Sheldon Steals Big Bang Theory’s First Thanksgiving Episode With A Special Scene
The Big Bang Theory’s first Thanksgiving let Sheldon shine, and a later Young Sheldon episode made his subplot poignant but funny in retrospect.
WhileYoung Sheldon’s finaledidn’t feature any obvious celebrity paradoxes, the show’s earlier outings did occasionally trip up their own reality. In an issue thatYoung Sheldon’s spinoffGeorgie & Mandy’s First Marriageshares, the nostalgic prequel toThe Big Bang Theorytakes place in the late ‘80s and early ‘90s but was filmed during the 2010s and 2020s. As a result, characters occasionally reference movies and TV shows that some of the show’s cast members copped up in, as evidenced in the show’s lone Thanksgiving special, season 2, episode 9, “Family Dynamics and a Red Fiero.”
Young Sheldon’s Missy Referenced Ghostbusters In Season 2’s Thanksgiving Episode
Missy Said She Was Thankful That There Were “Two Ghostbusters Cartoons”
In the episode, Sheldon’s parents argue over Thanksgiving dinner as George Sr. considers a job offer in Tulsa and Mary vetoes the idea due to the pressures of moving. Thanks to Missy’s comments during dinner,Young Sheldonaccidentally created a paradox by referencing theGhostbustersfranchise. InYoung Sheldon’s only Thanksgiving special, Sheldon’s twin is asked what she is thankful for and answers that she is thankful for the twoGhostbusterscartoons. The problem is that Missy’s grandmother Meemaw is played by the actor Annie Potts, who played the receptionist Janine Melnitz in both of theGhostbustersmovies.
The paradox is a little less egregious, since Missy isn’t technically announcing that she has seen two movies that seemingly star Meemaw.
Young Sheldonnever mentions Potts’ uncanny resemblance to the supporting star ofGhostbusters, but the show could arguably get away with the nod thanks to one convenient behind-the-scenes detail. In fairness to “Family Dynamics and a Red Fiero,” Potts didn’t reprise the role of Janine in either of theGhostbusterscartoon spinoffs. As such, the paradox is a little less egregious, since Missy isn’t technically announcing that she has seen two movies that seemingly star her grandmother. Furthermore,Young Sheldon’s period setting means that Potts is older in the Thanksgiving episode than she would have been in eitherGhostbustersmovies.
Young Sheldon’s Meemaw Actor Starred In The Ghostbusters Movies
Meemaw Played The Ghostbusters Receptionist Janine Melnitz
Even with these explanations taken into account, it is still a little tricky to work out how Potts can exist as an actor in theYoung Sheldonuniverse.Georgie & Mandy’s First Marriage’s Thanksgiving episodeavoided any similar paradoxes, butYoung Sheldonfeatured another later in its run. The season 5 finale, “A Clogged Pore, A Little Spanish, and the Future,” featured Penn and Teller playing an anthropomorphized zit, but Teller already played Amy’s father inThe Big Bang Theory. Thus,The Big Bang TheorycomplicatedYoung Sheldon’s reality long before Missy mentioned her grandmother’s most famous real-life franchise.
