The Lunar Excitation
🎞️ S3 E23 🤔 Caution

The Big Bang Theory

Is The Big Bang Theory S3 E23 OK for kids?

The Lunar Excitation

While Penny worries that dating Leonard has ruined her for normal guys, Wolowitz and Koothrappali search for Sheldon's perfect match online.

📺 Where to watch

Netflix, HBO or Disney+ — catalogs differ by country.

🛒 Where to buy

Digital seasons or a box set to keep.

Content guide

👊 Violence
💋 Sex
🙊 Language
⭐ Overall

Preview first — about 10+

The Big Bang Theory S3 E23, “The Lunar Excitation”, scores 2/5 for violence, 3/5 for sex and 3/5 for language, for an overall kid-rating of 3/5 — Preview first — about 10+. While Penny worries that dating Leonard has ruined her for normal guys, Wolowitz and Koothrappali search for Sheldon's perfect match online.

Across the episode we counted 17 flagged moments in 6 themes: Sex & hookups (4); Nudity & bodies (4); Violence & injury (2); Swearing (3); Alcohol & drugs (2); Sexual insults (2). Every moment below is either a direct quote from the episode transcript or a short description of what happens on screen, so you can decide before you press play.

Parents need to know

Age 10+

Sex talk, language, sexual insults in live-action sitcom.

Parents need to know that The Big Bang Theory S3 E23, "The Lunar Excitation", is a live-action sitcom episode. The series is known for more innuendo than the science jokes suggest, but rarely explicit. Sits in the gray area mainly on sex & hookups (moderate, in dialogue). Violence is mild but includes Sheldon says, "He didn’t date. It was pon farr. His blood boiled with mating lust". Sexual content includes Penny says, "We’re gonna have sex"; Howard says, "You got it. Oh, Raj, no. Billions of dollars have gone into inventing the Internet and…". Language isn't constant, but you can expect swearing — for example, Zack says, "Whoa! Is that the laser? It’s bitchin’". This episode includes sexual insults — for example, Raj says, "I’m telling you, dude, the only way to feel better about Penny going out with other guys…". Characters drink or talk about alcohol and drugs — Leonard says, "Are you drunk?". Every flagged moment below is a direct quote from the transcript or a short description of what happens on screen.

Watch for — every moment, theme by theme

Sex & hookups 4 moments

How Sex & hookups shows up in The Big Bang Theory S3 E23:

  • Caution
    Penny We’re gonna have sex.
  • Caution
    Leonard Great. Maybe she can have sex with him, and then walk out on him the next morning without so much as a how do you do?
  • Mild
    Leonard How am I supposed to let it go? You used me for sex! Morning, Mrs. Gunderson.
  • Mild
    Leonard Um, anyway, apparently, it’s okay to go back to people you’re no longer seeing and have recreational sex with them.

Nudity & bodies 4 moments

How Nudity & bodies shows up in The Big Bang Theory S3 E23:

  • Mild
    Howard You got it. Oh, Raj, no. Billions of dollars have gone into inventing the Internet and filling it with pictures of naked women, so we don’t have to peep through windows.
  • Mild
    Zack: Naked.
  • Mild
    Raj Yeah, look. Breasts and everything.
  • Mild
    Howard Trust me, breasts doesn’t necessarily mean woman.

Violence & injury 2 moments

How Violence & injury shows up in The Big Bang Theory S3 E23:

  • Caution
    Sheldon He didn’t date. It was pon farr. His blood boiled with mating lust.
  • Mild
    Sheldon When one gets beaten up every other day in school, one of necessity develops a keen sense of hearing.

Swearing 3 moments

How Swearing shows up in The Big Bang Theory S3 E23:

  • Caution
    Zack Whoa! Is that the laser? It’s bitchin’.
  • Caution
    Sheldon Yes. In 1917, when Albert Einstein established the theoretic foundation for the laser in his paper Zur Quantentheorie der Strahlung, his fondest hope was that the resultant device be bitchin’.
  • Mild
    Penny Damn you, you rat bastard.

Alcohol & drugs 2 moments

How Alcohol & drugs shows up in The Big Bang Theory S3 E23:

  • Mild
    Leonard Are you drunk?
  • Mild
    Penny Look, I’m sorry. I was drunk, I was lonely, I hated Zack. Can we just forget it ever happened?

Sexual insults 2 moments

How Sexual insults shows up in The Big Bang Theory S3 E23:

  • Caution
    Raj I’m telling you, dude, the only way to feel better about Penny going out with other guys is for you to get back on the whores.
  • Caution
    Howard The phrase is get back on the horse, not whores.

Watch With The Kids · Your kids — your rules! · Informal parent guidance, not an official rating.