Top 20 The Big Bang Theory Callbacks in Young Sheldon
It All Started with A Big Bang… [Theory]. Welcome to MsMojo, and today we’re counting down our picks for the scenes, jokes, and motifs in “Young Sheldon."
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00:00I don't care how dim-witted you are, scientific principles have to make you smile.
00:05Welcome to Ms. Mojo, and today we're counting down our picks for the scenes,
00:10jokes, and motifs from Young Sheldon that reminded us that it all started with a Big Bang Theory.
00:17Did you put extra hot dogs in the spaghetti?
00:20I did.
00:20Number 20. The Fun With Flags Format
00:24In this episode from Season 3, Sheldon discovers that his mom has been hiding a letter from Caltech.
00:30Offering him a spot at the university.
00:32Caltech wants you to go to school there.
00:35Really?
00:36They want to talk to mom and dad about it.
00:40I can't believe she would hide that from me.
00:42Since he's still a kid, Mary's not exactly eager to ship him off to California by himself.
00:47This leads to a big argument when it's revealed she kept the letter hidden from his dad, too.
00:52Father and son then team up to convince her,
00:55presenting a video pitch with a backdrop that seems familiar.
00:59Hello, I'm Sheldon Cooper, and this is why Sheldon Cooper should go to college.
01:05I realize attending college in another state or country is unrealistic at this time.
01:10Yes, in the future Sheldon would start a web series about flags
01:13that he'd present in a very similar manner.
01:16We also love the use of flags in his college pitch. Nice touch.
01:20Sheldon Cooper. Ready for college. Ready to change the world.
01:25Cut.
01:26If that doesn't convince her, I don't know what her problem is.
01:29Sheldon goes to Germany
01:32Sheldon's time in Germany gets mentioned occasionally in The Big Bang Theory.
01:36When I was 15 and spending the summer at the Heidelberg Institute in Germany.
01:41Studying abroad?
01:42No, visiting professor.
01:44While the details may not always line up,
01:46unless he goes back again, one thing's certain.
01:49He spent a summer there with his mom.
01:51It all begins when Sheldon realizes he's leaned too much on his child prodigy status
01:57and needs to beef up his resume for grad schools fast.
02:00Competition is fierce. It takes a lot to stand out.
02:04You're my advisors. Why didn't you advise me of this?
02:07Sheldon, if I could offer you some advice.
02:10No, thank you.
02:11Thanks to donations from people eager for a Sheldon-free summer,
02:15he flies off to attend a summer school program.
02:18Of course, adult Sheldon also leaves out a few key details,
02:22like how he was dubbed the class dumb cop,
02:25and the fact that he was tutored by an even younger kid genius.
02:28You can't just invent dimensions. There's this one, this one, and this one.
02:35You forgot the dimension of time.
02:40Ow. Thank you.
02:42Number 18. Relationship Agreements
02:45Sheldon's love for contracts is only rivaled by his obsession with rigid schedules.
02:50Is there any chance you'd be available to stand guard at 145?
02:54You have a bathroom schedule?
02:56You don't?
02:57It's no shock that his bathroom schedule started in childhood,
03:00though the real surprise is that Missy adopts it too when their house gets crowded.
03:04Anyway, we know adult Sheldon thrives on creating contracts,
03:09whether with his roommates, friends, or girlfriend.
03:12Sheldon Lee Cooper, here and after known as The Boyfriend,
03:15and Amy Farrah Fowler, here and after known as The Girlfriend.
03:21That's so romantic.
03:23Back in season one of Young Sheldon, Connie gets upset with Dr. John Sturgis
03:27for going behind her back to confront Ira, who's trying to win her over with gifts,
03:32and Sheldon, who's been getting a little too involved.
03:35So Sheldon comes up with a solution that makes everyone happy.
03:39Narrator Sheldon even mentions that he's continued this tradition with his children.
03:43I would go on to draw up such contracts throughout my life,
03:47with roommates, with my wife, even with my own children.
03:54Number 17. Schrodinger's Cat.
03:57Many of us first learned about Schrodinger's Cat from the Big Bang Theory,
04:01and more importantly, how we could apply it to everyday dilemmas.
04:05Just like Schrodinger's Cat, your potential relationship with Leonard right now
04:09can be thought of as both good and bad.
04:12It is only by opening the box that you'll find out which it is.
04:15When George takes his sons on a road trip to watch a shuttle launch,
04:19a car game turns into a conversation about the theory, or at least an attempt.
04:23Sheldon tries to explain it, but Georgie's more concerned with the cat's name,
04:27much to his brother's frustration.
04:29So the cat's name is Schrodinger?
04:31No.
04:32Well, what's its name?
04:34Its name doesn't matter.
04:35It does if the cat was dead, otherwise where are you gonna put on his tombstone?
04:39George manages to steer the discussion back on track,
04:42but by then, Sheldon's well and truly over it.
04:45Honestly, we're not sure why Sheldon got so frustrated
04:48when Penny didn't grasp it right away.
04:50She understood it much faster than Georgie.
04:52Fine, the cat's name is Mittens.
04:55Because he has little white feet?
04:57Sure.
04:58Number 16.
04:59Using Missy and Penny as Test Subjects
05:02In Season 2 of the prequel, Sheldon helps Missy with her math homework,
05:06turning it into an experiment.
05:08It occurred to me, if I could teach mathematics to someone as dull-witted as my sister,
05:13I could create a race of superhumans that would do my bidding.
05:17And who wouldn't want that?
05:19This isn't the first time Apes inspired Sheldon to play teacher.
05:22In The Gorilla Experiment, he teaches Penny a little physics,
05:26comparing it to Coco the gorilla learning sign language.
05:30In both cases, he records the session and proves that the teaching profession is not for him.
05:35What does that imply?
05:36I don't know.
05:37How can you not know?
05:39I just told you!
05:40Have you suffered a recent blow to the head?
05:44Hey, you don't have to be so mean!
05:46He's not too kind to Penny, who's genuinely trying.
05:49But cutting the hair off Missy's Cabbage Patch doll?
05:52That's just cruel.
05:54Maybe young Sheldon hadn't yet heard of positive reinforcement.
05:58Still, if he'd used the same motivation on Penny,
06:01we're sure the result would have been the same.
06:03Is it working?
06:04Are you feeling motivated?
06:06Very.
06:0815. Professor Proton
06:11In The Big Bang Theory, Sheldon mentions coming home
06:14every day after school to watch Professor Proton.
06:17And every day at four o'clock, you'd come to my house on channel 68,
06:22and we'd do science together.
06:25If it hadn't been for you, who knows what would have become of me?
06:28Sure enough, in The Young Sheldon Pilot, there he is on the sofa watching,
06:32yes, you guessed it, Professor Proton.
06:35He's even watching the episode with the Potato Clock experiment
06:38that both confuses and blows Penny's mind in the original series.
06:42Potato Clock! Do Potato Clock!
06:44What's that?
06:45I power a clock with a potato.
06:49Shut up! You can do that?
06:51It's not just that Sheldon enjoys watching the show,
06:54but he even wants to dress like his idol too.
06:57Ahead of his first day in high school, he panics when his bow tie goes missing.
07:02Professor Proton isn't the only one of Sheldon's childhood heroes
07:05who gets a shout out in the prequel.
07:07Wolverine's cute.
07:09If you like him, then you should watch Star Trek with me.
07:12He's not that cute.
07:13Number 14. Present Day Sheldon's Office
07:16As many fans suspected, Young Sheldon is revealed to be
07:20adult Sheldon writing his memoir.
07:22Are you writing your memoir or a fantasy novel?
07:25For your information, the word memoir comes from memory,
07:28and these memories are mine.
07:30In the series finale, we see Sheldon's home office,
07:33which is packed with the Big Bang Theory Easter eggs.
07:36You'll spot his Nobel Prize medal on the wall,
07:39the DNA model in the corner,
07:41and even Gollum on his desk.
07:43Sheldon's spot is there too,
07:44so it's filled with nostalgic items from the old apartment
07:47that you'll need to rewatch and pause repeatedly to catch them all.
07:51Amy and Sheldon's chats also bring back moments from the original series.
07:56And since when do you go out of your way to make other people happy?
08:01How about once a year on your birthday?
08:03Other than that, when?
08:05All the time.
08:06While season four revealed they named their son
08:08after one of Sheldon's favorite Leonards,
08:10the finale also tells us more about their daughter.
08:13By the way, your daughter wants to take acting classes.
08:16I told you we never should have let Penny babysit.
08:19Number 13. Some Familiar Voices
08:22Of course, we couldn't expand the Big Bang Theory universe
08:25without bringing in some of the original crew.
08:28We mentioned Amy showing up in the final episode,
08:31but we also hear her voice alongside narrator Sheldon
08:34on a couple of other occasions too.
08:36Okay, we're off on a tangent. I'm taking over.
08:39Money can be a source of conflict in a relationship,
08:41even having too much.
08:42But this is my story.
08:44I know. Jealous?
08:46Simon Helberg reprises his role as Howard Wolowitz too,
08:50but more on that soon.
08:52One cameo you might have missed is Kaley Cuoco,
08:55who voices the swimming pool in Sheldon's Nightmare.
08:58Why don't you like me?
09:00You're full of bacteria.
09:02So are you, but you don't hear me saying,
09:05Ugh, it's rude.
09:07Look, I may just be pool water, but I still have feelings.
09:11While she's not playing Penny,
09:13the pool brings all the sass we loved from her character.
09:16Also like Penny, the pool is surprisingly skilled
09:19at nudging Sheldon out of his comfort zone,
09:22even if, in this case, it's just in his subconscious.
09:25A little closer.
09:30Gotcha!
09:3212. My Mother Had Me Tested
09:34In one of the Parents series' most iconic running gags,
09:37whenever someone questions Sheldon's sanity,
09:40he usually replies,
09:42I'm not crazy. My mother had me tested.
09:44Mary even confirms this during one of her visits to Pasadena.
09:48In Young Sheldon, we see her take him to a therapist
09:51after Dr. Sturgis' breakdown, just to put her mind at ease.
09:55There's also the time his parents took him to a psychotherapist
09:58after he developed a food phobia from choking at breakfast,
10:02though he wasn't technically tested then either.
10:05Still, Mary clearly had her concerns,
10:07and at some point, she had him officially tested.
10:11Good news, I just spoke to Tommy Clarkson.
10:14What? Are you crazy?
10:15Nope, mom had me tested.
10:17It's too bad the series doesn't give more context
10:20or explain why Mary decided to skip getting a second opinion.
10:23Actually, I had him tested as a child.
10:27Doctor says he's fine.
10:29Told you.
10:30Although I do regret not following up with that specialist in Houston.
10:33Number 11.
10:34Sheldon's Dislike of Engineers
10:37Sheldon infamously has little respect for a few professions besides his own.
10:42Single most important field of study-
10:45Stop!
10:46I'm sorry, Howard, I can't do this.
10:47You asked me to write you an introduction to engineering.
10:50Yes, and if I wanted a comedy routine, I'd have gone to Billy Crystal.
10:52Yet he holds a particular disdain for both geology and engineering.
10:57Although Howard often feels the sting of Sheldon's comments about his field,
11:01it turns out this has never really been about him.
11:04Well, not at first.
11:05Engineering, where the noble semi-skilled laborers
11:08execute the vision of those who think and dream.
11:12Hello, oompa-loompas of science.
11:14It all began with Sheldon's engineering teacher, Professor Boucher,
11:18who relentlessly challenged and pushed him to his limits.
11:22Just when Sheldon thinks he's nailed the assignment,
11:24he gets locked out of class for being late.
11:27So essentially, Howard has been bearing the brunt of a very old grudge.
11:31That's your problem with engineering?
11:33Evidently.
11:34So all the teasing and all the abuse had nothing to do with me?
11:37I'll admit, at first I had a chip on my shoulder because of that class.
11:42But then it was mostly you.
11:43Perhaps even more surprising is that Sheldon's contempt for geology
11:47can be traced back to a girl.
11:49It's not really a science.
11:51It's not?
11:52No, it's more like a hobby.
11:53Rock collecting. Childish, really.
11:58In the pilot episode for Young Sheldon,
12:01viewers were treated to one of the first references to the Big Bang Theory.
12:05Go play. If only life were that simple.
12:07As Sheldon goes outside to play, he encounters Billy Sparks,
12:12a not-so-friendly neighbor.
12:14When Billy scares Sheldon with a live chicken,
12:16the protagonist runs frantically to the house while screaming in terror.
12:20Hey, doofus!
12:25Avid viewers of the Big Bang Theory will remember older Sheldon
12:29telling over-the-top stories about having been harassed by the one and only Sparks.
12:34Will Wheaton currently ranks sixth on my all-time enemies list,
12:38right between director Joel Schumacher,
12:40who nearly destroyed the Batman movie franchise,
12:43and Billy Sparks, who lived down the street from me
12:45and put dog poop on the handles of my bicycle.
12:48We'd go on to see more of Sparks in the prequel series,
12:51but this sequence connects the two shows from the jump.
12:54Age seven. A bloodthirsty chicken chases me up a tree.
12:57Number nine. The Caltech Cafeteria.
13:00This entry is unique because it's a callback to a very specific location
13:05from the Big Bang Theory.
13:06When young Sheldon gets a chance to travel to Pasadena
13:09to see Stephen Hawking in the third season,
13:12we're given a look into his future as he visits Caltech.
13:15Imagine all the stimulating conversations that must go on at these tables.
13:20I bet.
13:22I can see myself going here one day.
13:26I think you'd fit right in.
13:29While he and his father stand at an open doorway,
13:32the camera pulls back and we see the cafeteria where
13:35countless debates would ensue between him and his friends.
13:38My cousin has a cabin out in the woods.
13:41I'm not going to a cabin in the woods.
13:43Did you see the movie Cabin in the Woods?
13:45Fans always knew Sheldon would end up at the research university,
13:49so it's extra nice to see the genesis of it all.
13:52Number eight. Hot Beverages.
13:55One of the best recurring characters on Young Sheldon is Page Swanson,
13:59a friendly rival to Sheldon, portrayed by the amazing McKenna Grace.
14:03Do you think Stone Age parents stayed together forever?
14:06They had to, there were no lawyers.
14:08An incredibly touching moment unfolds in season three
14:11when Page opens up to Sheldon about why she's having a hard time.
14:15Really, I just feel alone.
14:21That sounds hard.
14:22Though the protagonist could come off cold,
14:25we see his softer side as he expresses compassion for his friend.
14:29Then he offers her something we all knew was coming.
14:32The hot beverage of comfort would become my go-to method
14:36of dealing with someone in emotional distress.
14:38Indeed, over 12 seasons of The Big Bang Theory,
14:41we'd see him deliver such an offering to many friends,
14:44whether they wanted it or not.
14:46It's when a friend is upset, you offer them a hot beverage such as tea.
14:50Tea does sound nice.
14:52You heard the man, Leonard.
14:53Number seven, Dream of Becoming Gollum.
14:56We all need to take a break from our daily routines from time to time.
15:00Young Sheldon opts for a breather from science
15:03by taking in the likes of the Lord of the Rings books.
15:06In doing so, he becomes obsessed with picking apart the story's inconsistencies.
15:11He says that it's mid-year, stay shy, or year 1418.
15:14However, in appendix B, it says that Gandalf met Radagast on June 29th,
15:18which is impossible because, hey!
15:21It's here we see him in a dream sequence talking to himself as Gollum slash Smeagol.
15:26If our brains is precious, we're wasting it on hobbitses.
15:30We like sciences.
15:32We took a break from sciences, it was making us crazy.
15:36On the surface, it's a cute joke, but to the keen observer,
15:39it's a callback to The Big Bang Theory's season three episode,
15:42where the boys fight over a prop ring from the films.
15:46More specifically, we're talking about the moment when Sheldon peers into a mirror
15:51and sees Gollum looking back at him in a dream.
16:02Number 6.
16:03The origin of Sheldon's three knocks.
16:05Writing a prequel comes with its challenges,
16:08especially when you have to stay true to the original series.
16:11Take The Hot Tub Contamination,
16:13where Sheldon explains to Penny why he always knocks three times.
16:17When I opened the door, I saw my father having relations with another woman.
16:22Oh, that's awful.
16:24I know.
16:25It's also why I never open a door without knocking three times.
16:28This doesn't seem out of character for the George often described in the original series.
16:32However, it does feel rather off for the character we'd come to know and love in Young Sheldon.
16:37As a child, I never understood the sacrifices my father made for his family's happiness,
16:43which made me somewhat less compassionate than I should have been.
16:46Yay! We're not moving!
16:47We're staying in Texas!
16:49The show sparked hints of George's infidelity through flirtations with his neighbor Brenda,
16:54but it never went beyond that.
16:56Eventually, the writers found a brilliant way to write themselves out of this tight spot,
17:01without totally backpedaling on Sheldon's actions.
17:05Oh, hell no.
17:10I never talked to my father about what I saw that day,
17:12but from then on, I added extra knocks so people could get their pants on.
17:16Number 5. Favorite spot.
17:18Penny, that's where I sit.
17:21Whether it's a spot at the dinner table, cafeteria, or somewhere else,
17:25many people have a place where they prefer to sit.
17:28Of course, anyone who's seen The Big Lebowski would know.
17:31Of course, anyone who's seen The Big Bang Theory is aware that Sheldon takes ownership
17:36of his spot to a whole new level on numerous occasions.
17:40What's the difference?
17:41What's the difference?
17:42Here we go.
17:43His attachment to the seat at the end of the couch is no laughing matter to the man.
17:47Something's wrong.
17:48So when he finds Tam sitting at the end of a cafeteria table on Young Sheldon,
17:53we're given a callback to the original series.
17:55You're sitting in my spot.
17:58Why is it your spot?
17:59It's complicated, just move.
18:01In a later season, he also tells Dale to move,
18:04despite not actually wanting to sit down himself.
18:07That's my spot.
18:08Oh, sorry.
18:11Have a seat.
18:12I don't want to sit there, that's just my spot.
18:14In case anyone was wondering, Sheldon has been staying true to himself since he was young.
18:20Number 4. George's fate.
18:22Unlike the infidelity subplot, this was one storyline that couldn't be avoided.
18:27In The Big Bang Theory, we learn Sheldon lost his father at age 14, so we knew it was coming.
18:33So does your dad still live in Texas?
18:36No, he died when I was 14.
18:39I'm sorry to hear that.
18:41The show built up to George's fate through his recurring heart problems,
18:44and narrator Sheldon reflecting on things he wished he'd said to his dad.
18:49I never did get to see a launch in person, but that was the best trip I ever had.
18:57I wish I had told my father while he was alive.
19:02When the tragic moment finally happened,
19:04it was even more heartbreaking than we could have imagined.
19:07It was already sad knowing Sheldon lost his father, but now it felt like we'd lost someone too.
19:14At least Big Bang found a heartwarming way to bring George back when Sheldon needed him most.
19:19And here come the waterworks again.
19:22Thanks, Dad.
19:24We're gonna give him hell.
19:25Number 3.
19:26Bazinga
19:27Fun fact.
19:28The Big Bang Theory writer, Stephen Engle,
19:30has reportedly been credited as the originator of Sheldon's famous Bazinga quip.
19:35He apparently used to use it himself before it was thrown into the show.
19:39That's a Bazinga, right?
19:40Heard when Sheldon tells a joke or pulls a prank,
19:43it's become perhaps the single most recognizable word from the show.
19:47Bazinga punk, now we're even.
19:49So it's no surprise that the prequel gave the legendary word an origin story.
19:54Sheldon's younger self wanders into a comic store
19:56and finds a display filled with prank products from the Bazinga Novelty Company.
20:01If it's funny, it's Bazinga.
20:05Interesting.
20:06The rest is history as he begins to prank his friends and family,
20:10all while uttering his famous catchphrase.
20:13Bazinga!
20:14Number 2.
20:15Soft Kitty
20:16Ask any fan of the Big Bang Theory to name five memorable things from the show.
20:21We bet Soft Kitty will make the list.
20:23Penny and Sheldon shared many memorable moments
20:26of either of them singing this cute lullaby to each other over the years.
20:30Sing Soft Kitty to me.
20:36Soft Kitty is for when you're sick, you're not sick.
20:39Fans were even treated to Sheldon's mother, Mary, singing it to him.
20:42Soft kitty, warm kitty, little ball of fur.
20:48So when young Sheldon finds himself bedridden and sick as can be,
20:52everyone watching knew exactly what Mary was about to do.
20:55Soft kitty, warm kitty, little ball of fur.
21:01As she sings the song to her son,
21:03fans everywhere are reminded of him laying in bed as an adult,
21:07convincing Penny to sing him to sleep.
21:09As it turns out, it's quite useful when soothing babies too.
21:13Soft kitty, warm kitty, little ball of fur.
21:19Happy kitty, sleepy kitty, purr, purr, purr.
21:24Before we unveil our top pick, here are a few honorable mentions.
21:29Meemaw slash Moon Pie.
21:30Her name may be Connie, but to us she'll always be Meemaw.
21:34Dr. Linkletter invited me to a lecture on robotics,
21:37but my Meemaw said he's only doing it to spend time with her.
21:40Are you asking if men do sketchy things to get dates?
21:44Yes.
21:44Well then I can help you.
21:46Absolutely.
21:46The path that led Sheldon to theoretical physics.
21:50Can't you just picture it?
21:51Sheldon's future employers ask what motivates him, to which he responds,
21:56I usually respond by saying I wanted to unravel the inner workings of the universe.
22:01Perhaps when Captain Kirk said to boldly go, he meant in one of those.
22:07But the real answer was I wanted to prove this nincompoop wrong.
22:11Fear of driving.
22:13While he would eventually get his license,
22:14we can kind of see why he wasn't too keen for all those years.
22:18I've often been asked why I never learned to drive a car.
22:22This night is your answer.
22:26Graphic tease.
22:27Sheldon enters his teen years in a flash.
22:30T-shirt, that is.
22:32Pretty groovy, huh?
22:38Wow, I might look too cool.
22:40A wink to Blossom fans.
22:42Little did he know that one day that actress would blossom into his wife.
22:47How do you think Celeste would look next to Joey Lawrence?
22:50I don't know who that is.
22:51He's Blossom's brother.
22:54I don't know who that is.
22:55It's a show.
22:56She wears hats.
23:13Number one, their younger selves.
23:16Since young Sheldon focuses on the titular character's youth,
23:19it precludes him from being able to interact with his future friends.
23:23In that moment, I felt like a neutrino, destined to be alone forever.
23:29However, on the night of the final episode of The Big Bang Theory,
23:33young Sheldon also aired their season two finale,
23:36and the prequel show gave us the greatest nod to the original we could have asked for.
23:41As younger Sheldon cries over being alone at his Nobel party, the scene transitions.
23:49We're given a sneak peek at Leonard, Penny, Raj, Howard, Bernadette, and Amy,
23:54all as their younger selves.
23:56Sure, we already knew Sheldon wouldn't end up alone.
24:03But who doesn't get misty-eyed seeing all his greatest friends,
24:06knowing the best was yet to come for all of them?
24:09Thankfully, I was wrong.
24:12Which Big Bang Theory throwback hit your acoustic sweet spot?
24:15Let us know in the comments.
24:17This is nowhere near the acoustic sweet spot.
24:20Shush.
24:21Do you agree with our picks?
24:22Check out this other recent clip from Ms. Mojo,
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24:39you