The Matrimonial Momentum
Leonard and Penny elope; Sheldon and Amy break up.
"The Matrimonial Momentum" is the 184th episode of *The Big Bang Theory* and opens its ninth season. It originally aired on CBS on September 21, 2015.
In the episode, Leonard and Penny get married in a Las Vegas elopement, streaming the ceremony for their friends back home. Leonard delivers a wedding vow inspired by cosmology, while Penny recites "You've Got a Friend in Me" from *Toy Story*, Leonard’s favorite film. While watching the stream at Howard and Bernadette’s house, Sheldon, upset and confused by Amy’s hesitation about their relationship, insults her in front of everyone. Amy then ends their relationship publicly, and the group leaves, leaving only Howard and Stuart to watch the wedding to its conclusion. After Leonard carries Penny over the threshold and they kiss, Penny remains upset that Leonard kissed Mandy two years earlier and is angered to learn they still work together. The couple argues upon returning home and separates to their own apartments. Sheldon calls his mother to ask her to return his great-grandmother’s ring, which he had planned to give to Amy, but Mary advises him to wait. He briefly considers dating Mandy to hurt Amy and is furious to discover that Penny knew Amy was unhappy and did not defend him.
The episode drew 18.20 million live viewers in the U.S., with a 4.7 ratings share. In the U.K., it was the most-watched program on E4 for the week, attracting 2,661,000 viewers.
Critical reception was mixed. In 2019, Screen Rant ranked it the worst episode of the series. Jesse Schedeen of IGN gave it an 8.2, praising how it set up ongoing drama and the breakup of Sheldon and Amy, but noting a lack of humor. Caroline Preece of Den of Geek similarly criticized the episode as “devoid of any laughs at all,” ending on “a sour note.” She described Sheldon as “unrepentantly awful,” called the wedding “cute” and a “brave choice” by the writers, but questioned after the breakup: “what was the point?”
- series
- The Big Bang Theory
- season
- 9
- episode_number
- 1 (184th overall)
- original_air_date
- September 21, 2015
- network
- CBS
- live_viewers_US
- 18.20 million
- ratings_share
- 4.7
Quick Facts
- Series
- The Big Bang Theory
- Season
- 9
- Episode
- 1
- Guests
- Louise Claps as the receptionist (voice only) / Jim Meskimen as the minister / Laurie Metcalf as Mary Cooper
- Teleplay
- Steven Molaro / Steve Holland / Eric Kaplan
- Story
- Chuck Lorre / Jim Reynolds / Maria Ferrari
- Director
- Mark Cendrowski
- Airdate
- 2015-09-21
- Production
- 4X7201
- Prev
- The Commitment Determination
- Next
- The Separation Oscillation
- Season Article
- The Big Bang Theory season 9
Facts from the source article.
Lore & Background
In the episode, Leonard and Penny elope in Las Vegas, live streaming the ceremony for friends at home. Leonard wrote a touching cosmology-based wedding vow while Penny recites "You've Got a Friend in Me" from Leonard's favorite movie, Toy Story. Sheldon, confused and hurt by Amy's indecision about their relationship, insults her before all their friends while watching the wedding stream at Howard and Bernadette's house. Amy openly breaks up with him, upon which all leave except for Howard and Stuart, who actually see the wedding to the end.
When Leonard and Penny kiss after he carries her over the threshold, Penny is still bothered that Leonard kissed Mandy two years ago and is outraged to hear they work together. They argue on their return home and both go to their respective apartments alone. Sheldon calls his mother to return his great-grandmother's ring which he had intended for Amy, but Mary tells him to wait. He also briefly considers dating Mandy to hurt Amy and is outraged to learn that Penny knew she was unhappy and did not defend him.
Reader's Guide
The episode is notable for its high viewership, drawing 18.20 million live viewers in the United States and becoming the most watched programme on E4 for the week in Britain with 2,661,000 viewers. Critical reception was mixed: Jesse Schedeen of IGN rated the episode 8.2, complimenting how it set up ongoing drama and the breakup of Amy and Sheldon, but criticized its lack of humor. Caroline Preece of Den of Geek similarly noted the episode is "devoid of any laughs at all" and ends on "a sour note," describing Sheldon as "unrepentantly awful" and the wedding as "cute" and a "brave choice" by the writers, while questioning after the breakup: "what was the point?" In 2019, Screen Rant rated it the worst episode of the series. The episode's significance lies in its major relationship shifts—Leonard and Penny's marriage and Sheldon and Amy's breakup—which set the tone for the season's ongoing drama.
Did You Know?
- The episode was watched live by 18.20 million viewers in the United States.
- It was rated the worst episode of the series by Screen Rant in 2019.
- Sheldon briefly considers dating Mandy to hurt Amy after their breakup.
- Penny recites 'You've Got a Friend in Me' from Toy Story as her wedding vow.
More in The Big Bang Theory episodes 1-24
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