In September of 2007, CBS released The Big Bang Theory. The pilot introduces roommates and best friends Leonard and Sheldon as they're thinking about selling their sperm to a high IQ sperm bank. The two friends decide against it and head home, which is when they meet their new neighbor, Penny.
Leonard and Sheldon quickly invite Penny into their lives, where she soon meets Howard and Raj. As different as everyone was, they somehow all meshed really well together. However, everything wasn't kosher in this debut episode. In fact, there were some head-scratching moments that would be borderline — or totally — inappropriate if they happened in real life today.
A Rude Interaction At The Sperm Bank
Sheldon and Leonard are full of nerves when they enter the sperm bank. They slowly walk up to the nurse at the front desk and ask if they were in the right place. Sadly, the nurse was more interested in her crossword puzzle than the two soon-to-be patients in front of her.
Considering what a discreet and sensitive place a sperm bank is, her behavior was inappropriate. However, things got worse when Leonard wanted to speed up the process so he solved her crossword puzzle for her. This did not help their rapport in the slightest.
Sheldon & Leonard's View On Their Old Neighbor
When Leonard and Sheldon arrive home after a failed attempt at donating their sperm, they stop at their front door when they see their new neighbor Penny unpacking her things.
Leonard is in a trance as he's staring at the beautiful woman and says she's "a significant improvement over the old neighbor." In response, Sheldon makes a joke about the "200-pound transvestite with a skin condition" who used to live there. Joking about the LGBTQ+ community is in bad taste and shouldn't be used as the punchline of any joke.
Watching Penny As She Unpacks
Frankly, it's incredibly creepy that Leonard and Sheldon spent so much time were gawking over Penny as she unpacked. Sure, it's for the sake of the show and the two men are simply curious about their new neighbor, but things have shifted in the past 10+ years since the pilot aired.
As a young, beautiful woman in a new apartment, there's no way Penny was comfortable being watched while she was moving in. Luckily for her, Sheldon and Leonard were harmless.
Trusting A Stranger's Shower
After a quick introduction, Leonard and Sheldon invite Penny over to their apartment. Things start off well until Penny bursts into tears over her ex-boyfriend. She then complains about being a mess and wanting to wash, but her shower isn't working. Leonard offers her their shower in a nice gesture, and she accepts on the spot.
She's feeling grimy from a hard day of moving, fair enough. But instead of going home and grabbing some shower goods, a change of clothes, and a towel, Penny darts into to the bathroom and showers without a second thought. So, not only does she have to use things that aren't her own but she's in a complete stranger's apartment showering. Again, Leonard and Sheldon are harmless, but Penny doesn't know that yet.
Asking A Stranger To Do Your Dirty Work
Not only does Penny shower in a stranger's apartment but she also asks Leonard to do her dirty work for her. At this point in the pilot, she doesn't even know his last name and she's already asking him for favors. What's crazier is that Leonard accepts!
While Penny is in the shower, she asks Leonard to go to her ex-boyfriend's apartment and get her TV for her. What she didn't think about is the sheer difference in personalities and the harm that could be caused to two men she didn't even know. And for all Penny knows, Leonard and Sheldon could be capable of stealing her TV. She doesn't know them well enough to trust them at this point.
Howard's Impression Of Stephen Hawking
While Penny is in the shower, Raj and Howard show up and want to hang out. Howard brought a video of a 1974 lecture by Stephen Hawking that he's dying to watch because it's "before he became a creepy computer voice." As always, Howard does a Hawking impression, which always gets a laugh from the audience, but saying his "computer voice" is a low blow for a man who has no other option in how to communicate.
In later episodes when Stephen Hawking eventually ed away, Howard was judged for continuing to make light of Hawking's condition. He created a Stephen Hawking figure on wheels that he could control with a remote, and even then everyone warned him it was in poor taste and not funny.
Howard Trying To Pick Up Penny While She's In A Towel
When Howard and Raj enter the apartment, Leonard warns them that there's a woman in their apartment showering. The two men can't believe their ears and immediately start babbling about who is going to sleep with her.
Suddenly, Penny materializes in nothing but a towel. She unexpectedly meets Howard and Raj and is a little embarrassed at her state of undress. To make matters worse, Howard thought there was no better time than the present to hit on her.
The Way The Men Were Already Preparing To Sleep With Penny
After introductions are made, all the men (except for Sheldon) were talking about who would have "coitus" with Penny first. They were all in a weird competition of who could woo her the quickest but there's just one little problem with their plan: they never ask Penny! As the second party in the hypothetical tango, Penny deserves a say in who she sleeps with — if she even wants to sleep with anyone at all.
Bullying
After Leonard blindly agrees to nab Penny's TV for her from her ex-boyfriend, he and Sheldon hit the road for an unexpected adventure. The two men are nervous as it is but even more when they take their first look at Penny's ex. Kurt is massive, muscular, and wants them to leave. In the end, he takes Leonard and Sheldon's dignity — and their pants.
Knowing her ex, Penny should have known that something like that would happen. She set Leonard and Sheldon up to be bullied, humiliating them not just in the present but triggering painful memories of their childhoods.