The Big Bang Theory

The Big Bang Theory (2007-2019) was a long-running CBS sitcom about four nerdy CalTech scientists; the insecure Leonard Hofstadter (played by ), the severely empathetically challenged Sheldon Cooper (played by ) – who fancies himself a kindred spirit to Spock and Data since childhood – the sexist, yet also mama's boy Howard Wolowitz (played by ), the feminine but lovelorn Raj Koothrappali (played by ), and the hot promiscuous girl Penny (played by ) who lives across the hallway and whom Leonard carries a torch for.
Being passionate collectors, the four scientists are also rabid science fiction fans and collectors of memorabilia, Star Trek and Star Wars in particular, resulting in a constant flow of Star Trek references throughout the entire run of the show, particularly in its middle seasons. Other franchises the four are fans of include, among others, Stan Lee's Marvel Comics universe, Ronald D. Moore's Battlestar Galactica, and the British Doctor Who and Red Dwarf franchises, also referenced on the show, albeit far less frequently than Star Wars and Star Trek. Of all the Star Trek live-action incarnations, , , and their derivative are the most frequently referenced, with the others barely touched upon, if at all – specifically in the latter case. This in itself is reflective of the status these two productions hold in the awareness of the general (non-fan) populace. Similarly, is the most referenced film, likewise reflecting its status.
A major recurrent secondary character on the show is the socially awkward and consistently strapped-for-cash Stuart Bloom, owner of the comic book store the four protagonists frequent, and who, in an instance of cross-fertilization, has the in-universe animal Stuart named after him. () Earlier, Raj had the "Koothrappali Astrophysics Review" named after him, seen in (the 2013 remastered version, meaning Raj could have seen the homage for himself while The Big Bang Theory was still on the air – as Stuart could have done for that matter), where it had been retconned onto a viewscreen aboard the .
Recurrent guest stars with formal Star Trek ties on the show include Brian George and Keith Carradine as Raj's and Penny's fathers, Pasha Lychnikoff as a cosmonaut on the International Space Station, Mark Harelik as the CalTech physics department chairman Gablehauser, Brian Posehn as their colleague Bert Kibbler, and Jerry O'Connell as Sheldon's older brother George, Jr., with as himself. Primary Star Trek cast who appeared on the show included Wil Wheaton, Leonard Nimoy, George Takei, LeVar Burton, Brent Spiner, and ultimately William Shatner as fictionalized versions of themselves, in Wheaton's and Burton's cases recurrent ones. Cast member Kaley Cuoco also played Shatner's daughter in Priceline.com commercials, starting in 2013 while The Bang Theory was in its sixth season, and Iris Bahr appeared in the original unaired pilot for the show. Non-performing alumni with formal Star Trek ties who made (cameo) appearances as fictionalized versions of themselves included D.C. Fontana, David Gerrold, Adam Nimoy, Neil deGrasse Tyson, Elon Musk, and Stan Lee, the latter four in speaking parts.
Both the The Big Bang Theory and s are (in part) owned by CBS Corporation, as is the 2017 spin-off prequel series Young Sheldon. Unlike the CBS-era Star Trek television productions though, The Big Bang Theory and its spin-off are produced on behalf of CBS by Warner Bros., which is therefore the end-owner of that franchise, like NBC and Desilu/Paramount Pictures had been in the Original Series era. To this day NBC still receives a residual income stream from the Original Series – predominantly from the syndicated airings and streamings – as CBS will from the The Big Bang Theory franchise.
When The Big Bang Theory concluded its twelve-season run in 2019, it was officially reported by a proud CBS as the longest running multi-camera sitcom in US television history, though it was not the longest running live-action comedy series. 
==Generic Star Trek references==
===Miscellaneous Star Trek merchandise===
Even when Star Trek was not directly referenced to in the individual episodes, a multitude of its merchandise from various manufacturers was featured throughout the entire series as either props (most notably uniforms and handheld props, thereby constituting something akin to product placement), background set dressings in the homes of the four scientists or as merchandise in Stuart Bloom's comic book store. This merchandise originated from the archives of CBS Consumer Products, where it was habitually kept. Merchandise that is identified and/or warrants further attention is addressed in their respective individual episode entries, listed below.
==="Wild Stacks" video slot machine===
In 2015 Australian gaming developer Aristocrat launched a three reel slot machine called "Big Bang Theory Slot Game". One of the payout symbols is a small pile of comic books. 
===Leonard Nimoy homage===
Upon the the passing of Leonard Nimoy in February 2015, The Big Bang Theory paid tribute to the Spock performer in the season 8 episode "The Colonization Application", aired on 11 April 2015, by closing out with a final end title card that read "The impact you had on our show and on our lives is everlasting."
Aside from being referenced to on numerous occasions in prior (and later) episodes of the show, both as performer as well as his Spock alter ego, Nimoy had already made his voice-over appearance on the show in the season 5 episode "The Transporter Malfunction" which had aired on 29 March 2012.
==Episodes==
===Original unaired pilot===
Gilda says that she slept with Sheldon because of his completely accurate pon farr imitation, to which Sheldon responds with the Vulcan salute.
===Season 1 (2007-2008)===
===="The Cooper-Hofstadter Polarization" (Ep. 09)====
A presentation of a scientific paper by Leonard at a science conference goes awry, when co-author Sheldon who had opposed the presentation, starts an altercation with Leonard during which he threatens Leonard with a "Vulcan Nerve Pinch".
===="The Loobenfeld Decay" (Ep. 10)====
Penny is reconsidered for a part in the musical Rent and prepares for it by rehearsing singing the songs for the part. She invites Leonard and Sheldon to her performance, but they, horrified by the appalling quality of her singing, go out of their way to make up excuses for not going.
===="The Pancake Batter Anomaly" (Ep. 11)====
Sheldon and Leonard play three-dimensional chess.
===="The Jerusalem Duality" (Ep. 12)====
Sheldon muses whether or not teleportation actually constitutes a misnomer as, provided a "(...) device could be invented which would identify the quantum state of matter of an individual in one location, and transmit that pattern to a distant location for reassembly, you would not have actually transported the individual. You would have destroyed him in one location, and recreated him in another."
===="The Bat Jar Conjecture" (Ep. 13)====
The episode begins with Howard announcing new info on the then-upcoming film, which leads into a discussion about alien private parts and Spock's conception. Later Sheldon is persuaded to join in the Physics Bowl by quoting Spock's dying words. Sheldon "designs" shirts for his own Physics Bowl team, which bear an "uncanny" resemblance to TOS-style uniforms, with his teammates clad in red shirts and being otherwise prohibited to speak up during the contest, whereas Sheldon wears a command-gold shirt and is the only one allowed to answer questions – which had been the reason why he was ousted from his friend's team to begin with. Ultimately in the final scene, to satisfy who is smarter between Leonard and Sheldon, Penny asks multiple real-world questions for which they are only able to give Star Trek-like answers, including Patrick Stewart or William Shatner being the Sexiest Man Alive and Tweety Bird thinking he saw a Romulan.
===="The Nerdvana Annihilation" (Ep. 14)====
The guys purchase a full-scale time machine prop replica from the film and they decide to play with it. They wonder what time date to travel to and Sheldon suggests to Leonard that he should travel to the future to obtain a cloaking device and references . Sheldon gives the stardate of this episode as 5027.3, which supposedly converts to January 10th, 2328.
When a grumpy Penny viciously chides the boys for their "childish" passions, Leonard decides to get rid of his memorabilia collection, sparking an immediate fight among the three others over ownership of Leonard's possessions. When the fight starts to escalate, Leonard threatens to open up a Geordi La Forge action figure that's still in its original packaging. During the altercation, Howard is wearing a shirt that resembles a Starfleet Academy and wears an enlistee/chief engineer's pip on the collar of his undershirt as rank insignia.
===Season 2 (2008-2009)===
===="The Bad Fish Paradigm" (Ep. 01)====
Leonard compares his dating a woman as "approaches warp speed" to Raj and Howard's not dating anyone. Later, Sheldon asks Penny if she speaks Klingonese.
===="The Codpiece Topology" (Ep. 02)====
Sheldon Cooper goes to a Renaissance fair dressed up like Spock pretending he's on an away mission on a planet with a Renaissance theme due to the fair's complete disregard for historical accuracy.
===="The Euclid Alternative" (Ep. 05)====
When Penny drives Sheldon to work, he annoys her by continuously criticizing her driving style. When a thoroughly irritated Penny rebukes him, Sheldon seemingly drops his attitude by stating, "You have the conn" – even though he has no intention whatsoever to do anything of the sort.
===="The Panty Pinata Polarization" (Ep. 07)====
The gang plays Klingon Boggle, with a copy of The Klingon Dictionary on hand. Howard claims that the Yiddish culinary dish kreplach is also a hearty Klingon dumpling.
===="The Lizard-Spock Expansion" (Ep. 08)====
Sheldon expands the game of Rock-Paper-Scissors with additional options of "Lizard" and "Spock," the latter symbolized by the Vulcan live-long-and-prosper hand gesture. It was used initially to determine whether or not to watch . Later, Sheldon and Raj argue whether or is the worst Trek movie, and whether or is the best.
===="The White Asparagus Triangulation" (Ep. 09)====
Sheldon compares Dr. Stephanie Barnett as the Leonard McCoy to their social group's "landing party" (Leonard is Kirk, Sheldon is Spock, Wolowitz is Scotty, Koothrappali is a redshirt) and gives a somewhat off version of the Vulcan salute when he notices her observing the conversation.
He later tries to relieve Leonard of duty with Starfleet general order 104, section A. Leonard argues that it won’t work because they aren’t on Star Trek.
===="The Cushion Saturation" (Ep. 16)====
Sheldon shoots Penny at the weekly paintball expedition before the game has even started in retaliation for Penny having accidentally shot his favorite cushion with a paintball gun earlier. When asked why he would do this, Sheldon paraphrases Khan, stating that "revenge is a dish best served cold".
===="The Bath Item Gift Hypothesis" (Ep. 11)====
Penny gives Sheldon a used napkin autographed by Leonard Nimoy as a Christmas present. She apologizes because Nimoy wiped his mouth with it, but a more than overjoyed Sheldon is even more grateful, as now he has Nimoy's DNA, claiming he now will soon be able to "grow" a Leonard Nimoy for himself.
===="The Dead Hooker Juxtaposition" (Ep. 19)====
Ostensibly on their behalf, Penny is addressing a newly arrived pretty female neighbor, who is manipulating Leonard, Howard and Raj into performing all kinds of chores for her, and compares the boy's social naivete regarding their inability to withstand the manipulation by pretty women, to not knowing how to put up their shields like on Star Trek. The reference is completely lost on the new arrival, who continues her manipulation unabated, much to the chagrin of a jealous Penny, who no longer has all the exclusive attention she hitherto had.
===="The Hofstadter Isotope" (Ep. 20)====
Sheldon says Leonard had been watching by describing it as "the Deep Space Nine/ crossover episode."
===="The Vegas Renormalization" (Ep. 21)====
Sheldon's frequent answer of Spock during Twenty Questions.
===="The Classified Materials Turbulence" (Ep. 22)====
Leonard says that Howard's zero-gravity toilet for the International Space Station will allow its crew "to boldly go where no man has gone before."
===Season 3 (2009-2010)===
===="The Electric Can Opener Fluctuation" (Ep. 01)====
Penny references as part of her comforting of Sheldon after he learns Leonard, Howard, and Raj had faked his discovery of magnetic monopoles in order to keep him happy, implicitly equating their well-intended lies to goading into a disqualifying emotional outburst…but having not yet seen the film, Penny spoilng such an important scene only makes him more distraught. Sheldon wears a goatee resembling the one wears in . A recurring joke is Sheldon's "damned Vulcan hearing."
===="The Creepy Candy Coating Corollary" (Ep. 05)====
Leonard says that Howard can speak five languages, and Howard says, "Six, if you count Klingon."
Sheldon states he used to be a Wil Wheaton fan until Wil abruptly pulled out of a 1995 convention Sheldon had traveled ten hours by bus to attend and get his autograph. During a customizable card game tournament Wil is participating in, Sheldon constantly quotes Khan Noonien Singh from , uttering the proverb "Revenge is a dish that is best served cold" in original Klingon. When Wheaton tricks Sheldon out of a sure victory, Sheldon cries out "Wheaton" to the heavens, in imitation of Kirk's "Khan" cries in The Wrath of Khan.
===="The Adhesive Duck Deficiency" (Ep. 08)====
Trying to get Sheldon to drive faster, Penny says, "warp speed ahead, Mr. Spock", to which Sheldon replies that that order would never be given to the science officer, but to the navigator/helmsman instead.
===="The Maternal Congruence (Ep. 11)====
When Leonard asks what he truly wants, Sheldon answers, "What I want is to be departing on the starship Enterprise in a one-man shuttlecraft headed for the planetoid I rule, known as Sheldon Alpha Five."
===="The Bozeman Reaction" (Ep. 13)====
Sheldon moves to Bozeman, Montana, which is where the Phoenix had been launched, after the apartment is burglarized. He says "Live long and prosper" and gives the Vulcan salute in a farewell video.
===="The Large Hadron Collision" (Ep. 15)====
In order to persuade Leonard, who is planning to take Penny along as a Valentine's Day gift, to take him instead to the CERN Large Hadron Collider in Switzerland, Sheldon goes even as far as allowing Leonard to watch Babylon 5. Prohibited to be seen by Sheldon, Leonard loves the series but had until then lost each and every argument they had over it. However, Sheldon is so desperate to go to CERN that he purports to set aside his disdain for the series, even though it, according to him, "(...)failed as drama, science fiction and is hopelessly derivative".
===="The Excelsior Acquisition" (Ep. 16)====
Sheldon reveals that Leonard Nimoy took a restraining order out against him after receiving one from Stan Lee. Additionally, when Leonard is asking Penny to guess who Stan is, she incorrectly assumes he was on Star Trek.
===="The Precious Fragmentation" (Ep. 17)====
Howard says he knows a guy who can obtain black market phasers and panties worn by Nichelle Nichols on the show.
===="The Pants Alternative" (Ep. 18)====
Assuming he was passed over for a science award, Sheldon compares himself to the William Shatner of science after musing why Shatner was not in , the 2009 alternate reality film. When Sheldon learns that he is the recipient of the award after all, he immediately reverts to his self-absorbed self again, causing Howard to scoff, "Yeah, the one thing the William Shatner of theoretical physics needed was an ego boost." 
===="The Wheaton Recurrence" (Ep. 19)====
Wil Wheaton returns for a bowling game. Sheldon names their team "The Wesley Crushers", but Penny does not get the reference. Later, Howard asks Wil if he had sex with Whoopi Goldberg.
===="The Staircase Implementation" (Ep. 22)====
As part of Sheldon's "first barrier to roommatehood," he asks Leonard "Kirk or Picard?" Leonard replies "Original Series over Next Generation, but Picard over Kirk," which Sheldon considers the correct answer to his first "barrier" test.
===="The Lunar Excitation" (Ep. 23)====
As Howard and Raj, having secretly signed Sheldon up with an online dating service, try to convince him to meet the woman he has been matched with if not for personal reasons, than at least for scientific ones in order to validate his opinion of matchmaking site algorithms being "complete hokum". Raj even reminds him that Spock himself dated once every seven years, so Sheldon quickly shoots back that pon farr had nothing to do with dating, "His blood boiled with mating lust". After observing his interaction with Amy Farrah Fowler, the woman in question, they realize that they had unwittingly connected Sheldon to his soulmate, a terrified Howard asks a speechless Raj "Good God…what have we done?"
===Season 4 (2010-2011)===
====Season 4 promotional ads====
In one, Sheldon builds an Original Series transporter to beam them (with Next Generation-style visual effects) from their old Monday night time slot to Thursday. In another he and Leonard again play three-dimensional chess while discussing the move.
===="The Hot Troll Deviation" (Ep. 04)====
Howard has a model in his bedroom. An imaginary George Takei (wearing his Hikaru Sulu costume from ) appears to give Howard romantic advice. Likewise, actress appears as her Battlestar Galactica counterpart, for whom Howard has the hots, and starts bickering with Takei, questioning his credentials to give Howard romantic advice, while poking fun at Takei's homosexuality. Both however, are also lamenting and exchanging notes on being typecast as Sulu and Starbuck respectively.
===="The Apology Insufficiency" (Ep. 07)====
Taken as proof that he has wronged Howard, Sheldon is dreaming of a Gorn sitting on the couch reading a magazine. He later compares his problem of Howard refusing to accept his apology with the no-win , and is impressed by Penny's knowledge that Kirk cheated on the test, enticing him to try something similar on Howard. Later he is introduced by Raj to the visiting Neil deGrasse Tyson at CalTech, but Sheldon scolds him for his part in the declassification of Pluto from a planet to dwarf planet, and refuses to accept his apologies for it later on, stating that Tyson needs "to get over himself".
===="The 21-Second Excitation" (Ep. 08)====
Leonard mentions how they all waited fourteen hours to see , also relating how he had to fight a "Klingon" during the wait, the ordeal only aggravated by the fact that they had to watch the "terrible movie" afterwards. Later, when Wil Wheaton – deemed the Jar Jar Binks of the Star Trek universe by Sheldon – jumps the line to see Raiders of the Lost Ark, Sheldon quotes Picard's "The line must be drawn HERE!" line from .
===="The Boyfriend Complexity" (Ep. 09)====
Sheldon comments that he doesn't care for novelty editions of Monopoly, preferring the regular and Klingon editions.
Howard and Raj play a game of Star Trek-themed battleships. When Howard notices that two squares are a hit but the one in the middle is a miss, Raj comments that his starship has a hole in the middle. When asked what starship has a hole in the middle, Raj says "a Romulan battle bagel."
===="The Alien Parasite Hypothesis" (Ep. 10)====
Sheldon suggests that Amy use kolinahr to suppress her newfound sexual arousal after asking her if she'd seen and then says not to.
===="The Bus Pants Utilization" (Ep. 12)====
Sheldon's passive-aggressive stance against the guys for kicking him out of their app design team includes playing the Original Series theme on a theremin. Before he was kicked out Sheldon listed himself as the "Star Trek science officer" of the design team.
===="The Love Car Displacement" (Ep. 13)====
Leonard uses the Romulan Neutral Zone as a metaphor for how he and Penny will share a bed without becoming intimate. When he suggests they do get intimate in the context of how often the Neutral Zone was entered by both the Federation and Romulan Star Empire, Penny says she's raised shields over the lower half of her body.
===="The Thespian Catalyst" (Ep. 14)====
Sheldon and Penny act out a fan fiction story he'd written as a child where he's whisked away to the 23rd century, with Penny playing Spock. She perfectly executes the hand salute at one point.
===="The Benefactor Factor" (Ep. 15)====
When department chairman Siebert cajoles the four friends into presenting themselves at a fundraiser event, Sheldon adamantly refuses to participate, comparing it to being trotted around like a prize hog at the , which he advises against to attend wearing a Star Trek ensign's Starfleet uniform.
===="The Toast Derivation" (Ep. 17)====
Sheldon invited LeVar Burton over to the apartment via Twitter. At the end of the episode, he sticks his head in and gets too weirded out by the sight of three other guys singing karaoke. He then leaves and says he's so done with Twitter.
===="The Prestidigitation Approximation" (Ep. 18)====
Leonard says to Priya that the only Star Trek uniforms he has are the everyday and dress ones from the Original Series, when she peruses trough his wardrobe closet, coming across them. She then reveals that Raj has an Uhura dress, much to the family's alarm and dismay, when Leonard suggests she wear one.
Among the many science fiction memorabilia Leonard keeps in his bedroom besides the uniforms, is a 6, or 7" display figurine of Captain Kirk on his night dresser, as well a smaller Star Trek bust on his cubbard.
===="The Zarnecki Incursion" (Ep. 19)====
Sheldon carries a bat'leth with him to the house of the guy who hacked his World of Warcraft account.
===="The Agreement Dissection" (Ep. 21)====
Sheldon cites as his inspiration for blackmailing Leonard into signing a new roommate agreement that greatly favors him, after the law graduate Priya has taken apart the previous version. He then shows an okudagram-styled auto-destruct-esque countdown timer on his laptop showing how much time Leonard has before Priya's parents are emailed about her dating Leonard, causing Priya to buckle. Sheldon then tells her that while she may have gone to the Faculty of Law at Cambridge University, he's an honorary graduate of Starfleet Academy.
===="The Wildebeest Implementation" (Ep. 22)====
Sheldon's three-player variation of chess includes a space designated as a transporter pad.
===="The Roommate Transmogrification" (Ep. 24)====
Raj overhears Leonard and his sister Priya having an Original Series-themed sex fantasy.
===Season 5 (2011-2012)===
===="The Russian Rocket Reaction" (Ep. 05)====
Wil Wheaton throws a party at his house, which has a painting of him as Wesley Crusher in uniform and an Enterprise-D model. Raj says he talked with Alice Krige's gynecologist, referring to Alice as "The Borg Queen From First Contact." Wil gives Sheldon an autographed still-in-package Playmates Toys Wesley action figure, but Brent Spiner promptly opens it upon seeing it. Brent then offered Sheldon a autographed still-in-package Data action figure to make up for it, but Sheldon declines and declares Spiner as his new mortal enemy. The other boys though, manage to negotiate Spiner down on the price of his action figure from twenty dollars to two for fifteen and a promise that Spiner will attend a birthday party.
===="The Rhinitis Revelation" (Ep. 06)====
There's a Next Generation science tricorder displayed in the bookcase behind the couch.
===="The Good Guy Fluctuation" (Ep. 07)====
Dispelling his claim that he is too intelligent to be surpised by Halloween pranks, Sheldon is literally scared senseless when Leonard does surprise him wearing a Balok mask.
===="The Ornithophobia Diffusion" (Ep. 09)====
While the two are on a date in a bar, they start bickering and Penny tells a girl that Leonard owns two Star Trek uniforms and that he wears them outside the Halloween holidays as well.
===="The Recombination Hypothesis" (Ep. 13)====
Sheldon ordered a life-size cardboard standee of Spock for his room, but the company sent him , prompting him to snarl "Live long and suck it, Zachary Quinto!" – despite Leonard reminding him that he had liked Quinto as "Sylar" in .
===="The Vacation Solution" (Ep. 16)====
Bernadette had rejected Howard's suggestion to have wedding invitations in Klingonese. Sheldon later mentions in passing that Carl Sagan is yet another celebrity who has taken out a restraining order against him.
===="The Rothman Disintegration" (Ep. 17)====
Kripke has Sheldon explain Rock-Paper-Scissors-Lizard-Spock to him at least three times to mess with him. Sheldon later proposes a trivia contest with The Original Series, The Next Generation, Deep Space Nine, and Voyager being four of the five categories.
===="The Weekend Vortex" (Ep. 19)====
Amy mistakenly refers to the Star Wars video game the guys are playing as a video game. Penny corrects her, saying the guys don't like when the two franchises are mistaken for one another, even though Penny, as far as she herself is concerned, does not perceive any difference between the two either.
===="The Transporter Malfunction" (Ep. 20)====
Penny bought Sheldon and Leonard a mint-in-box 1975 Star Trek transporter toy each. However, they refused to play with them as the toys would lose some of their perceived value within toy collector circles. That night, Sheldon dreamed that his Mr. Spock action figure told him that it was illogical to own a toy that he wouldn't play with. Shortly afterwards, Sheldon accidentally broke his transporter while playing with it and then replaced it with Leonard's. Later, he had a nightmare about being chastised by Mr. Spock about his actions and was subsequently attacked by a Gorn. Appropriately chastened, Sheldon confessed his guilt to his roommate.
===="The Hawking Excitation" (Ep. 21)====
Howard says "no" in Klingonese when telling Sheldon that he wouldn't introduce him to .
===="The Stag Convergence" (Ep. 22)====
Sheldon tells Wil Wheaton (who said he was attending Howard's bachelor party because it was a welcome alternative to George Takei's hot tub parties) to "talk to the hand" and gives him the Vulcan salute.
===="The Launch Acceleration" (Ep. 23)====
Howard tells Raj "You watch Star Trek, I live it" when discussing Howard's aborted mission to the International Space Station. Leonard and Sheldon again play three-dimensional chess. Later, Leonard comes home to find Sheldon and Amy playing "Star Trek doctor" with Sheldon uncomfortably, yet unwilling to stop, lying on the couch while Amy, dressed in a sciences division blue Original Series women's uniform, pretend-scans him with a toy medical tricorder.
===="The Countdown Reflection" (Ep. 24)====
Despite his initial offer to do so being soundly rejected, Sheldon performs part of Howard and Bernadette's wedding in Klingonese and says "and the Klingon High Council" when pronouncing them man and wife.
When the rocket is launched, Sheldon invokes the title sequence from The Original Series by saying "Boldly go, Howard Wolowitz".
===Season 6 (2012-2013)===
===="The Habitation Configuration" (Ep. 07)====
Sheldon tries to do a segment on Trek flags on his "Fun With Flags" web show, first with Wil Wheaton (who keeps trying to do a bit on the Federation flag, much to Amy's dislike) and later with LeVar Burton, telling his viewers to "set phasers to fun." To get Amy to see things his way in the matter, Sheldon gives her the TNG Complete Series DVD Boxset and "briefly" describes scene-by-scene to her through her closed apartment door. Wil's house number is 1701, the Enterprises hull number.
===="The Fish Guts Displacement" (Ep. 10)====
Amy suggests that Sheldon punish her by not letting her see the new Star trek movie, which Sheldon however finds a too harsh punishment not befitting the "crime" – to the dismay of Amy.
===="The Egg Salad Equivalency" (Ep. 12)====
When the two are discussing their day over dinner, Leonard mentions to Penny that he found an online quiz called "Which Star Trek character are you?", proudly stating that it only took him four tries to get Captain Kirk. When he starts to use Kirk's intonation, Penny cuts him short.
Later, when Leonard reassures an insecure and jealeous Penny that she has nothing to fear from Alex – the pretty research assistant of Sheldon who had made a move on Leonard earlier on – he does admit feeling like Captain Kirk, being chased by so many pretty women. Penny warns him that if he does not quit invoking Kirk right away, all womenhood will immediately stop doing so forthwith. "Message received", Leonard answers, not able to suppress the urge to use Kirk's intonation yet again.
===="The Bakersfield Expedition" (Ep. 13)====
While driving to the Bakersfield, California Comic-Con, the guys stop at Vasquez Rocks Natural Area Park to pose for photos in their The Next Generation costumes: Leonard as Picard, Sheldon as Data, Raj as Worf, and Howard as a Borg. After their car gets stolen, Sheldon states that they're all a landing party, obligated as such to overcome hardships. Failing to get a lift and being thrown refuge at by a passing car, its driver shouting "nerds" at them, the boys eventually stumble into a roadside restaurant in their disheveled Star Trek outfits, being met with wary bemusement by the other patrons, chuckling at the "Trekkies" – particularly after the "Borg" Howard asks if his mother should pick them up. The ordeal causes the despondent boys to question their love for Star Trek. After it is decided to rent a car instead to return home, Raj, more steadfastly holding on to his love, asks if the car can be from the rental agency Enterprise.
At the same time the boys have their ordeal, Chris Hemsworth's Marvel Comics character Thor becomes a point of argument for Penny, Amy, and Bernadette, when they made an effort to understand their boyfriends' nerdiness. When the boys return home, weary of being Trekkies because of their ordeal, they incredulously overhear their girlfriends' heated nerd discussion, causing their own inner nerds to be revitalized. On the assumption they have stumbled into an alternate reality and with their disheveled costumes put in order, the revived landing party prepares to break into the room to investigate with "phasers on stun", since Leonard in particular does not want to "vaporize" Penny, as he will never be able again to get another girlfriend that gorgeous.
===="The Contractual Obligation Implementation" (Ep. 18)====
While discussing the advancement of women in science, Sheldon names Star Trek writer D.C. Fontana as a woman who had to use her initials to hide her gender in her field of work. He also states he is preferential to a gender-blind society like in Star Trek, which is put in perspective by Leonard who observes that while warp drive was invented in that society, a black woman still had to answer the phone. Leonard's observation entices Howard to chime in with him reminiscing about how "many times he spent alone with Lt. Uhura in the shower."
===="The Love Spell Potential" (Ep. 23)====
Sheldon says he's tired of Leonard always invoking Zachary Quinto whenever Sheldon doesn't like an impending change.
===="The Bon Voyage Reaction" (ep. 24)====
Sheldon explains his personal trick to overcoming his social anxiety was to picture everyone as a Star Trek character. Apparently Raj is "Uhura" while Leonard is "Unnamed Crew Member In A Red Shirt".
===Season 7 (2013-2014)===
===="The Hofstadter Insufficiency" (Ep. 01)====
During Leonard's absence, Penny and Sheldon play a game of 3D chess. Sheldon also starts to ask Penny about Starfleet captains, before being cut off by her.
===="The Discovery Dissipation" (Ep. 10)====
To help Sheldon feel better about Leonard disproving his discovery of a new element, Wil Wheaton comes by and tells Sheldon that for a while he regretted being Wesley Crusher.
===="The Cooper Extraction" (Ep. 11)====
Sheldon is absent during the Christmas season, and while the gang is decorating the Christmas tree, Raj asks if the tree can now sport both Star Wars and Star Trek ornaments on the same branch, to which Leonard answers, "I know, it’s crazy. Welcome to the Thunderdome, people."
===Season 8 (2014-2015)===
===="The Expedition Approximation" (Ep. 06)====
During a deep cave simulation in an abandoned mine, Raj makes a remark about Voyager, Sheldon inquires which Voyager Raj means, the actual deep space probe or , the television show. After Raj confirms he is talking about the actual space probe, Sheldon retorts, "Good. Because I am too hot and tired to go on about how much I hate Voyager the TV show." Meanwhile, Howard and Bernadette have a heated argument on what each spouse brings into the marriage, with the high-earning Bernadette scoffingly accusing Howard to have only brought in his Star Trek collectible plate collection, and an incomplete one at that. Howard indignantly retorts he just completed the collection with the purchase of the last missing Scotty one on eBay, but tries to dodge Bernadette's inquiry for how much, after which the argument flares up again in full force.
===="The Misinterpretation Agitation" (Ep. 07)====
Sheldon offers a beverage to a Dr. Oliver Lorvis after he admits his intention to give some flowers to Penny. Later when receiving his drink, Lorvis, turning out to be a rabid science fiction memorabilia collector himself, compliments Sheldon's Star Trek mug and mentions that he got an original phaser, after having given Gene Roddenberry a vasectomy. Lorvis also divulges that he had helped William Shatner with kidney problems, having received from him an original tribble for his troubles, though he was not sure if it in effect had not been Shatner's toupee all along.
===="The Champagne Reflection" (Ep. 10)====
Sheldon introduces LeVar Burton for the final "Fun With Flags" webisode by saying he "puts the Geordi in your La Forge." Later LeVar says he should've taken Wil Wheaton's advice about getting a gate for his house when Sheldon tells him the web show's been resurrected.
===="The Clean Room Infiltration" (Ep. 11)====
At Amy's Christmas party, Dr. Koothrappali (Raj's father, who has recently divorced and is visiting from India) states that it is too soon to be dating again. Penny says she would if she was free, but pauses to inquire if he is not also talking about Star Trek all the time.
===="The Colonization Application" (Ep. 17)====
After he has wronged Amy, Sheldon tries to make amends by suggesting to play The Original Series theme through his nose. When he starts to do so, a still irked Amy cuts him short.
===Season 9 (2015-2016)===
===="The Spock Resonance" (Ep. 07)====
Wil Wheaton and Adam Nimoy come over to interview Sheldon for Adam's documentary about Leonard Nimoy, or as Sheldon put it, a "Spockumentary", quickly attributing the too obvious witticism to his roommate Leonard when it does not solicit any laughs. Sheldon tells the pair that the episode that really had meaning in his life was . He also mentions that as a child he tried to perform a Vulcan neck pinch on a bullying schoolmate, which however only netted him a broken collarbone. He also divulges that he has left Wheaton the Wesley Crusher action figure in his will, the one he was gifted by him earlier in "The Russian Rocket Reaction". During their visit, Sheldon presents the napkin complete with Nimoy's DNA that he received from Penny as gift in "The Bath Item Gift Hypothesis". While interviewed, Sheldon's recent breakup with Amy becomes topic of the conversation, which he at first claims does not emotionally affect him, as he, like Spock, is above Human emotions. When Penny – of all people – however points out to Sheldon that Spock was half-Human, and thus in part an emotional creature, Sheldon, clearly struggling with his feelings for Amy and unable to dispute Penny's "logic", breaks down and storms out of the room.
Later that evening, Sheldon reemerges from his room and informs Leonard and Penny that he is going to propose to Amy (which he until then unbeknownst to the others had already intended before the breakup) and get it over with either way, citing the Vulcan proverb "Kup-fun-tor ha'kiv na'ish du stau?" ("Can you return life to what you kill?"). Penny asks Leonard, if he understands what Sheldon is saying which he firmly denies, though timidly restating "no" in Vulcan ("nirsh") when she gives him the stink-eye. Before leaving, Sheldon exclaims that Amy can just "ponfo mirann" ("go to hell") if she should refuse him. "He doesn't mean that," Leonard quickly says to Penny when she again looks at him quizzically, completely destroying his credibility. Sheldon leaves for Amy's apartment, but finds her kissing another man in front of her building. After returning, a despondent Sheldon re-watches , scoffing at Spock for his claims of being unemotional at the beginning of the episode.
===="The Mystery Date Observation" (Ep. 08)====
In an effort to get over Amy, Sheldon solicits the help of Howard and Raj to help him find a new mate, as they had already managed to do so with Amy through a dating site. They decide on a slightly different approach this time in singling out women, who meet all of Sheldon's many, many specifications by devising an online contest in which women can win the opportunity to meet Sheldon in person after having solved a series of puzzles, devised by Sheldon. One of the puzzles is to translate a Klingon text in ancient Sanskrit. As they had already been earlier with Amy, Howard, and Raj are flabbergasted when a handsome female scientist actually shows up at Sheldon's door quoting the text in impeccable Klingon and in its Sanskrit translation. Furthermore, she seems to tick of all of Sheldon's other boxes, while chatting with him. However, much to the consternation of his friends, Sheldon turns her away as she showed up one minute after the set deadline of the test had expired, as well as having solved the test while being bored by a symposium on atomic spectroscopy, the latter being a deal breaker for Sheldon.
===="The Platonic Permutation" (Ep. 09)==== 
Leonard has a pair of Mr. Spock oven mitts, which he shows to Penny.
===="The Opening Night Excitation" (Ep. 11)====
Sheldon has a poster for in his room. Wil Wheaton goes back to evil mode by showing up at the movie theater showing of Star Wars: The Force Awakens dressed as Spock.
===="The Meemaw Materialization" (Ep. 14)====
While discussing his recent reconciliation with Amy, Leonard "points" out to Sheldon that he owns two pairs of Spock ears, one for ComicCon and one for around the house.
===="The Celebration Experimentation" (Ep.17)====
Wil Wheaton gives a speech during Sheldon's birthday party, stating that while Sheldon may be a Star Trek fan, he has become a Sheldon fan and concludes with the traditional Vulcan "Live long and prosper" valediction. Sheldon turns to Howard, who had just given a more traditional birthday speech, saying, "That's how you do it, Wolowitz. Now you see why he's famous and you're not". A short time later Stephen Hawking also chimes in via Skype, awkwardly singing "Happy Birthday".
===Season 10 (2016-2017)===
===="The Military Miniaturization" (Ep. 02)====
During an attempt to sell a by them invented guidance system to the military, under the proviso not to use it for lethal purposes, Colonel Williams states, "Look guys, its just a guidance system. It's not like you're handing me the Death Star from Star Trek." Forced by his his friends to remain silent as not to endanger their pitch, Sheldon nearly suffers from a stroke, because of the inaccuracy. When Williams subsequently assumes Howard to be the brains behind the invention, praising his engineering skills and his education at MIT, Sheldon can no longer contain himself and blurts out, "I'm Dr. Sheldon Cooper. I'm the actual brains behind this project. Also, engineers aren't real scientists, MIT is a trade school, and the Death Star is from Star Wars not Star Trek. Otherwise, thank you for your service."
===="The Cohabitation Experimentation" (Ep. 04)====
When Sheldon exhibits trepidation to switch apartments in order for both boys being able to live together with their respective paramours, Leonard entices Sheldon to do so, by comparing the five week experiment to The Original Series, stating, "The Enterprise was on a five-year mission to explore new worlds. Think of this as your own personal five-week mission to do the same," to which Shelon replies, "If you want to lure me in with sexy talk, that's how you do it." Very pleased with his own Star Trek wit, a smug Leonard is quickly put back in his place when Penny says that it is nothing to be proud of.
===="The Veracity Elasticity" (Ep. 07)====
Leonard discovers that Penny has been surreptitiously moving his collectibles into storage for quite some time now, one collectible at the time. One of the now missing items concerns his Klingon phrase-of-the day calendar. Not wanting to let Penny and Amy (who has also been lying to Sheldon that her apartment has long since been repaired as she does not want to end the "cohabitation experimentation" they embarked upon in episode 04) know that they are on to them, Leonard and Sheldon start to discuss the matter in Klingonese, much to the frustration of the girls, who subsequently start discussing themselves in Amy's own made-up language. When the Wolowitz couple arrives, Howard sides with the other boys and starts conversing in Klingon as well, before the girls, in unison, make them shut up.
===="The Geology Elevation" (Ep. 09)====
Sheldon is jealous of his CalTech geology colleague Bert, who has won an important science award. In a fit of frustration Sheldon tries to give him what he called a "Captain Kirk karate chop", but only succeeds in hurting his own hand. Back in the apartment Amy is bandaging his hand, when Stephen Hawking chimes in via Skype trying to console Sheldon. He reminds him that he has never won a Nobel Prize, but that he, like Sheldon, has many other life accomplishments and mentions his guest appearances on The Simpsons and Star Trek: The Next Generation. When an excited Leonard starts to explain his scene to Penny, it takes her but one foul look to make him shut up.
===="The Property Division Collision" (Ep. 10)====
Now that the new living arrangements have become permanent, the time has come to divide the collectibles Sheldon and Leonard have accrued together in their time as roommates. Items to be divided include a Spock cuckoo clock and the 3D chess game which Sheldon can not possibly conceive Leonard wanting to have, as he has beaten him each and every time "in length, width and in depth". When Sheldon selfishly starts to lay claim on each and every single collectible, the boys start bickering. Not yet realizing that they are suffering from a severe case of separation anxiety after their thirteen years together, the conflicts quickly spirals out of control.
===="The Holiday Summation" (Ep. 12)====
During the holidays, Leonard has found another use for his pair of Spock ears besides ComicCon, wearing them as part of his Christmas elf outfit, when he and Penny go out to get a Christmas tree.
===="The Allowance Evaporation" (Ep. 16)====
While on a dinner date with Amy, the subject of Sheldon's restraining orders comes up. Apart from the ones he already has from Carl Sagan, Leonard Nimoy, Stan Lee, and Bill Nye, it is revealed that Zachary Quinto too has taken one out against Sheldon, after he had tried to engage Quinto in conversation through the closed door of a toilet booth in a public restroom.
===="The Escape Hatch Identification" (Ep. 18)====
Sheldon, who is notoriously afraid of dogs, calls Cinnamon, Raj's Yorkshire terrier (a tiny, hairy race), an "attack tribble".
===="The Long Distance Dissonance" (Ep. 24)====
Sheldon is showing Dr. Ramona Nowitzki, a former admirer of Sheldon, his collection of letters he has received from celebrities. One of them is from Patrick Stewart in which he says that if Sheldon ever comes calling again at his house, he gets to "meet his dogs".
===Season 11 (2017-2018)===
===="The Proposal Proposal" (Ep. 01)====
After he has successfully proposed to Amy, Penny is musing if Sheldon is going to want "some weird Star Trek wedding", having already managed to successfully shut down hard Leonard's suggestion of having a "Doctor Who wedding cake".
===="The Retraction Reaction" (Ep. 02)====
Sheldon opens up his stash of Romulan ale (blue-dyed vodka) for a depressed Leonard. Penny later joins them and claims that while she doesn't know who the Romulans are, they sure know how to party.
===="The Relaxation Integration" (Ep. 03)====
Sheldon tells Amy that he will appear at their wedding with a tuxedo over a Star Trek uniform. An imaginary "Council of Sheldons" is later held in the head of Sheldon in which the assembly of his various incarnations, including a "Fanboy Sheldon" dressed up as Spock, decides on the admittance of "Laid-Back Sheldon", which is denied. Fanboy Sheldon also requests the removal of "Humorous Sheldon" from the council.
===="The Explosion Implosion" (Ep. 04)====
Leonard owns a Captain Kirk shirt, which needs to be dry cleaned.
===="The Proton Regeneration" (Ep. 06)====
Sheldon, who plans to audition for a role in a remake of "Professor Proton", visits Wil Wheaton in search for an acting coach, and asks him if he has the address of Patrick Stewart. Like Stewart has done before him, Wheaton threatens to set his dog on Sheldon, if he does not leave his premises immediately. Unbeknownst to Sheldon however, Wheaton is also vying for the role, and is put back on Sheldon's list of enemies after he becomes the one who gets the part.
===="The Bitcoin Entanglement" (Ep. 09)====
Having stewed on his retribution for years after the three other guys had mined bitcoins without him long before they gained their spectacular rise in value, Sheldon states, "I plotted my revenge. If you get a dish, I'll serve you some cold," when he comes clean that he had hid the files on Leonard's own flashdrive in retaliation, after the three desperate guys can not relocate the bitcoin files. Leonard then embarrasses Sheldon by disclosing that he had lost the flashdrive several years earlier.
===="The Confidence Erosion" (Ep. 10)====
When Sheldon and Amy start bickering over the details of their upcoming wedding ceremony, Sheldon insists on having their wedding vows uttered in Klingon if Amy does not dial back her own Little House on the Prairie-themed demands for the ceremony.
===="The Sibling Realignment" (Ep. 23)====
After having traveled to Texas, Sheldon and Leonard try to convince Sheldon's older brother George Jr. to attend his upcoming wedding, which the latter had refused at first. Later, George confides in private to Leonard that he had been hard on Sheldon in their childhood in order to protect him from his own foibles and to prepare him for real life. When Leonard asks if sitting on his younger brother's head while he was watching Star Trek had been part his tough love, George denies this by asserting that that had been "hilarious".
===="The Bow Tie Asymmetry" (Ep. 24)====
Wil Wheaton is slated to officiate the wedding of Sheldon and Amy, but his place is unceremoniously usurped by the by Howard arranged surprise guest Mark Hamil, the Luke Skywalker actor from Star Wars. Miffed, Wheaton acidly states, "So we finally meet", and when Hamil does not recognize Wheaton, the latter starts bickering with Hamil throughout the entire ceremony.
===Season 12 (2018-2019)===
===="The Imitation Perturbation" (Ep. 06)====
While discussing the upcoming Halloween season, the 40th anniversary of the epynomous horror movie comes up, with Leonard remembering that the face of the movie's antagonist Michael Meyers had been a modified Captain Kirk mask.
===="The Grant Allocation Derivation" (Ep. 07)====
Sheldon soundly defeats Leonard yet again at a game of 3D chess, the latter's usual ineptitude at the game only aggravated by his preoccupation with an unenviable chore the university has burdened him with.
===="The Confirmation Polarization" (Ep. 13)====
The guys are discussing , Walking Dead, and Black Mirror during their lunch break in the university's cafeteria, but cut their discussion short because someone is behind in watching each and want to avoid hearing any spoilers.
===="The D & D Vortex" (Ep. 16)====
Will Wheaton brings William Shatner on his Professor Proton show to meet Sheldon, who unfortunately gets so excited to meet "Captain Kirk" as "Science Officer Cooper" that he vomits all over him. Later, the boys find out that Wheaton has Stuart, alongside Shatner and other celebrities, included as part of a Dungeons & Dragons role playing game group. Leonard, but not the other guys and certainly not Sheldon, gets invited to join the group after Stuart drops out. Though sworn to secrecy, Leonard cannot refrain himself from telling Penny – and thus the other two girls – who then accost Wheaton as one of the other celebrities is an actor the girls have the hots for. Leonard is subsequently thrown out by a miffed Wheaton, though he surreptitiously allows the girls to participate, as a form of punishment. During the game Shatner annoys his fellow gamers by making a constant flow of Star Trek references such as "I was about to go all Wrath of Khan on the ogres", and every time he does so, he has to put money in a Star Trek "swear jar", which he finds totally "worth it".
===="The Decision Reverberation" (Ep. 20)====
Spurred on by Penny to exert some much needed assertiveness, Leonard "confidently" tells Penny they are going to watch Discovery after they have had sex. Penny concedes but notifies Leonard she will be mostly watching her smartphone after sex.
==Young Sheldon (2017-2024)==
The Big Bang Theory universe was expanded significantly when the prequel spinoff Young Sheldon series was launched in 2017, focusing on the childhood of Sheldon Cooper in his home state of Texas, elaborating on the many childhood events Sheldon has mentioned over the course of the main series. Performer Jim Parsons reprised his role for the series as the adult Sheldon, retrospectively commenting and reminiscing on his childhood experiences in a voice-over part. The (recurrent) cast included Wallace Shawn as Dr. John Sturgis, the boyfriend of Cooper's maternal grandmother, affectionately coined "Meemaw" by Sheldon; Jason Alexander recurs as Gene Lundy, the high school drama teacher; while Harry Groener guest-starred in the first season episode "An Eagle Feather, A String Bean & An Eskimo" in 2018. Ed Begley, Jr. followed suit from the second season onward, recurring as Dr. Linkletter, colleague and rival of John Sturgis, joined in the fourth season by Wendie Malick as university president Dr. Linda Hagemeyer. Robert Picardo had a guest appearance as Professor Salzman in the last season's second episode, "A Roulette Wheel and a Piano Playing Dog". The spin-off series starts off being set in 1989, two years after the launch of Star Trek: The Next Generation.
One of young Sheldon's favorite television programs he regularly watches on the show is Carl Sagan's acclaimed 1980 popular science series Cosmos: A Personal Voyage (as established in the main series Sagan will take out a restraining order against Sheldon later in life). That series was served by visual effects company Magicam, Inc., the company that had previously provided the studio models for prior to the Cosmos assignment. Their work on Sagan's show had earned the company three Emmy Awards. An updated and modernized remake – or sequel – Cosmos: A Spacetime Odyssey, was aired in 2014, followed by Cosmos: Possible Worlds in 2020. Both produced by former Star Trek showrunner Brannon Braga, they were hosted by Neil deGrasse Tyson, who was inspired to embark on his scientific career because of Sagan and his show.
Whether or not (consciously) intended as such, young Sheldon's family background is actually remarkably similar to that of Star Trek creator Gene Roddenberry; like young Roddenberry, Sheldon is an atheist growing up in conservative Texas, has one brother and one sister (a twin sister, unlike Roddenberry), a devout Baptist mother who forces her offspring to attend religious gatherings, a non-religious father who is a Vietnam War veteran (Roddenberry's father was a World War I veteran), as well as having an aversion to his family situation. And like Roddenberry, Sheldon will go on to make a living for himself in California.
===Season 1 (2017-2018)===
===="A Patch, a Modem, and a Zantac" (Ep. 06)====
NASA engineer Dr. Ronald Hodges appears as a guest speaker in Sheldon's science class and does not take his idea about technology seriously. When cornered by Sheldon, Hodges tries to divert attention of his classmates by changing the subject to the sanitation technology for astronauts by asking the class, "Who wants to know where Captain Kirk has gone where no one has gone before?" Later Sheldon proves to Hodges that his theories are sound, but a chastised Hodges admits that technology has not advanced enough to implement his theories, after which a validated Sheldon lets the matter rest.
Decades later, it turned out that Elon Musk has surreptitiously used Sheldon's scientific notes, he somehow had acquired, to successfully have a booster rocket return to Earth on its own accord.
===="Spock, Kirk, and Testicular Hernia" (Ep. 09)====
Sheldon and Meemaw finish watching , with Sheldon wholeheartedly identifying with Kirk's "You'd make a splendid computer, Mister Spock" remark, whereas Meemaw expresses her affinity for Kirk's swashbuckling nature. Later on, Meemaw makes fun of George Sr. while imitating Kirk in his intonation which however, is frowned upon by Sheldon by chiding his grandmother with a firm "Don't mock the Captain" admonishment.
Later, Sheldon uses Kirk's cheating on the to justify his own rule-breaking after Georgie admitted to cheating on his math test, only to find out that he is wholy inept at "embracing his inner Kirk".
===="Dolomite, Apple Slices, and a Mystery Woman" (Ep. 15)====
Sheldon and his only two school friends discuss the names NASA has given its fleet of space shuttle orbiters at lunch, during which Sheldon opines that he is not too pleased with their first one having been called , as he deems it a Star Trek-only exclusive name.
===Season 2 (2018-2019)===
Starting with the first second season episode "A High-Pitched Buzz and Training Wheels", it was revealed that Star Trek model kits were suspended from the twin's bedroom ceiling. The first episode afforded a clear, albeit fleeting, aft view of an original configuration model, whereas episode 10 and season five's episode 14 proffered good dorsal views of its saucer. The presence of demi-balls on the nacelle end caps and the (non-canon) saucer gridlines identified the model as the second, no. S951 (or one of its many reissues), issue of the debut Enterprise kit from longtime model kit company AMT, the oldest known and still existing franchise partner of Star Trek, but whose products had hitherto not yet been featured in the Big Bang Theory franchise. A later fifth season appearance showed clearly that the model had in the intervening years suffered considerably during its use as set decoration.
A second from the ceiling suspended AMT model, that of the , could on rare occasions also be glimpsed in some of the subsequent episodes, and most likely concerned AMT model kit no. 6619 or a later reissue thereof. An , had divulged that a third model was also present. That model, most likely the smaller scaled Polar Lights kit POL820 (or one of its reisssues, and unlike the two others an anachronism as Polar Lights only started releasing Star Trek model kits in 2003), was that of the refit-Enterprise (NCC-1701) lacking its port warp pylon and nacelle, but which has never been seen in any of the actual series' episodes. The special was posted on YouTube halfway through the first season, indicating that the models had been there from the very beginning but that they had remained indiscernible until Season 2 due to chosen camera angles – also the very reason why the refit-Enterprise was never seen.
===="A Rival Prodigy and Sir Isaac Neutron" (Ep. 02)====
Sheldon is joined in his class by another child prodigy, Paige, which does not sit well with him and he starts to experience bouts of jealously. His mother Mary on the other hand is overjoyed with the advent of another family with a gifted child and invites Paige and her parents to come over, hoping to exchange notes. Sheldon opposes this however, but Mary wins him over by pointing out to him that he had at first also opposed the new Star Trek series The Next Generation for not having Dr. Spock in it. After correcting his mother that it was Mr. Spock, he sees the "logic" of her argument – and after Mary had played the guilt trip card on her son that she really could do with a likeminded friend – , and subsequently prepares himself for the visit by re-watching in which Dr. McCoy stated, "The release of emotions, Mr. Spock, is what keeps us healthy – emotionally healthy, that is," after which he decides to adhere to the Vulcan principle of kohlinar, just before his brother George, Jr. decides not to want to watch that "crap" and switches channel. Sheldon's intent comes to naught however, when, to his utter horror, Paige embraces him upon arrival, causing Sheldon to conclude that McCoy was idiotic in his observations. After Paige additionally and soundly beats him at a game of chess, Sheldon hears red alert bells go off in his mind's eye.
===="A Crisis of Faith and Octopus Aliens" (Ep.3)====
A local tragedy causes Mary to significantly increase her religious activities at first, with a retrospective Sheldon deeming his mother's revved-up religious fervor as akin to "starship Enterprise achieving warp factor 9".
===="Carbon Dating and a Stuffed Raccoon" (Ep. 7)====
Among his "elite" organization memberships, he is especially proud of, Sheldon also cites his "Starfleet International" membership as the second-most important one.
===="A Stunted Childhood and a Can of Fancy Mixed Nuts" (Ep. 10)====
Missy taunts Sheldon with her statement that Paige, whom she has invited for a sleepover, speaks three languages in contrast to him speaking only his native one, after which he corrects his twin sister that he is in the process of learning conversational Klingon, continuing the conversation in it, before being cut short by Meemaw.
===Season 3 (2019-2020)===
Season 3 featured updated opening titles footage; young Sheldon appears in different attires on an alternating basis, each reflecting one of his interests. One of these attires showed Sheldon dressed as Spock, complete with pointed ears, usually featured when an episode was heavy on Star Trek references, such as episodes 3, 9, and 11.
===="A Broom Closet and Satan's Monopoly Board" (Ep. 2)====
Sheldon gets into an argument with Dr. Linkletter, while attending his physics class at the university, disputing the validity of a more modern interpretation of string theory. Using Star Trek as an analogy Sheldon argues, "Just because something is older doesn't mean that it's not still good. Original Star Trek is older than Next Generation, but if you think that Mr. Data is better than Mr. Spock, you don't know what you're talking about." Dr. Linkletter concedes that he does not, but Sheldon is blissfully unaware the he is referring to the Data/Spock analogy.
===="An Entrepreneurialist and a Swat on the Bottom" (Ep. 3)====
After Sheldon has misbehaved, angering his parents and Meemaw, he tries to awkwardly convey his feelings of remorse to his family by showing them a VHS recording of , using the miner's concession in that episode that they have wrongly mistreated the Horta as a proxy for his apology. His family does not get the reference, causing Sheldon to make his family watch the episode again.
===="The Sin of Greed and a Chimichanga from Chi-Chi's" (Ep. 8)====
Sheldon is offered full-time enrollment at the university where Sturgis teaches. Sheldon is seen watching a VHS recording of where he mentions to George, Sr. how Geordi La Forge is lost on a planet and Wesley Crusher is using neutrinos in a probe to locate the missing chief engineering officer. In the meantime, principal Petersen orders his staff to please both Sheldon and his father, the highschool football coach, as much as possible in order to keep them attached to the school as Sheldon's high scores is instrumental in the school's funding, succeeding for the time being. As a result, science teacher Givens even goes as far as offering to show a Star Trek episode in class instead of a more traditional educational video, though he is otherwise habitually and utterly exasperated by Sheldon.
===="A Party Invitation, Football Grapes and an Earth Chicken" (Ep. 9)====
Missy is invited to a birthday party of the next-door neighbor boy Billy, but Sheldon is not. Mary, enraged that he is not – precipitating a situation that put the to shame, according to a reflective Sheldon – and convinced that her son desperately needs some social interaction with peers, cajoles Billy's mother into extending an invitation to Sheldon as well. Much to her surprise and dismay Sheldon sees it differently, and only agrees to go to the party dressed as Spock on a scientific away mission. Exasperated, Mary allows him to, and Sheldon – or rather Spock – is subsequently seen at the party taking scientific readings with his tricorder to the bewilderment of Billy's mother and the other kids, but not the dimwitted Billy, who plays along and subsequently gets promoted to "ensign" by "Spock".
Issue 73 of Sheldon's Star Trek: The Official Fan Club Magazine is received in the mail by the Cooper household along with Missy's birthday party invitation.
===="A Live Chicken, A Fried Chicken & Holy Matrimony" (Ep. 11)====
Much to Sheldon's chagrin, Georgie has taped over his VHS recording of and replacing it with a Baywatch episode. To solve this dilemma, Sheldon uses the primitive internet technology of the day using message boards in the hopes of seeking out another Trekkie who may have an uncompromised copy.
After he has found a fellow Trekkie owning one, they both watch the episode at Meemaw's home, much to her chagrin. When they are done, Meemaw throws the Trekkie out, who scurries away, but who is "beaming out" in Sheldon's mind's eye.
===="Pasadena" (Ep. 16)====
Sheldon receives word that Stephen Hawking will be hosting a lecture at Caltech and finds himself begging both of his parents to take him to California and early on, they refuse, and in his moment of funk, Sheldon channel surfs only to find reminders of Hawking when seeing shows depicting characters in wheelchairs, chief among them, a scene of Christopher Pike in his wheelchair in .
After Dr. Sturgis has pulled some strings on his behalf, Sheldon is relieved when he and George Sr. board a flight so the child prodigy can hear his idol speak, though he discovers his fear of flying. George helps his son to somewhat overcome his fears by pretend playing as Captain Kirk and Mr. Spock, and the plane takes off while the Star Trek theme is playing.
===Season 4 (2020-2021)===
===="Graduation" (Ep. 01)====
A retrospective Sheldon deemed his own graduation party the best he ever attended, until the one given for his own son Leonard. While he was allowed by his wife Amy to keep the name Leonard, she did not allow the name Sheldon had originally envisioned for their son, "Leonard Nimoy Cooper".
===="A Docent, A Little Lady and a Bouncer Named Dalton" (Ep. 02)====
Sheldon reveals that Star Trek: The Official Fan Club Magazine occupied the fifth place in the Top 5 news sources his younger self got his current affairs updates from.
===="Training Wheels and an Unleashed Chicken" (Ep. 03)====
After Sheldon has broken his right arm, he fears that his ability to perform the Vulcan hand salute is seriously impaired.
===="A Philosophy Class and Worms That Can Chase You" (Ep. 07)====
Sheldon is watching , deeming Spock very capable of pulling off a goatee, when he answers a phone call from Dr. Linkletter who wishes to speak to Mary to inform her that he is appointed the safety net for Sheldon when he starts college. While waiting for Mary, Sheldon informs Dr. Linkletter that he had interrupted him while he was watching Star Trek to which Linkletter answers that he is not up to speed with the current animation shows. After Sheldon corrects him, he does concede that there actually had been a and subsequently explains in detail to an exasperated Linkletter how James Doohan provided most of the voices for the guest characters in that series, including that of Kukulkan.
===="Cowboy Aerobics and 473 Grease-Free Bolts" (Ep. 10)====
Sheldon tries to badger Dr. Linkletter into taking him on as his lab assistant by overusing the Klingon phrase "HIja'" ("Yes"). Linkletter responds in kind after Sheldon teaches him the Klingon word for "no", "Qo'".
===="A Pager, a Club and a Cranky Bag of Wrinkles" (Ep. 11)====
After Missy has stated that she considers Will Wheaton cute, Sheldon suggests watching Star Trek together. "He's not that cute, " Missy retorts.
===="The Geezer Bus and a New Model for Education" (Ep. 13)====
After getting into an accident with Meemaw, a scared out of his wits Sheldon henceforth refuses to ride in a car again, and "arranges" for a highly reluctant Dr. Linkletter to remote lecture him over the phone by using the cloud he has with his boss, university President Linda Hagemeyer who is reliant on the child prodigy for the university's funding by outside donors. When a smug Sheldon interrupts his remote lecture by noting that it is like learning in the future, a miffed Dr. Linkletter asks if he can continue to which Sheldon answers he can by going "ahead warp factor five", it being "from Star Trek, which is also in the future".
Desperate to keep the donor attracting child prodigy happy, President Hagemeyer caters to every single one of Sheldon's whims, but is chided for it by Mary later on, who eventually manages to trick her son into getting into a car again. Hagemeyer defers to Mary's better judgement, but concedes she is too late to recall a basket of Star Trek VHS tapes she had already sent over to Sheldon.
===="The Wild and Woolly World of Nonlinear Dynamics" (Ep. 18)====
Notoriously adverse to life changes, Sheldon admits to Missy he does not care for her growing up. Missy argues that change is an inevitable fact of life and wagers that even Sheldon will no longer be talking about Star Trek and comic books anymore in twenty years time. Sheldon begs to differ and accepts the wager for one dollar. A reminiscing adult Sheldon, divulging he is wearing Star Trek underpants at that point in time, states that Missy still has not paid him.
=== Season 5 (2021-2022) ===
===="One Bad Night and Chaos of Selfish Desires" (Ep. 01)====
A reflective Sheldon adds Alexander Courage's Star Trek-theme to his coping mechanisms to deal with stressfull situations after which he starts humming it, before Amy tries to cut him short – unsuccessfully though. Young Sheldon's coping mechanism was to seek solace in fictitious worlds, and is seen watching after a particularly hectic family situation.
===="Money Laundering and a Cascade of Hormones" (Ep. 06)====
Sheldon is busy reading the Star Trek novel in the family's living room, when an upset Missy storms in.
===="An Introduction to Engineering and a Glob of Hair Gel" (Ep. 07)====
When the gruff Professor of Engineering Boucher announces that for the time being all his new students are merely numbers to him, Sheldon asks if he can be "number one" as that is "what Captain Picard calls Commander Riker on Star Trek: Next Generation". When Boucher sarcastically makes a sardonic reply to his request, Sheldon calls him "Captain", as he proudly but mistakenly assumes that his suggestion is endorsed by his professor.
===="The Grand Chancellor and a Den of Sin" (Ep. 08)====
Sheldon experiences a crisis of faith when he discovers that all grown-ups habitually lie in daily life. While watching , a despondent Sheldon concludes that Captain Kirk too is lying as he is played by an actor, the epitome of a liar as far as Sheldon is concerned.
===="An Expensive Glitch and a Goof-Off Room" (Ep. 10)====
Sheldon is bothered by his unexplained need for peer approval and discusses the matter with his mentor Dr. Sturgis. Sturgis clarifies Sheldon's need to be liked by others by drawing an analogy with Captain Kirk who could not function effectively without the benevolence of Mister McCoy and Doctor Spock, and which Kirk was only able to get by treating his subordinates with kindness and respect. After correcting his mentor that it were Dr. McCoy and Mister Spock, Sheldon sees the point Sturgis is trying to make. Sturgis then assumes a smart man like Spock must have had a doctorate, but Sheldon corrects him by divulging that Spock had chosen Starfleet over the Vulcan Science Academy, a choice Sturgis concedes he would not have made.
===="A Lock-In, a Weather Girl and a Disgusting Habit" (Ep. 11)====
While watching , Sheldon annoys Missy by pointing out that Will Wheaton plays child prodigy Wesley Crusher who, despite his young age, is allowed to serve on the bridge of a starship and who is so intelligent that people come to rely on him. In a hardly veiled self-serving manner, Sheldon asks his sister if this is not sounding very familiar.
===="A Pink Cadillac and a Glorious Tribal Dance" (Ep. 12)====
A Star Trek convention is being held in Texarkana that Nathan, a fellow "Trekkie" who discusses with Sheldon a convention window poster at a local comic book store and whose jacket has a TNG commander's rank device on the collar, says David Gerrold will be appearing at, prompting Sheldon to mention . It will become the very first convention Sheldon attends. A TV commercial for it has The Wrath of Khan clip of James T. Kirk shouting "KHAN!" in place of "con."
While on the busride to Texarcana, Sheldon cosplays as Spock and engages in a lively debate with Nathan, who appears to be cosplaying as Jean-Luc Picard in a Season 1 uniform, vigorously defending Wesley Crusher despite otherwise preferring The Original Series over The Next Generation by amongst others arguing that William Shatner was the superior actor as ship's captain over Patrick Stewart. Sheldon's former highschool science teacher Givens is co-incidentally on the bus as well, also traveling to the convention cosplaying as Dr. Smith from Lost in Space, and who butts in by positing that his favorite show had been the better one by all measures of success. Much to Givens' chagrin though, Nathan questions that statement by pointing out that Lost in Space stole its signature "Robbie the Robot" from the classic science fiction movie Forbidden Planet and that no repeat airings, movies or series remakes were ever made of it.
A reflective Sheldon admits that he went to the convention without his parent's knowledge and consent, and that he had to face the "Wrath of Dad", instead of the "Wrath of Khan" afterwards.
===="A Free Scratcher and Feminine Wiles" (Ep. 14)====
Sheldon is butting heads with a new female theoretical physics professor and is sorely losing all the arguments. Peevishly interpreting this situation as an adult picking on him, Sheldon plans to discredit the professor by sabotaging her work. Missy, whose advice Sheldon seeks out as he considers his sister an expert on bullying, deems his quest a futile and unwinnable one, but Sheldon pushes ahead anyway inspired by "someone else who faced a no-win scenario and prevailed, one James Tiberius Kirk", referring to the Kobayashi Maru scenario. Unlike Kirk though, Sheldon fails miserably.
===Season 6 (2022-2023)===
===="Future Worf and the Margarita of the South Pacific" (Ep. 02)====
After Missy has taken on a job in Sheldon's regular comic book store in order to alleviate the family's financial troubles, Sheldon too, chagrined about Missy's permanent presence in his sanctuary, proposes to help out by going to pitch Star Trek story ideas, one of which involving Worf becoming trapped twelves minutes in the future. Missy though, dismisses his proposal as stupid.
Later on, Sheldon submits another story pitch to his father, involving yet another "future Worf" returning to the Enterprise-D to avoid his spore-infected younger self destroying the ship. Despite his weariness, George actually manages to find a logic flaw in Sheldon's pitch, which he points out to his miffed son – not entirely without a measure of malicious glee.
===="An Ugly Car, an Affair and Some Kickass Football" (Ep. 06)====
A despondent coach Wayne Wilkins is staying with the Cooper family after his wife has cheated on him and is absentmindedly watching a The Next Generation episode with Missy and Sheldon. After Data has made a screen appearance Sheldon explains to Wilkins that he is an android aspiring to be Human, but that he personally considers that aspiration "a step in the wrong direction". Coach Wilkins however, could not care less.
===="Pancake Sunday and Textbook Flirting" (Ep. 10)====
Being ostracized by her church, Mary feels adrift and tries to fill her now empty Sundays by taking a more active interest in the pursuits of the other household members, only to find that none of them are really appreciative of her efforts. She even tries to feign interest in Star Trek when she joins Sheldon on the couch to watch television, thinking she is watching The Original Series. She gets confused when she is admonished by her son that she is not watching Spock in The Original Series, but Odo in Deep Space Nine, another show which much to her bewilderment is also Star Trek. The next morning Sheldon rudely awakens his mother from her hangover after a night out on the town with a newly found social group, with an especially composed 100-page guide outlining the Star Trek universe, he feels his mother must know by heart if she is ever going to understand the place of The Animated Series in the Star Trek timeline, he assumes they will be watching later on that afternoon. Despite Mary begging Sheldon to let her sleep a little while longer, he pushes ahead nonetheless, and starts reading her the synopsis from page one onward.
===="Little Green Men and a Fella's Marriage Proposal" (Ep. 18)====
Mary walks into the living room to find Sheldon watching . Unthinkably she sits down, only to be regaled by her son with the complete plot of the episode in order to "catch her up". Relieved that Georgie has come home, she leaves and wakes her sleeping husband up with the admonishment to watch Star Trek with his son. Undaunted, Sheldon at once recapitulates the episode yet again, to his father this time.
Watching the episode however, gives Sheldon the idea to embark on a telescope search for exoplanets that could support life. After having secured the endorsement of a college professor, he soon finds out that the computer search is actually a tedious affair indeed, and that "Star Trek made this seem a lot more fun".
===Season 7 (2024)===
Just like the television shows of Berman-era Star Trek it had referenced so much, it was decided to end Young Sheldon after seven seasons, with Robert Picardo becoming the very last Star Trek alumnus to make an appearance in the Big Bang Theory franchise.
===="Funeral" (Ep. 13)====
Sheldon latches on to Spock's death scene at the end of The Wrath of Khan as a coping mechanism when he tries to come to terms with the sudden death of his father George. When asked, he tells Missy that he is thinking about Star Trek which she in her own grief however, misinterprets as Sheldon not caring, causing her to become enraged with her brother.
Later, a rueful Sheldon, who was as usual too preoccupied with himself to notice his father leaving for work that fateful morning, played several scenarios in his mind's eye of what he should have done differently that morning. In one of these scenarios he tells his father as he was about to leave that has "been, and always shall be, your friend", paraphrasing Spock's dying words, to which his father responds with a perfectly executed Vulcan hand salute – at least in Sheldon's imagination that is.
=== External links ===
*The Big Bang Theory Wiki – the official The Big Bang Theory wiki
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de:Parodien und Anspielungen auf Star Trek (Fernsehen)/The Big Bang Theory
Big Bang Theory, The
Big Bang Theory, The