thought when he said he was going to burp. Then, Howard's mother yells down, asking if someone mentioned pie. Mike doesn't know which is scarier, the bathroom clowns or their. Sheldon then says that they can only get one of Mrs. Wolowitz in a car, which causes them both to laugh out loud. (Referring to the old many  trick.) Howard walks in and Sheldon calls him the clown that came out of the owner. Mike and Sheldon both agree that they are having one of the best Thanksgivings in a long time. Bernadette runs into the living room with Howard, ing at Sheldon and her Dad for continually ing Howard. She demands that they apologize to him. Sheldon remarks that she is so and she looks  when she's mad. When Amy demands that Sheldon apologize, he relents and says that he is sorry. Afterwards he looks at Amy and then says to everyone "Ain't she great?" Amy is ed and s, Sheldon then abruptly says "Now, how's about you get us a couple of beers?" and follows by ing her rear. Amy shocked, but happy to actually be getting some physical attention from Sheldon, starts to walk slowly toward the kitchen as a dazed smile appears on her face. Amy looks back at Sheldon, who smiles back wholeheartedly.

Finally, the whole gang, including Zack, is seated around the Thanksgiving complementing Raj on his delicious meal. Mike wants to throw the around with Sheldon who says that this  household probably doesn't have one. Mrs. Wolowitz then calls from whether someone said pigskin. Penny apologizes to Leonard and tells him that the next time she gets married, it won't be a joke and it will be for love. Or, though she can be seen him. Leonard also says he's sorry. Zack tells him not be sorry because he was a terrible since he was never around. Mike apologizes to Howard, telling him that he's not the worst ever. Howard thanks him and then Mike reminds him that he's also drunk. Finally, Sheldon returns and says that he just ed on a lot of clowns.

Critics

 * Jesse Schedeen for IGN-... (A) drunk Sheldon was the highlight of the week. Jim Parsons has honed his portrayal of the stiff, uppity genius to a fine science by now, so it's always a welcome change of pace to see Sheldon thrown in an unusual situation that drags a different side of his personality out...The conflict between Leonard and Penny also took some time to build momentum. Initially, it was funny to see Penny's reaction to realizing she's been married for the past several years ("But it didn't look real!")...But help arrived in the form of Penny's "husband," Zack. It was fun to see Brian Smith reprise his role for a few minutes in order to celebrate the holidays and apply for an annulment. Though no Rhodes Scholar himself, Zack had one of the better lines of the night when Penny denied having children and he said, "Are you sure? Cause you didn't even know we were married until this morning." He's got you there, Penny..."The Thanksgiving Decoupling" was hardly a perfect episode...but once things got moving, the episode proved very entertaining.
 * Dhruv Rao gave the episode a C+
 * IMDb user reviews

Costume Notes

 * Sheldon is wearing his orange Aquaman II t-shirt while working on cow tipping math.
 * Penny wears the "Full Tilt" girls hooded flannel boyfriend shirt from Tilly's.

Trivia

 * First Thanksgiving episode in the series. Only one through April 2014.
 * Penny's cow tipping story was previously mentioned in "The Boyfriend Complexity" (S4E09) and "The Beta Test Initiation" (S5E14). Also, in reality, Margo Lillie and Tracy Boechler (both from The University of British Columbia) did provide a mathematical proof that cow tipping is impossible in 2005, the same thing that Sheldon and Leonard do in the show. In short, the conclusion of the real-world research was that a cow may be tipped by 2-4 people if surprised enough so that it does not have time to adjust its footing or run away.
 * Penny was officially "Penny Johnson" for three years until this episode, although since she was unaware of the marriage, she probably never took the name. However, it is possible that her maiden last name was restored after the annulment, meaning she is still the only one of the main cast without a revealed last name.
 * In reality, the Graceland Wedding Chapel in Las Vegas does provide wedding services presided by an Elvis impersonator - "Elvis Wedding Package" as they call it.
 * Penny and Zack did not know that the Las Vegas wedding chapels were real, but Penny previously suggested wedding at Las Vegas in "The Countdown Reflection" (S5E24) when the gang were discussing how to carry out the wedding of Howard and Bernadette, thus her ignorance of this is quite strange.
 * Sheldon and Bernadette's father, Mike Rostenkowski, find their common point that they are both familiar with football. Sheldon previously demonstrated his knowledge on football in "The Cornhusker Vortex" (S3E06), and Mike's knowledge has been implied in "The Countdown Reflection" (S5E24) when he  said "Here you go" and "Like that guy could catch a football".
 * Mike Rostenkowski got angry at the defeat of in 1993 Thanksgiving because of . Based on this, it seems plausible to assume that he lived in Texas at that time. This assumption also supports the fact that he and Sheldon, who is (also) from Texas, quickly bond together.
 * In 1993, Sheldon was thirteen years old; about to enter graduate school the next year, and hence, would not be doing calculus homework. Moreover, by the age of five, he had already written a paper on ("The Higgs Boson Observation"). Perhaps, he was taking a course on  or.
 * Sheldon gets drunk and slaps Amy on the rear calling her a "great gal". Amy smiles at the attention. This is the second time we see Sheldon spank Amy.
 * Zack Johnson makes his first appearance in three years. Before his last appearance was in "The Toast Derivation" (S4E17).
 * Mrs. Wolowitz and Mr. Rostenkowski appear for the first time in the 7th season.
 * First appearance of Mrs. Wolowitz's living room since "The Zarnecki Incursion" (S4E19). The dining room and kitchen through the door were last seen in "The Spoiler Alert Segmentation" (S6E15).
 * Sheldon claims his father died when he was 14. Inconsistency: In "The Pancake Batter Anomaly" (S1E11), he said at the age of 15, he got sick in Germany, and his mother had to fly back to Texas to help his dad at that time.
 * Sheldon takes a can of beer from Mr. Rostenkowski without objection, a stark contrast to his usual negative attitude towards alcohol in the series. This episode also reveals that Sheldon never once had a beer with his father and hints that the reason he doesn't drink alcohol is because he feels like he has been held back by his mother since his father's death.
 * First time that Amy has been seen at Mrs. Wolowitz's house.

Quotes

 * Penny: Sheldon, you can have a nice Thanksgiving anywhere. I spent one in Vegas.
 * Leonard: You did?
 * Penny: Yeah. Back when I was dating Zack. Actually, it was more fun than I thought. We gambled, went to one of those cheesy wedding chapels. We had a really good turkey dinner, which was surprising since we were at a strip club.
 * Leonard: What? You went to a chapel?
 * Penny: Yeah.
 * Leonard: Why?
 * Penny: We had one those silly fake weddings.
 * Leonard: Penny, you know those are real. Right?
 * Penny: No, they’re not. [Laughing it off.]
 * Leonard: Yeah, they are.
 * Penny: No, they’re not. [Looking worried.]
 * Leonard: Yeah, they are.
 * Sheldon: He's right.
 * Amy: They’re real.
 * Penny: They didn't seem real. [Quietly.]


 * Penny: Why are you making this such a big deal?
 * Sheldon: Oh, I have a reason. It could be because you said yes to marrying Zack, but every time Leonard’s proposed he’s gotten a resounding no. That’s just off the top of my head.
 * Penny: How do I undo this?
 * Leonard: I just hoping you can get an annulment which is like it never happened.
 * Penny: Great. Well, what do I have to do?
 * Amy: It’s says here you can get an annulment if any of the following conditions are met. One. We’re you unable to consummate the marriage?
 * Sheldon: [Sheldon laughs.] Penny? Next.
 * Amy: Is there any evidence of fraud, bigamy, want of understanding?
 * Penny: Want of understanding? What does that even mean?
 * Amy: Ding! Ding! Ding! We have a winner!


 * Zack: I'm not sure about this. I heard splitting affects the children.
 * Penny: Zack, we don't have any children!
 * Zack: Are you sure? Cause you didn't even know we were married until this morning.


 * Raj: Why would you push a cow over? They’re sacred.
 * Penny: Oh, stop it. I've seen you eat a million hamburgers.
 * Raj: Hey. An animal can be both sacred and delicious.


 * Penny: That would explain why the sky was also on its side.


 * Sheldon: But if her food is delicious, Thanksgiving is ruined and it’s all on you.


 * Sheldon: I've been told that a bald refusal of an invitation is rude and one must instead offer a polite excuse so I’d love to go but unfortunately that sounds awful.


 * Leonard: It would actually be nice to not hear Sheldon complain about my cooking all day.
 * Sheldon: Excuse me. Every year you prepare a terrible meal and every year I criticize it. Do our traditions mean nothing to you?


 * Raj: It wouldn't be a Thanksgiving without an Indian providing the food.


 * Bernadette: Why don’t you keep my dad company?
 * Howard: He doesn't want me in there. I’m just the creepy little guy who has sex with his daughter.
 * Bernadette: Don’t be silly. He loves you.
 * Howard: Does he?
 * Bernadette: OK, he cares about you a lot.
 * Howard: Really?
 * Bernadette: I do crap for you all the time. Now, get out!


 * Penny: All right. Thank you for having us.
 * Howard: What’s with you?
 * Leonard: Well, she’s mad at me because she just found out that she’s married to Zack.
 * Howard: Really? That dumb ass you used to date? [Laughs] That’s hysterical.
 * Penny: I can’t believe I felt bad for opening this in the car.


 * Leonard: How am I the bad guy? She's the one who married someone else. I’m the victim.
 * Howard: Sounds like Zack’s the victim. You’re sleeping with his wife.


 * Sheldon: My father loved football. He always made me watch it before I was allowed to do my homework.


 * Penny: You know, neither of us thought this was real. I mean, we were married by an Elvis impersonator.
 * Zack: Of course, it was an impersonator. We could never afford a real Elvis.


 * Mike: I don’t know what’s scarier, the bathroom clowns or the woman who put them there.
 * Sheldon: All I know is you can only fit one of her in a car. [Howard enters.] And there’s the clown that came out of her.


 * Bernadette: Hey. Howie says that you've been making fun of him all day. Now, both of you apologize right now.
 * Sheldon: She’s so tiny. It’s funny when she’s mad.
 * Amy: All right, mister. I think you owe Howard and Bernadette an apology.
 * Sheldon: Perhaps you’re right. I’m sorry for my behavior. I've had alcohol and it’s caused me to be inappropriate.
 * Howard: Don’t worry about it.
 * Amy: Thank you.
 * Sheldon: Isn't she great?
 * Amy: Sheldon.
 * Sheldon: Now, how about you get us a couple of beers? [Amy gets swatted on the butt and she leaves shocked, yet smiling]