The following list is sorted in alphabetical order by first name: In season six, Howard and Mike are pushed into a fishing weekend by their spouses, but neither man really wants to go. In season five, after Amy goes out on a date with comic-book store owner Stuart, Sheldon decides to solidify their relationship as boyfriend/girlfriend with a 31-page "Relationship Agreement". After accompanying them on a trip to the comic-book store (where Raj and he bond over a mutual fondness for In season seven, it is discovered that Zack and Penny have been unknowingly married for three years after the two were intoxicated and attended a wedding chapel in In season nine, episode 22, Zack's observations indicate he is, in some respects, more observant and smarter than "the science dudes". Bernadette is horrified when she realizes how everyone perceives her. Kripke assumes that Sheldon is in a sexual relationship with Amy and that has led to his work quality declining, and Sheldon does not deny it (although this appears to be just a convenient excuse since his work is inferior to Kripke's). She says that Mrs. Wolowitz lay down for a nap and never woke up afterwards. After Stuart's comic-book store burns down, Howard invites Stuart to work for Mrs. Wolowitz; however, they develop a strange relationship, much to Howard's annoyance. Raj later bumps into Ruchi at a bar while watching a cricket match with Howard and they eventually hook up. In season seven, because his wife is out of town, Bernadette gets Mike to come to Howard's mother's house for Thanksgiving dinner, though he would rather watch football at home. The timing leads him to believe that she may not like Bernadette (who is Catholic) and has suffered a heart attack from the shock of the news. In his first appearance, he tells Howard that, while he does not think highly of him, his respect for Howard grew when he learned he had been selected to become an astronaut.
In season seven, Mrs. Wolowitz breaks her leg and keeps driving away the nurses hired to care for her. In "The Maternal Conclusion", Beverly visits Leonard and Penny acting nice and truly interested in Leonard's new physics project. His name was not mentioned in the plot, but the closing credits gave the name Bert. Sheldon has tried to hide his clear belief that Stuart is more of a hanger-on to the group of friends than a core member, most notably in a story where Stuart was part of a motley "test brunch" along with Burt the geologist and a neighbor who only spoke English she'd heard on TV, so Sheldon could work-out any hosting issues before trying an event with his "real" friends. Finally he forgives her which makes both of them feel much better and they end in a true loving embrace.