Leonard Nimoy’s napkin from Penny on The Big Bang Theory is the center of a newly-surfaced behind-the-scenes image with Jim Parsons. Over its 12-year run on CBS, The Big Bang Theory staged a few holiday-themed episodes. Despite that, those outings were some of the greatest from the nerd-centric sitcom with a lot of memorable moments. That includes when the Pasadena gang, bar Sheldon, discusses how he connected them all, in addition to when Amy hosted her friends, alongside Raj’s dad. However, nothing can arguably top the Christmas from The Big Bang Theory season 2 where Sheldon received a great gift from Penny.

In “The Bath Item Gift Hypothesis,” Penny came up with possibly the best present for Sheldon when she gave him a napkin Nimoy signed at The Cheesecake Factory. Given Sheldon’s fondness for Nimoy and Spock, the gift delighted him, resulting in his mad scramble to return the favor. This resulted in one of the best bits on The Big Bang Theory and highlighted Penny and Sheldon’s friendship. Now, author Jessica Radloff shares a BTS image of Parsons holding Sheldon’s Nimoy napkin from Penny while co-star Kunal Nayyar takes a photo of him. Check out the adorable snap below:

Why Sheldon & Penny’s Relationship Works Great On The Big Bang Theory

Considering how difficult Sheldon was, he didn’t have many friends. As seen in Young Sheldon, he had difficulties socializing at an early age. Penny reminded him of Missy, and that’s why he was more open to spending time with her even though they didn’t have many similarities. It also helped that Penny was extremely patient with him; opting to be understanding of his underdeveloped social skills than mocking or judging him for his flaws. This is despite Sheldon’s tendency to make inappropriate and deeply hurtful comments about Penny’s romantic choices. In the end, the pair found a dynamic that worked well for both of them.

The Big Bang Theory originally features a very different version of Penny named Katie, who’s more ruthless and crude. CBS realized that the character wasn’t going to work opposite the show’s nerdy characters. Given Kaley Cuoco’s take on Penny, the sitcom found the right mix of characters with the addition of Raj and Howard with original players, Sheldon and Leonard. Amid several different pairings on The Big Bang Theory, there is no doubt that Sheldon and Penny’s friendship was its core relationship. Both characters benefit from their dynamic. Penny helped Sheldon navigate his emotions more healthily, while he helped her deal with the complicated start to her romance with Leonard.

Sadly, the decision to end The Big Bang Theory resulted in a conflict between Parsons and Cuoco which stemmed from the way his exit from the show was delivered to the rest of the cast. In an ideal world, the show would have ended drama-free, but the good thing is, they were able to quickly patch things up and stage a great The Big Bang Theory finale. Somehow, it mirrors Sheldon and Penny’s tumultuous friendship, which had ups and downs, and a lot of great moments in between, including the Nimoy napkin.