Although all The Big Bang Theory’s Stephen Hawking cameos were funny, the late physicist’s most underrated episode also addressed a major problem with Sheldon. Sheldon Cooper was a pretty flawed character, but this didn’t stop viewers from loving him. The Big Bang Theory’s entire cast of characters were well-liked, but it was Sheldon who got a starring role in the show’s first spinoff. Even Young Sheldon’s spinoff Georgie & Mandy’s First Marriage only exists because of how popular Sheldon’s prequel series proved. Despite this popularity, Sheldon’s character flaws sometimes made him a hard character to like.
Sheldon was always hilarious, but sometimes the joke was on his supposed friends. In season 7, episode 8, “The Itchy Brain Simulation,” Sheldon guilt-tripped Leonard into wearing a rash-inducing sweater because Leonard had forgotten to return a DVD, only for Sheldon to reveal that he had returned it himself years earlier. Mean-spirited antics like this jarred with the character’s ultimately well-meaning nature and didn’t ring true. However, Sheldon’s competitiveness was another story. This character detail felt rooted in Sheldon’s personality, and it proved tough to overcome as a result. Luckily, one cameo did help.
Stephen Hawking Helped Sheldon Overcome His Jealousy
Season 10 Episode 9 Saw Sheldon Cope With A Colleague’s Success
Rather than just appearing for a punchline, Stephen Hawking intervened to help Sheldon with his toxic jealousy in one outing. In season 10, episode 9, “The Geology Elevation,” Sheldon struggled with all the attention lavished on his successful new colleague, Bret the geologist. After Bret wins the MacArthur Fellowship, Sheldon is angered by all the attention and praise the mild-mannered scientist receives. Things go from bad to worse when he reads the geologist’s award-winning paper and is forced to admit that it deserved all the praise it received. Fortunately, an unlikely old friend helps Sheldon overcome his professional jealousy.
Hawking is surprisingly sweet towards The Big Bang Theory’s show’s antihero in this cameo.
Near the end of the outing, Hawking calls up Sheldon to help him cope with his inability to celebrate Bert’s success. Despite pranking Sheldon and the rest of the gang repeatedly in his earlier appearances, Hawking is surprisingly sweet towards The Big Bang Theory’s antihero in this cameo. He tells Sheldon that someone as brilliant as him can’t afford to waste their time on petty jealousy, a compliment that manages to get through to the arrogant character. With Hawking’s approval, Sheldon is finally able to swallow his pride and accept that Bret’s well-earned success didn’t negatively impact him.
Sheldon’s Jealousy Was One Of His Formative Flaws
The Big Bang Theory’s Hero Didn’t Face This Trait For Years
While his love interest said much the same thing as Hawking to him earlier in the episode, one of the biggest flaws in The Big Bang Theory’s Amy and Sheldon relationship was his refusal to listen to her. The Big Bang Theory’s lead had a hard time accepting advice from anyone, but Sheldon’s jealousy was one of his definitive character flaws. His superiority complex drove him to assume that he was smarter than everyone around him and, when this was occasionally proven wrong, Sheldon was often sent into a tailspin. Luckily, Penny was great at grounding him in reality.
Sheldon often fell into a dynamic of childish one-upmanship.
From her first appearance, Penny’s disinterest in science resulted in her effectively returning Sheldon to reality when he became too delusional. However, it was tough for her to intervene when Sheldon was struggling professionally. Surrounded by other established scientists, Sheldon often fell into a dynamic of childish one-upmanship. While The Big Bang Theory’s next spinoff could reveal whether Hawkins’s lessons lasted, “The Geology Elevation” at least saw Sheldon learn how to deal with jealousy constructively from one of his heroes. Ironically, his younger self didn’t need this lesson quite as much.
The Big Bang Theory’s Spinoff Played Down This Flaw
Sheldon Was Less Shamelessly Competitive In Young Sheldon
Young Sheldon changed a lot of character details from Sheldon’s family, making Mary a sweeter presence and Meemaw a more rebellious figure. However, the spinoff also subtly altered Sheldon’s own personality. Sheldon isn’t as intensely jealous in Young Sheldon, with the character’s envious side only occasionally rearing its head in the spinoff. This could be evidence that moving to CalTech wasn’t entirely beneficial for the young prodigy. Sheldon’s small cohort of fellow scientists at East Texas Tech seemingly operate as collaborators, although Dr. Linkletter and Sheldon were pitted against each other in season 6.
In contrast, Sheldon clearly sees himself as a competitor to his CalTech co-workers. Moving to CalTech was a positive step for Sheldon, with the character stating that he was finally where he belonged upon his arrival in Young Sheldon’s finale. However, the new location and its attendant isolation didn’t help his competitive streak. CalTech seemingly exacerbated Sheldon’s competitiveness, resulting in his fateful video call with Hawking in season 10. This chat left The Big Bang Theory’s hero a little better and more open-minded than before he spoke to Hawking.
