In season 8, Debbie passed away unexpectedly, which left a gaping hole in Howard's life. As an ensemble cast, there was no "main" character in TBBT, but at this moment, Howard felt like one. If it weren't for his wife and friends, he'd be a fragment of the man he was in the series finale. But before his mom's sudden death, the two shared some amazing moments on TBBT that fans still laugh about today.
Howard's Hankering For Lamb Stew
Before it was known as Howard and Bernadette's house, it was always Howard and Mrs. Wolowitz's house. Any time Bernadette went over to their family home while they were dating, she felt like she and Howard had no personal space or alone time. Howard was used to his mom's nagging but Bernadette was not.
In one episode, Howard and Bernadette were getting frisky in his bedroom when his mother came home. As an attempt to get her out of the house, he begged for her to make lamb stew. The two then went back and forth over the kind of peas that go well with lamb stew — all while Howard tried to make out with an uncomfortable Bernadette. This hilarious exchange proved how well Howard knew his mother and what to do to get his way.
Telling Off Kristy The "Golddigger"
In season 1, Howard was ecstatic when his inappropriate pickup lines worked on Penny's friend, Christy. The two were obsessed with each other for a majority of the episode — so much so that he brought her home to meet his mother.
At the end of the episode, Leonard, Raj, and Sheldon stood outside listening to an argument between Mrs. Wolowitz, Christy, and Howard. Mrs. Wolowitz was upset that she had to share Howard with a "golddigger" and warned them both that if Howard continued to date her, she'd cut him out of the family will... Suffice to say, that was the end of Howard and Christy.
In Bed With Leslie Winkle
It was not uncommon for the men of The Big Bang Theory to fall for the same woman. Although Leonard crushed on their colleague Leslie Winkle first, Howard went on to date her for a little after. Leslie wasn't one of Howard's best girlfriends, but the two had fun together.
In one scene, Howard and Leslie were lying in bed when he heard his mother come home. From the first floor, she screamed about her book club and how she needed help with her zipper. When Howard yelled that he was busy, Leslie then chimed in that Howard had company over. Hearing that it was a woman, Mrs. Wolowitz replied, "Is she Jewish?" Howard then hilariously told his mother that yes, Leslie was, just so that she would leave them alone.
When Penny Escaped Her Embrace To Speak To Howard
In 'The Killer Robot Instability,' Howard and Penny got into a big argument. Penny was tired of Howard's constant flirtation and Howard was offended by Penny's insults. He stayed at home and sulked for a few days, which concerned both his friend group and his mother.
With Howard in bed, Mrs. Wolowitz screamed his messages whenever his "little friends" called the house. But when Penny stopped by the house to apologize to Howard, Mrs. Wolowitz called her "Patsy" and wasn't swift enough to keep Penny from going upstairs to talk to a solemn Howard. Between Mrs. Wolowitz's disbelief in Penny's speed and calling her "Patsy," it was a funny moment.
"Who's Calling At This Ungodly Hour?!"
In "The Pancake Batter Anomaly," Sheldon fell ill, which alarmed Leonard because of how needy a sick Sheldon could be. Leonard called Howard to warn him. Howard and Sheldon weren't always the best of friends but ignoring him when he needed friends most was one of the worst things Howard did to Sheldon.
As Howard's phone rang, his mother screamed that the phone was ringing. Howard and Mrs. Wolowitz went back and forth about someone calling at an "ungodly hour" until Howard eventually picked up. But the screaming didn't stop there. Once Howard picked up the phone, Mrs. Wolowitz couldn't help but ask who it was, which prompted even more yelling.
The Supposed Home Invasion
In "The Guitarist Amplification," Sheldon was upset when Leonard and Penny were fighting. Their constant arguing reminded him of growing up with combative parents. To escape their bickering, Sheldon went to Howard's house for peace. It was one of the few times Sheldon and Howard found common ground.
After knocking on Howard's door, Sheldon heard him and Mrs. Wolowitz screaming at each other. She told Howard to answer the door because she was "on the toilet," which made Howard question why she was always in the bathroom. He then prayed whoever was at the door was a home invasion so he could finally escape her. While the exchange sounds hurtful, it's humorous because the two are never offended by each other.
Mrs. Wolowitz Wasn't Okay With Howard Going To The Arctic
At the end of the second season, Sheldon found a way to entice the group into going to the Arctic with him for a three-month expedition. Raj's parents were unsure if they should allow Raj to go with the group or not because the Arctic could be dangerous. Howard assured them that if his mother let him go, they should let Raj go.
Howard put his mother on speakerphone to prove she was okay with him leaving but the opposite appeared true. Mrs. Wolowitz thought Howard said he was going to Arkansas, not the Arctic. As per usual, the two started bickering over the confusion but fans loved it.
Mrs. Wolowitz Found Her Girdle!
In "The Hot Troll Deviation," Howard was no longer with Bernadette. At this point in Howard and Bernadette's relationship timeline, Howard wasn't sure he wanted to settle down with someone like Bernadette. He thought he could find someone more similar looking to Angelina Jolie...
One night, Howard tried having a masturbatory fantasy of Katee Sackhoff, but his imagination was disrupted when his mother interrupted him, hilariously screaming, "Have you seen my girdle?!"
Wheel Of Fortune
According to Howard, his mother isn't good at many things because she isn't physically able to do them. However, her one superpower is being incredibly good with Wheel of Fortune.
In "The Zarnecki Incursion," Howard had the gang over his house to watch Wheel of Fortune. He proved how good his mother was at the game by telling her the hints from the other room and she was able to solve the puzzle without looking. Mrs. Wolowitz's brilliance with words was a small detail that fans missed because it was never mentioned again.
Howard In Space
While some viewers thought it didn't make sense for Howard to go to space due to his various health issues, it made for an interesting storyline. Being in space meant he was away from his mother for a long time, which they both weren't used to.
In a funny moment, Mrs. Wolowitz called Howard in space to talk about him moving in with Bernadette. Even in zero gravity, the two were screaming at each other about life on Earth. Howard was embarrassed that NASA heard their conversations but they were hilarious nonetheless.