Are Leonard Hofstadter (Johnny Galecki) and Penny (Kaley Cuoco) having problems this early in their marriage?
While Sheldon Cooper's (Jim Parsons) love life starts to look up after he and Amy Fowler (Mayim Bialik) decided to be intimate during the midseason finale of "The Big Bang Theory" season 9, the series will return with Leonard and Penny's marriage in trouble because of his closeness to Sheldon.
In episode 12 titled "The Sales Call Sublimation," Leonard and Penny will open up about their Sheldon problems with a psychiatrist named Dr. Gallo (Jane Kaczmarek).
"We have this man-child living with us named Sheldon," Penny told the psychiatrist in the sneak peek for the upcoming episode. "Leonard talked a lot about him. I wasn't sure if he was real," Dr. Gallo replies. Penny assures her that Sheldon is indeed real. "He is as real as the 'fine' I get when I use too much toilet paper!" she blurts out.
Aside from their Sheldon problems, Leonard will also discuss his maternal issues with the psychiatrist, who also happens to personally know his mother.
"I can tell you I don't agree with her theories on child rearing at all," Dr. Gallo tells Leonard.
Leonard will tell his wife that he is having therapeutic breakthroughs with his sessions with the psychiatrist, but Penny will be more concerned about their real intention in setting an appointment with the doctor.
In the beginning of the episode, Leonard reluctantly agrees to see Dr. Gallo so she can have an excuse to sell her some of her pharmaceutical products. But Leonard is surprised when he realizes that he is enjoying his sessions with the psychiatrist because he can vent out his frustrations regarding his mother.
Meanwhile, the episode will also reveal that Howard Wolowitz (Simon Helberg) and his wife Bernadette (Melissa Rauch) will be experiencing an empty nest syndrome after Stuart Bloom (Kevin Sussman) decides to move out of their place. Meanwhile, Stuart and Raj Koothrappali (Kunal Nayyar) will make an agreement after Stuart insisted to name their asteroid discovery "Amy."
"The Big Bang Theory" season 9 episode 12 airs Thursday, Jan. 7, on CBS.
