- 21 hours ago
Think Penny was just the girl next door? Think again! From teaching fishing basics to outsmarting Sheldon with savvy contracts, Penny consistently proves she's the brains behind the group. Whether helping Sheldon with string theory or schooling Leonard in honesty, her street smarts and emotional intelligence often outshine the geeks. Get ready to celebrate all the clever ways she’s been the real MVP in The Big Bang Theory!
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00:00Penny, aren't you going to draw something?
00:01Relax, we got time. This is so fun.
00:04Welcome to Miss Mojo, and today we're looking at the times everyone's favorite girl from
00:08Nebraska proved smarter than her geek squad.
00:11How do you know these things?
00:13I go outside and I talk to people.
00:16Number 20. Teaching the Guys About Fishing
00:19Whenever the guys hit a social wall they can't logic their way around,
00:23the solution is pretty simple. Ask Penny.
00:26Come on, we must know somebody who can do manly stuff like this.
00:33What's up?
00:34Just don't expect her to hold your hand while she helps out.
00:37Her farm-raised background makes her the most qualified to teach Howard about fishing.
00:41While the guys react in horror to her instructions,
00:44Penny treats hooking bait and gutting a fish as if she did it every other Tuesday.
00:49Fine. I'm sorry, Mr. Worm.
00:52Sherm, Sherm the Worm.
00:55Okay, don't name him, just jab a hook in his face.
00:57The guys may outnumber her, but she easily carries the most rugged energy among the group.
01:03But even after delivering a perfect intro to fishing,
01:06the boys are so far out of their depth that Penny's expertise doesn't even get a nibble.
01:11Grab the guts and pull.
01:15Here we go.
01:22Oh, look, it's a female. You can see all the eggs.
01:27Number 19, opening Amy's puzzle box.
01:30They might be friends, but Amy and Sheldon aren't above treating Penny and Leonard like their personal guinea pigs.
01:36Amy has secretly been giving you little puzzles to test your intelligence against chimpanzees in her lab.
01:44What? You didn't give me any puzzles.
01:46Are you sure?
01:47Case in point, Amy discreetly tests Penny's intelligence with a few simple tasks and compares them with primates in her
01:54lab.
01:55As it turns out, though, getting a banana out of a certain bamboo box is far trickier than it looks.
02:01While she and Leonard fume over how they've been treated,
02:04Penny realizes that he's never actually completed the challenge.
02:07Sheldon gave me a banana in a box. He was testing me, too.
02:12Unbelievable.
02:13And how could a chimp even solve that? That was impossible.
02:17Really? You couldn't get it out?
02:18We don't know how Amy's subjects fared, but for Leonard's sake, let's just hope they also finished below Penny.
02:25If nothing else, she gains a measure of revenge for both of them, giving Amy a puzzle of her own
02:30to solve.
02:31How can I make this up to you?
02:33The answer's in this puzzle box. Let's see if you can open it.
02:37Number 18, educating Bernadette about Sheldon's spot.
02:40After clashing with Sheldon a lot throughout the first two seasons, more on that later,
02:45Penny's more than aware of how he operates by the time Bernadette is introduced to the group.
02:50You want me to put it back?
02:54Leonard?
02:54It upsets Sheldon when you play with the Sheldon.
02:57And so, when the future Mrs. Wolowitz nearly commits the cardinal sin of sitting in Sheldon's spot,
03:03Penny's quick to make the save.
03:04No!
03:05What?
03:08Oh, yeah, you can't sit there.
03:10Why not?
03:10That's where Sheldon sits.
03:12He can't sit somewhere else?
03:14Rather than subjecting Bernadette to one of Dr. Cooper's patented lectures on seating etiquette,
03:19Penny delivers a pitch-perfect explanation that makes it clear why no one sits there but Sheldon himself.
03:25You know she's pulled a smart move for the ages when Sheldon himself rewards Penny with a compliment.
03:31It faces the television at an angle that isn't direct, so we can still talk to everybody,
03:35yet not so wide that the picture looks distorted.
03:41Perhaps there's hope for you after all.
03:44Number 17, Telling Leonard to Let Sheldon Go
03:47Given just how much Sheldon relies on Leonard, their dynamic was always a ticking time bomb waiting to explode.
03:53Maybe I'll move in with Penny, or maybe she and I'll take this place and you can move across the
03:58hall.
03:58Oh, wait, move across the hall?
04:01Did you take a marijuana?
04:07No, I did not.
04:08Did you get hit on the head with a coconut?
04:12No.
04:12Well, then I'm all out of guesses.
04:13So when Leonard reveals plans to live with Penny after marriage, Sheldon's fragile sense of belonging is sent into a
04:20tailspin.
04:21While she's usually the first to sympathize with him, Penny makes the more mature call to let Sheldon figure things
04:28out on his own.
04:29Might be good for him.
04:30You know he can't take a trip like this by himself.
04:33He's a grown man.
04:34No, he looks like a grown man.
04:38You've seen Freaky Friday, sometimes little kids end up in big person bodies.
04:42Despite Leonard's reluctance to leave Sheldon behind, Penny gently reminds him of the importance of letting go.
04:48It might seem a bit harsh, but it's the first step that allows both Leonard and Sheldon to grow as
04:54individuals,
04:54instead of being trapped together for the rest of their lives.
04:58Seriously, let him go.
05:06Sheldon, if you really need to do this, I'm not going to stand in your way.
05:09Number 16. Feuding with Sheldon
05:11It takes a special skill to go toe-to-toe with someone as spiteful as Sheldon.
05:16While the guys most resign themselves to living under his reign of terror, Penny dares to take a stand.
05:22I'm taking a stand.
05:24Metaphorically.
05:26Alright, that's it. Strike three.
05:30Ooh, strike three.
05:31Whether it's denying him service at the Cheesecake Factory or sabotaging his precious laundry night,
05:37she proves she can hold her own.
05:39Of course, it's also the showdown where she gets the better of him with a savage retort for the ages.
05:45Woman, you are playing with forces beyond your ken.
05:49Yeah, well your ken can kiss my Barbie.
05:51Although Sheldon thinks he's won by crossing the line,
05:55Leonard's intervention gives Penny the opening to outsmart him for good.
05:59By the end, even Sheldon has to concede defeat.
06:02An acknowledgement so rare, it might be the only time he considers someone his equal.
06:07Penny?
06:07Yes.
06:10Well played.
06:16Just remember, with great power comes great responsibility.
06:23Understood.
06:27It might not seem like much has changed after Penny moves in with Leonard, but that's exactly the point.
06:39It isn't until Howard points it out that Leonard even realizes that Penny's been swapping his stuff with her own.
06:45He may boast an IQ of 173, but Leonard has nothing on Penny's powers of stealth and persuasion.
06:52And what's it called when you secretly get rid of all your husband's stuff?
06:55Well, that is not true!
06:58Bernadette told Howard, Howard told me, plus, I can see all my stuff is gone.
07:02Oh, so you believe your friend and your friend's wife in your own eyes over me?
07:09Wow.
07:10Whether she's countering his and Sheldon's Klingon conversations by speaking ooby-dooby with Amy,
07:15or humorously gaslighting him into total confusion, Penny always has something up her sleeve.
07:21By the end of the episode, she's effectively transformed their bedroom into her bedroom,
07:26forcing Leonard to use her own subtle tactics just to reclaim a little space for himself.
07:32No, no, no, no, no, it's important to me that you have the bedroom you want.
07:35Oh, that means so much. I love you.
07:37I love you too.
07:42Just hiding some stuff in your closet, don't tell Penny.
07:44Number 14. Helping Sheldon adjust to change.
07:48Leonard may be his best friend and Amy his soulmate,
07:51but when it comes to truly understanding Sheldon, no one gets him better than Penny.
07:56What's with him?
07:57He won a Nobel Prize and his wife looks amazing.
07:59Oh, yeah, got it.
08:01Overwhelmed by things changing around him,
08:03he begins acting out and pushing people away.
08:06Thanks to their unexplainably unique brother-sister dynamic,
08:09it's up to Penny to reset Sheldon back to fully functioning form.
08:13Rather than reason with him head on,
08:16she pulls a clever bit of self-fraction,
08:18helping him see that his life has been shaped by constant change.
08:22You know, you go on and on about wanting things to stay the same,
08:24but you've changed a lot since I met you.
08:27Oh, you are a mean drunk.
08:30I'm serious.
08:31You have a ton of friends.
08:32You got married, moved into a new apartment.
08:35You wore a baseball hat that one time.
08:37As he comes to understand,
08:39change is the reason why all of his friends were brought together in the first place.
08:43Her words land not just for Sheldon,
08:45but for the audience watching from beyond the screen as well.
08:48I guess the only thing that actually stays the same is that things are always changing.
08:52Number 13, Using Sheldon's Love of Contracts for Good
08:56From considering him no more than a treasured acquaintance
09:00to constantly taking shots at his profession,
09:02Sheldon never misses a chance to put Howard down.
09:05Are you saying that his contributions aren't as valuable as yours?
09:09No, I am not saying that,
09:11because I kept saying that this morning and Leonard said stop saying that.
09:15The only way to trap him in a paradox is to beat him at his own game,
09:19which means using one of his obsessions against another.
09:22So when the opportunity arises, Penny is the first to pounce.
09:26To keep Sheldon from derailing his new partnership with Howard,
09:30she suggests adding a contractual clause
09:33forbidding Sheldon from insulting the latter at any point.
09:36What I'm saying is you could add a clause to the contract that he can't make fun of Howard.
09:39How would you enforce it?
09:40Oh, please. Any contract I sign is enforced by my own personal code of ethics.
09:45Along with protecting Howard's dignity,
09:48Penny's proposal also appeals to Sheldon's love for contracts.
09:51By weaponizing Sheldon's own rules against him,
09:54she turns a seemingly lose-lose situation into a win for all.
09:58Article 3, as it pertains to this project,
10:01Dr. Sheldon Cooper promises to abstain from all insulting
10:03or disrespectful language directed toward Howard Wolowitz,
10:07including, but not limited to, mockery of engineering,
10:10his height, his hair, his wardrobe,
10:12and his insane belief that the Ghost Rider movie was, quote, not that bad.
10:17Number 12, getting her friend's stuff back.
10:20World of Warcraft is not a joke when it comes to Sheldon,
10:23especially when he calls the police and the FBI after his account is hacked.
10:37But it isn't the law that comes to his aid.
10:40It's the one and only Queen Penelope.
10:42The game might mean nothing to her,
10:44but standing up to a jerk for her friends absolutely does.
10:48After the guys are intimidated by the hacker,
10:51Penny comes up with a simple yet highly effective idea to hit him head on.
10:55Literally in this case.
10:56Give my friend his stuff back.
10:58I don't know what you're talking about.
11:00Well then good news.
11:01Today's the day a girl's finally going to touch you in your little special place.
11:06Violence should never be the solution,
11:07but when a wannabe tough guy finally meets his match,
11:11we can't complain either.
11:12We did it!
11:16I said we.
11:17Number 11, knowing when her friends are being used.
11:21There's no denying that Penny gets special treatment from the guys,
11:24but there's also no doubt that she treasures their friendship.
11:28Their dynamic is challenged after equally attractive new tenant Alicia begins exploiting the boys.
11:33I'm telling you that girl is a user,
11:35skating through life on her looks,
11:37taking advantage of innocent weak-willed men,
11:39getting auditions for stupid network shows.
11:41It just creams my corn.
11:43Although there's a definite hint of jealousy behind her reaction,
11:47Penny is also smart enough to see through Alicia's false modesty.
11:51Knowing that the boys will continue to be used without even noticing it,
11:55Penny faces up to Alicia.
11:56They aren't like other guys.
11:58They're special.
12:00Okay, they're special.
12:02And?
12:03Ugh, let's see, how can I explain this?
12:05Um, they don't know how to use their shields.
12:09This doesn't exactly go according to plan, much to Howard's delight.
12:13Okay, lady, you are way out of line.
12:17Oh, I'm out of line?
12:19Yeah, you're out of line.
12:21Well, what are you going to do about it?
12:23It may have ended in a catfight, but Penny's instincts are proven correct,
12:28preventing Alicia from manipulating and potentially destroying her social circle.
12:33Number 10.
12:34Giving Leonard Relationship Advice
12:36If your partner was still hanging out with their stunning ex,
12:39you might feel a little on edge too.
12:42But would you ask them to choose between their friendship or your relationship?
12:45That's what Priya does, much to Leonard's dismay.
12:48I have to wonder if maybe you're not ready to move on.
12:51No, no, no, no, I'm ready.
12:52I gave up the gift of sight for you.
12:54If that's not moving on, what is?
12:57You need to cut the cord with Penny.
13:00He's initially reluctant and even goes as far as asking Penny to move to avoid bringing it up.
13:05But she reads between the lines and she gets it.
13:08Can't a fella ask his buddy to relocate?
13:10No questions asked.
13:13Oh, for God's sake, Leonard, this is about Priya, isn't it?
13:16She doesn't want me hanging out with you.
13:17Leonard suggests they continue their friendship in secret, but she quickly shoots that idea down.
13:23Why don't we just shake hands and part friends?
13:25Well, no, hold on.
13:26How about this?
13:28How about we still hang out, but on the down low?
13:33Are you really that kind of guy?
13:35No.
13:36Penny might not be as book smart as the others,
13:38but her street smarts probably saved Leonard's relationship.
13:42Well, for now.
13:46In season 6, Penny decides to go back to school,
13:49starting with a history class at a community college.
13:52I'm not embarrassed.
13:53I just didn't want anyone to know because I haven't told Leonard yet.
13:56Why wouldn't you tell Leonard?
13:57Because it's me going back to school and he's going to be all,
14:00you can do it and how can I help and I'm so proud of you.
14:04At first, she hesitates to tell Leonard because this is something she wants to do for herself
14:09and she knows he'll want to help.
14:11Indeed, he can't resist getting involved and understandably, she's annoyed.
14:16Let me get this straight.
14:17You just assumed my paper would be bad, so you wrote one for me.
14:21No, I assumed it would be good that I read it.
14:23What?
14:24A few days later, Penny shows Leonard that she doesn't need his help to get a good grade.
14:29Okay, sure, we discover she asked Damien Bernadette for help,
14:32but Leonard doesn't need to know that.
14:34All he needs to know is that Penny is perfectly capable of navigating the academic world without him.
14:40I don't think he'll be making that mistake again.
14:43Good.
14:44So, I know this goes without saying, but if either of you tell Leonard you help me rewrite this paper,
14:48I'll beat you both with a bag of oranges.
14:50Number 8.
14:51Her Emotional Intelligence
15:05When Sheldon and Penny first met, the idea that they could be BFFs one day was laughable.
15:11However, they quickly grew close and arguably had one of the best relationships on the show.
15:16In fact, Penny's sensitivity and compassion helped her develop a deeper and unique bond with the quirky genius.
15:23I meant more like a little brother.
15:25Oh.
15:27Well, I suppose I do think of you as a sister.
15:31And sometimes a mother.
15:34Indeed, she knows how to get through to him in a way that his other friends seemingly can't,
15:39even though they've known him longer.
15:41She also knows how to keep him in check, which, if you know Sheldon, is no easy task.
15:46Does it frustrate you?
15:47It does.
15:49I get that.
15:50You know, it's okay to feel frustrated when things aren't going your way.
15:54I suppose.
15:56Ah, maybe it's not that big a deal.
15:57If you ask us, Penny can be credited for much of Sheldon's character development throughout the series.
16:03I hope you didn't think you were going to get through tonight without a hug.
16:07You know, I used to hate these hugs.
16:12Now they're just extremely irritating.
16:15Number 7. Figuring Out Howard's Magic Trick
16:18In this classic episode, Sheldon's utterly stumped by Howard's magic trick.
16:23Is that your card?
16:24Yes, it is. Very cool.
16:27It's not cool.
16:29It's a childish trick designed to confuse and intrigue simpletons.
16:35How'd you do it?
16:37Naturally, the others revel in his frustration and taunt him endlessly.
16:41At one point, Penny tries to convince him to just enjoy the magic, but he's having none of it.
16:46Big deal. Not knowing is part of the fun.
16:49Not knowing is part of the fun. Was that the motto of your community college?
16:52A few scenes later, she gets her revenge for his savage remark by claiming she's figured it out.
16:57As always, Sheldon believes he's the most intelligent person in the room, so if he doesn't get it, there's no
17:03way she could.
17:04Oh, Sheldon. It's almost like you've never met Penny before.
17:08If I don't know, you don't know. That's axiomatic.
17:11Come here.
17:15You're right.
17:17Not too bad for someone who doesn't know what axiomatic means.
17:21What makes this moment even funnier is that we later discover she's in on a much bigger joke.
17:27Number 6. Penny Talks Finances
17:30To say that Penny's experienced some financial woes would be an understatement, but after switching careers, she goes from struggling
17:38actress to successful pharmaceuticals rep.
17:41You should come over and read for a part.
17:43Oh my god, I would love that.
17:45You have a new job.
17:47Maybe I could do both.
17:48I don't think you could do both.
17:50I don't think I asked you.
17:52During an argument over whether Penny should audition for a Kevin Smith movie, Leonard finds out just how well she's
17:58doing.
17:59Not only does she earn twice as much as him, but she also has a pretty responsible plan for her
18:04finances.
18:05If you're making all this money, where is it?
18:08In a safe place.
18:09What does that mean? Under your bed?
18:10No, it means a diversified portfolio of stocks and bonds.
18:14I'm not overly conservative, I'm young, so my guy said I can afford to take some risks.
18:18Leonard's miffed by this new dynamic in their relationship, but we're super impressed by how she's turned things around.
18:25She also skillfully uses Leonard's insecurities in her quick wit to win the audition argument from before.
18:31Would it make you feel better if I did something dumb like sneak out of work one day to go
18:36audition for a Kevin Smith movie?
18:37That would be great, thank you!
18:39Number 5. Winning Game Night
18:41It's game night in Apartment 4A.
18:44Sheldon's convinced that he's at an advantage for simply being, well, him.
18:49Pictionary, what are the teams?
18:50How about boys versus girls?
18:52Oh, that hardly seems fair.
18:54But I guess any team that I'm not on has a decided disadvantage.
18:58But he quickly learns that much of his braininess and expertise isn't just useless here, it's actually holding him back.
19:06Penny takes her good sweet time to enjoy the moment before stealing the show and the game.
19:11Alright, that's enough.
19:21Hilariously, no matter what activity they tackle, Penny and Amy best the guys at every turn.
19:26Would you call someone with that kind of winning streak a liability?
19:30You don't think I'm smart enough.
19:31You think I'm going to be a liability.
19:32Even though I totally just used the word liability correctly in a sentence.
19:40Didn't the guys learn anything from games night?
19:42They might underestimate her, but we'd want her on our team any day.
19:49One, two, three, pick!
19:51Number 4. Nailing Her Pharmaceutical Career
19:53As we mentioned earlier, Penny gives up acting to pursue a career in pharmaceutical sales.
19:59Now, we all remember her initial interview, right?
20:02It was pretty abysmal.
20:04Well, as a waitress, sales was a big part of my job.
20:07I mean, believe me, I convinced a lot of very large customers who should not be eating cheesecake to have
20:11more cheesecake.
20:12Still, she gets the job, and she's actually pretty good at it.
20:16Penny proves that a college degree will only get you so far, and actually, there are many other skills needed
20:22to truly excel in the workplace.
20:24Or is it because she's the best damn salesperson here?
20:27Because I am.
20:29Now that we're clear on that, here are the drug specs and marketing strategy for Inflamin-X.
20:34Which, now that I say it out loud, might be a placeholder.
20:37Is it any wonder Bernadette chooses her as a team leader?
20:40Or that another company tries to poach her?
20:43Penny has possibly the most considerable career detour of any character on the show.
20:48And the way she handles it is truly admirable.
20:51I promise you I'm not going to let her go without a fight.
20:53You do not want that, she's a biter.
20:56Just think about it.
20:59You know, I don't have to.
21:00Thanks, but I'm happy where I am.
21:03Number 3. Teaching the guys pop culture.
21:06After a physics bowl tournament comes between friends, Penny decides to put the guys' intellect to the ultimate test.
21:13But, you know, none of that physics stuff.
21:15Marsha, Jan, and Cindy were the three daughters in what TV family?
21:23The Brady Bunch.
21:25Instead, she quizzes them on popular culture and, well, sure, Penny might not know Newton's Law from Hubble's Law, but
21:31at least she knows the Brady Bunch and who sang Oops, I Did It Again.
21:35And we don't know about your circles, but the latter two are more likely to come up in ours.
21:40All right, singer who sang Oops, I Did It Again?
21:48We think it's easy to determine who came out on top here.
21:52At least the next time we see Penny quiz Sheldon on pop culture, he shows some progress.
21:57Chloe?
21:58Yes!
21:59See, I remember because if it looks like Kim, it's Kim.
22:02If it looks kind of like Kim, it's Kourtney.
22:03If it looks nothing like Kim, it's Chloe.
22:06Number 2 Checkmate, Leonard
22:08Some might call it beginner's luck, but watching Penny kick Leonard's butt at chess was truly remarkable.
22:15So, if I move my horsey here, isn't that checkmate and I win?
22:26As far as we know, this is her first time playing, and she hasn't even mastered the names of all
22:31the pieces.
22:32Yet she moves her horsey and wins the game.
22:34Now, your king is trapped.
22:36He can't go here because of my lighthouse.
22:41And he can't go here because of my pointy head guy.
22:45Sure, it's possible that Leonard's just a really good teacher, but we prefer to think that this proves that intelligence
22:52comes in many forms and that everyone has different strengths that help them excel.
22:56Penny's highly observant, intuitive, and learns impressively fast.
23:00It also shows that she doesn't get nearly enough credit for her intellect.
23:05If I were you, I'd be worried that a girl who's never played chess in her life just kicked your
23:08ass.
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23:30Penny didn't always show much interest in the guys' careers, but by the last two seasons, she was talking Sheldon
23:36through string theory and discovering comets.
23:39I do see something.
23:40Told you.
23:41What is it?
23:42I don't know.
23:43Maybe it's a comet.
23:45In the solo oscillation, she became a soundboard for Sheldon after he hits a professional wall.
23:50She helps him rediscover his love for string theory and even learns a little something, too.
23:55So it's sort of like a guitar string, but instead of making an actual sound, each vibration is a different
24:01particle.
24:02Precisely.
24:03And when you express it in 11 dimensions, Einstein's relativity equations pop out.
24:07Does that sound like a coincidence?
24:08It does not.
24:09Eventually, she offers him a fresh perspective that completely alters his approach to the subject.
24:15Sure, others have been stumped for decades, but Penny has a significant breakthrough in just one night.
24:21We get around that by considering them as sheets.
24:25You know, topologically speaking, that has a lot of interesting possibilities.
24:30See? How long did that take me? Like a minute?
24:32Watching Leonard and Amy's faces when she shares the news is priceless.
24:35Where's her Nobel Prize?
24:37Turns out the answer's knots.
24:39That's cute, but you can't have knots in more than four dimensions.
24:43Mmm.
24:44You can if you consider them sheets.
24:46Good night.
24:46Good night.
24:47Good night.
24:47Good night.
24:48Good night.
24:49Good night.
24:51Good night.
24:53Good night.
24:54Good night.
24:54Good night.
24:55Good night.
24:55Good night.
24:56Good night.
24:56Good night.
24:57Good night.
24:57Good night.
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