Our take
Two stories pulling in different directions: a pigeon loose in a laboratory, which gives Simon Helberg plenty of physical comedy, and a Victorian Christmas Eve dinner that is more sweet than funny. The holiday half is thin and Raj's father is stuck with dated jokes, but the gift exchange lands, showing how far a guarded relationship has come. It is a gentle end-of-year episode rather than one of the show's best.
What happens
Raj cannot host this year's Christmas Eve dinner because his soon-to-be-divorced father is visiting, so Amy volunteers and chooses the theme of a traditional Victorian Christmas, parlour games and all. On the day, Leonard and Howard are running an experiment in the university's clean room when a pigeon gets in through the loading dock and contaminates the place; they call Raj to help, and the three bicker, with Leonard and Raj assuming Howard left the door open, as the bird keeps outwitting them. Bernadette drives Sheldon to the party, singing Christmas songs on the way, while Sheldon, irked at being made to celebrate, plots to get back at Amy. That leaves Amy, Penny and Dr. Koothrappali alone at the dinner, where Raj's father talks of little but his marriage. Sheldon's plan backfires: Amy is delighted by his gift and gives him a thoughtful present in return, and the clean room trio end up singing Christmas songs themselves.
Can the kids watch it?
Rated 12 by the BBFC for infrequent moderate sex references; fine for most 12-year-olds and up.
Cast and crew
Starring
- Johnny Galecki as Leonard Hofstadter
- Jim Parsons as Sheldon Cooper
- Kaley Cuoco as Penny
- Simon Helberg as Howard Wolowitz
- Kunal Nayyar as Raj Koothrappali
- Melissa Rauch as Bernadette Rostenkowski
- Mayim Bialik as Amy Farrah Fowler
Guest stars
- Brian George as Dr. V.M. Koothrappali
- Dakin Matthews as Santa
Writers
- Maria Ferrari
- Tara Hernandez
- Eric Kaplan
- Jim Reynolds
- Steve Holland
Director
- Mark Cendrowski