The Isolation Permutation
Amy is excluded from dress shopping, leading to conflict.
The 95th episode of *The Big Bang Theory*, and the eighth of its fifth season, is titled "The Isolation Permutation." It originally aired on CBS on November 3, 2011. The plot begins when Howard accidentally mentions that Penny and Bernadette went shopping for bridesmaid dresses without Amy, leaving her hurt. Unable to reach Amy through any form of communication, Sheldon and Leonard visit her home, where they find her playing the harp and singing "Everybody Hurts." Leonard leaves, and after some negotiation, Sheldon reluctantly agrees to cuddle with Amy when she asks for physical intimacy. The next day, a furious Sheldon orders Howard and Leonard to control their partners. Penny and Bernadette explain that Amy’s over-enthusiasm about being a bridesmaid made her difficult to include. They apologize, but Amy—who has a history of being rejected by friends—remains upset, comparing herself to a brain tumor in an analogy involving the brain’s hemispheres. Later, Sheldon gets a call that Amy is drunk in a parking lot, and he and Leonard bring her home. The following morning, Penny and Bernadette apologize again and offer Amy the role of maid of honor at Bernadette’s wedding, which excites her. The episode ends with Amy recording the three of them dress shopping.
In its initial U.S. broadcast on November 3, 2011, at 8 p.m., the episode drew 15.98 million viewers on CBS, earning a 5.4/16 Nielsen rating. It outperformed its time-slot competitors: *The X Factor* on Fox (11.64 million), *Community* on NBC (3.84 million), *The Vampire Diaries* on The CW (3.51 million), and *Charlie’s Angels* on ABC (5.31 million households). That night on CBS, it was the most-watched program, followed by *Rules of Engagement* at 8:30 p.m. (11.81 million), *Grey’s Anatomy* at 9 p.m. (9.52 million), and *The Mentalist* at 10 p.m. (13.66 million). In Canada, it aired simultaneously and was the week’s top show on CTV Total with 3.762 million viewers. In Australia, it aired on November 14, 2011, attracting 1.359 million viewers, ranking second for the night. In the UK, it aired on December 15, 2011, on E4, where 1.176 million viewers watched it, making it the channel’s second most-watched episode that week; an additional 0.330 million households saw it on E4 +1, ranking third on that channel, for a combined 1.506 million viewers, placing seventh overall on digital television.
Reviews were mi
- Episode number
- 95th overall, 8th of season 5
- Original air date
- November 3, 2011
- Network
- CBS
- US viewers (first broadcast)
- 15.98 million
- Nielsen rating
- 5.4/16
- Notable guest plot focus
- Amy Farrah Fowler's emotional arc
Quick Facts
- Series
- The Big Bang Theory
- Season
- 5
- Episode
- 8
- Teleplay
- Bill Prady / Steven Molaro / Steve Holland
- Story
- Chuck Lorre / Eric Kaplan / Tara Hernandez
- Director
- Mark Cendrowski
- Airdate
- 2011-11-03
- Production
- 3X6858
- Length
- 22 minutes
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- Season Article
- The Big Bang Theory season 5
Facts from the source article.
Lore & Background
In the episode, Bernadette and Penny go shopping for bridesmaid dresses without inviting Amy. Howard inadvertently mentions this in front of Amy, who becomes upset. Sheldon tries to contact Amy but fails; he and Leonard go to her house, where they find her singing "Everybody Hurts" while playing the harp. After Leonard leaves, Amy requests physical intimacy from Sheldon, and after negotiation, he reluctantly cuddles with her.
The next day, Sheldon angrily confronts Howard and Leonard, telling them to "get [their] women in line." Penny and Bernadette explain that Amy's over-enthusiasm about being a bridesmaid made her an inconvenience. They apologize, but Amy remains upset, comparing Bernadette to the left hemisphere of the brain, Penny to the right hemisphere, and herself to a brain tumor. Later, Sheldon receives a call that Amy is drunk in a parking lot; he and Leonard take her home.
The following morning, Penny and Bernadette apologize again and offer Amy the role of maid of honor at Bernadette's wedding. Amy becomes very excited. The final scene shows Amy recording the three of them dress shopping.
Reader's Guide
The episode is notable for deepening Amy Farrah Fowler's character, exploring her history of being turned away by friends and her emotional vulnerability. Critics offered mixed to positive assessments: Oliver Sava of The A.V. Club gave it a B+, calling it "one of the season's best" and describing Amy as "The Big Bang Theory's most valuable asset." Robin Pierson of The TV Critic rated it 58 out of 100, praising the attempt to make Amy more sympathetic but noting the episode "wasn't particularly funny." Jenna Busch of IGN gave it eight out of 10, enjoying the dynamic among the female characters. Carla Day of TV Fanatic gave four out of five stars, finding Amy "whiny and irritating" but lauding Sheldon's outburst as "one of the funniest things I've ever seen on the show." The episode also revealed that Leonard is single again, following events of "The Good Guy Fluctuation." In terms of ratings, it outperformed its timeslot competitors, including The X Factor, Community, The Vampire Diaries, and Charlie's Angels, and was the most-watched program on CBS that night.
Did You Know?
- The episode first aired on CBS on November 3, 2011, and received 15.98 million viewers.
- Amy is found singing 'Everybody Hurts' while playing the harp after being excluded.
- Sheldon tells Howard and Leonard to 'get [their] women in line' after the incident.
- Amy compares herself to a brain tumor in an analogy about her friendship with Penny and Bernadette.
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