SEASON 1 – CBS
Created by Chuck Lorre and Steve Molero
This is a prequel spinoff of the sitcom “The Big Bang Theory”
Theme song: “Mighty Little Man” by Steve Burns
- 001. Pilot – 9/25/2017
- New York Theoretical Physicist Sheldon Cooper (voice of Jim Parsons) narrates tales of his life as a 9-year old living with his family in Medford, a city in East Texas, in 1989. Sheldon (Iain Armitage) is a boy genius with plenty of quirks, obsessions, and phobias, all of which confound his mother Mary (Zoe Perry), his high school football coach father George Sr. (Lance Barber), older brother Georgie (Montana Jordan), and twin sister Missy (Raegan Revord). Sheldon is getting ready to start his accelerated education in high school, much to the embarrassment of Georgie. Over dinner, Sheldon observes his family and participates in his prayer handholding by putting on mittens to avoid germs. Although he doesn’t believe in God, he agrees to join his mother at church because he loves her. During the service, he questions much of Pastor Jeff Hodgkin’s (Matt Hobby) teachings about evil thoughts, much to the irritation of churchgoer Betty (Marcia Ann Burrs). His mother sends him out to play on his last day of Summer break, but he is scared of everything including bully Billy Sparks (Wyatt McClure). On the morning of his first day at high school, Sheldon can’t find his bowtie and blames Georgie, but it turns out to be his father who hid it, hoping that he will appear less strange to the other kids. Sheldon is reluctant to give it up, since his TV hero Captain Proton (Bob Newhart) wears one, but eventually his mother is able to talk him out of it. When he gets into his first classroom, he quickly run afoul of his teacher Ms. Vicky MacElroy (Valerie Mahaffey) when he is quick to point out the rule violations of the students, as well as her mustache. This goes the same in every class, and soon Mr. Hubert Givens (Brian Stepanek) and Ms. Ingram (Danielle Pinnock) join Ms. MacElroy in pleading with Principal Petersen (Rex Linn) that Sheldon shouldn’t be in the public high school. Meanwhile Sheldon roams the high school and meets music teacher Ms. Fenley (Melissa Tang), who discovers that Sheldon is also a music prodigy with perfect pitch. The principal meets with Sheldon’s parents and Mary insists that he stay in the school and they find a way to make it work. Georgie is so embarrassed by his brother that he takes it out on a kid named Stinson (Christian Alexander Garcia) on the football field when he attacks him. Back home George has a discussion with Sheldon about tattling on others, and indicates that he lost his job by telling on some former school associates for some shady practices. That night at dinner he removes his glove in order to hold his father’s hand. Doc Farrow is Assistant Coach Wilkins. 1/3/20
- 002. Rockets, Communists, and the Dewey Decimal System – 11/2/2017
- Mary is upset when she sees Sheldon eating alone at school, and Georgie refuses to eat with him. Missy tells Sheldon that he is upsetting his mother, and even though he prefers to be alone, he heads to the school library to see Ms. Hutchins (Sarah Baker) and check out Dale Carnegie’s book How to Win Friends and Influence People. He tries using the methods in the book on his father, Billy Sparks, cheerleader Lisa May (Cait Pool), a pair of stoners (Reid Shapiro, Nolan Pugh), and some jocks, but nothing seems to work. Missy surprises Sheldon with a great suggestion: to see how had previously checked out the book, and assume that they too were looking for friends. Unfortunately everyone who had checked it out in the past were adults, including Ms. MacElroy, Ms. Ingram, and Mr. Givens. However when he returns the book to the library, he meets a friendly Vietnamese boy named Tam Nguyen (Ryan Phuong). Mary is ecstatic, and even lifts the ban on Sheldon firing the rockets that he builds, also insisting that Sheldon invite Tam over for dinner. At the dinner, Tam tells the family the horrifying story of how his family made the move from Vietnam to Texas, including all of the racists they encountered along the way and the long hours his parents now work. Then while they are working on the rocket, the Coopers are visited by two FBI agents (Wiley M. Pickett, Leonards Robinson), who inquire about the uranium that Sheldon had attempted to purchase. As the parents are trying to convince the men that Sheldon is harmless, his rocket flies through the house. Murray Wyatt Rundus and Tate Berney are Georgie’s friends Clint and Dexter. 1/4/21
- 003. Poker, Faith, and Eggs – 11/9/2017
- The kids’ Meemaw, Connie Tucker (Annie Potts) babysits for the kids, allowing George to play with firecrackers, and Missy to eat inordinate amounts of candy, all while teaching Sheldon the art of the poker face. Later the family attends church and Sheldon debates Pastor Jeff on the existence of God, with Sheldon choosing to stick with Science. Still, he researches the matter and is fascinated by Blaise Pascal’s wager theory. Billy Sparks shows up at the house to bring eggs for Missy and the family. Meemaw has to return to babysit the kids when George is checked into the hospital for chest pains. The kids are all worried at home, but Meemaw sends them to bed and then passes out on a lawn chair after drinking a bottle of wine. Georgie tells the other two that he is going to see their father and invites them to come along, stealing Meemaw’s car keys. He slowly makes his way to the hospital, hitting multiple garbage cans along the way. By the time Meemaw realizes they have gone, she is able to hightail it to the hospital and beat them there, so that it appears to the their parents that they all came together. Sheldon is again impressed with his Meemaw’s ability to bluff. When Sheldon sees his father hooked up to machines, he steals away to the chapel and prays to Blaise Pascal, indicating that if he is right, the message will get to God. In the case, he hopes that Pascal is right. George fully recovers, and Sheldon almost brushes with faith… but when they all get sick on Billy’s eggs, he casts the faith aside again. Vernee Watson is Nurse Robinson. 2/25/21
- 004. A Therapist, a Comic Book, and a Breakfast Sausage – 11/16/2017
- One morning Sheldon chokes on a sausage while eating breakfast, and it takes a while before his father successfully gives him the Heimlich maneuver. He finally makes it to school with a note from his mother indicating that he almost died. While eating lunch with Tam, who is reading comic books in which Sheldon has no interest, Sheldon is suddenly struck with the fear of eating, scared that he will choke again. At dinner that night, Sheldon is still afraid to eat, so his mother lets him skip it. However the next night she is in a panic that he’s not getting his nutrition, so Meemaw purees his pork and gravy. This goes on for five weeks, with his mother pureeing all of his food for him. George finally thinks enough is enough, so they make an appointment to see psychiatrist Dr. Goetsch (John Hartman). While the doctor is talking to Sheldon’s parents first, he discovers an X-Men comic book in the waiting room, and he finally sees how the mutants in it relate to him. When he finishes the book, he wanders off to the King Kong Comic Book store to read more comic books. He encounters Tam there, and as his parents search all over the city for him, he and Tam read comic books. Tam offers him some licorice and Sheldon summons the courage he got form reading about superheroes and eats the licorice, thus ending his fear of food. Sheldon arrives home that night to a house full of police, and his explanation about how the comic book saved his life went over their heads. Christopher Cho is Omar the comic store clerk. 2/25/21
- 005. A Solar Calculator, a Game Ball, and a Cheerleader’s Bosom – 11/23/2017
- While watching football, Sheldon mentions that it is statistically beneficial to go for it on fourth down, so his father takes it to heart and uses that strategy in the next high school game. Although Assistant Coach Wilkins thinks it is a bad idea, it pays off and they win the game. Sheldon suddenly becomes popular at school, where he is even hugged by a cheerleader (Brielle Barbusca) who puts his face in her bosom, but the attention is too much for him and he hates being touched. He’s also getting attention at home as his father gives him the game ball and buys him a solar calculator so he can make even more predictions, while his Meemaw wants him to help her figure out winners and point spreads so she can gamble. Georgie is getting jealous of Sheldon’s attention, and acts out and gets himself grounded. Tam is eating up riding Sheldon’s coattails and gleaning some popularity himself. Tam comes over late and asks Sheldon to get him in at a party across the street. Sheldon reluctantly agrees, and Missy goes along dressed in her ballerina outfit so she’ll look older. Georgie has also snuck out and is at the party. After being up so late, Sheldon forgets to show his work on a test, and gets a B+, causing hit to put an end to all of this by tattling on everyone to his mother. She lays down the law with her mother, George, Georgie, Missy, and Tam, so things return to normal. However, Meemaw still asks him to pick a football winner, but he gives her bad advice and she loses a bundle. While at a casino in Louisiana, her bookie Vincent (Ray Liotta) tracks her down. She wins a bundle in a slot machine, so he takes a down payment in quarters. Nick Carson is Pat Culpepper #12. Scott Peat is Gerome, the naysayer in the stands. Cooper North is a student. Isaac Faulkner is the party guy. Brandon Morales is the game referee. 6/24/21
- 006. A Patch, a Modem, and a Zantac – 11/30/2017
- Mr. Givens brings in guest speaker from Johnson Space Center in Houston, Dr. Ronald Hodges (Jason Kravits) to speak to Sheldon’s class, but Sheldon finds him very condescending when Sheldon suggests that NASA could save money by landing their booster rockets rather than dropping them in the ocean. Hodges tells him that it is a cute idea, but not possible, then gives him a NASA patch. Sheldon becomes obsessed with proving him wrong, and tries to come up with ways to buy a computer, even asking his Meemaw how much she plans to leave him in her will, and then tries to take out a second mortgage on the house. He then gets the idea to secure a modem from Radio Shack and hack into NASA’s system so he can find out their information on thrust-to-weight ratios. When his mom blows him off, he starts to feel sick and thinks he has an ulcer. They take him to see Dr. Eberland (Dave Florek) and he confirms that he does in fact have an ulcer due to stress and prescribes him Zantac. While at the office, Sheldon uses the doctor’s computer to get the information. Sheldon finally finishes his report on Rocket Reentry & Retropropulsion and sends it off to Hodges. When he doesn’t get a reply, he starts to become depressed, so his father decides to drive to the Space Center and confront Hodges in person. After they get through his secretary, Sheldon presents his studies. Hodges is impressed and says that although he is correct in theory, they don’t yet have the technical capability to execute it. Sheldon tells him to call him once they catch up with him. Sheldon thanks his father, and his parents tell him they’re proud of him. Years later in 2016, Elon Musk (himself) has successfully landed a rocket on a ship in the ocean and is getting ready to be interviewed by CNN for this groundbreaking achievement. Privately he waits in his office, reading Sheldon’s study on Rocket Reentry & Retropropulsion. Karly Rothenberg is Hodges’ secretary Janice Veazey. 6/24/21
- 007. A Brisket, Voodoo, and Cannonball Run – 12/7/2017
- After fifteen years of marriage, George is still hurt by the fact that Mary’s mother Connie hasn’t accepted him into the family and given him the recipe to her famous brisket, although she occasionally tells him she will and the pulls the rug out. This time he becomes so upset that he decides to skip the church picnic, and stays home with Georgie. They wind up sneaking into her house to try and find the recipe in her recipe box, but are unsuccessfully. She has never written it down, and knows they were there by the position of the boxes. She then tells George that it went to far to have her daughter and grandkids upset because George skipped the picnic, so this time she hands him the handwritten recipe. It is full of exotic ingredients that force him to drive to New Orleans for a special coffee, and to a voodoo shop where he gets a root from Madame Laveau (Sharon Ferguson). He stays up all night preparing the brisket, but then when he takes his first taste, he immediately knows that the recipe was fake. She claims it was revenge for breaking into her house. George gets so mad that he tells everyone she can only be in his house to see the kids when he’s not there. Georgie gets worried that this could really lead to divorce, but a word triggers a memory from when he was not yet even two, when his Meemaw told him the recipe. He is able to remember it all and threatens to give it to his father if they don’t make up. She finally tells him to go ahead, but George says he doesn’t want it that way. He just doesn’t understand why she doesn’t accept him, but then finally admits he understand when remembering how he was when he first met Mary. He tells her that he’s now changed, and Mary finally apologizes, which means more to George then the recipe. They finally make up… but George later gets the recipe from Sheldon and makes the brisket. Sheldon isn’t hungry enough to try it, after another word triggers a memory of his parents in bed while he was in his crib. J. Anthony McCarthy is the butcher. 11/20/21
- 008. Cape Canaveral, Schrodinger’s Cat, and Cyndi Lauper’s Hair – 12/14/2017
- George tells Mary that he’s thinking about taking Georgie fishing over the weekend, but Mary suggests that he do something that Sheldon would like to do this time. George approaches Sheldon for ideas, but the best one that Sheldon can come up with is to go to Cape Canaveral for the space shuttle launching. George agrees to take the road trip with is boys, and Sheldon is anxious to go… hoping to get on board the shuttle and depart Earth. The morning of the trip, Sheldon is dressed, packed, and waiting at the care before anyone gets up. Sheldon is forced to ride in the front seat, and engages his father in a conversation about Schrodinger’s cat. Meanwhile, back home the ladies all go out to a beauty parlor. Missy wants to dye her hair like Cyndi Lauper. Meemaw thinks Mary should let her, which gets Mary angry by making her look like the bad guy. They argue over the fact that Mary had to basically raise herself. Meemaw is reluctant to take any blame, but admits that Mary probably did better when she wasn’t around… and that she wanted to move to Medford to be close to Mary and her family, especially since none of her other kids will talk to her. George and boys stay in a motel, where they argue about who gets the bed to themselves. George rigs a coin flip to win. In the middle of the night, Sheldon wakes up because Georgie is kicking him, so he gets into bed with his father, and admits he likes the warmth his father gives off. He is concerned when it starts raining, and sure enough, it is pouring the next morning, and launch is cancelled. George make him feel better by asking him to explain thunder and lightning to him. 11/20/21
- 009. Spock, Kirk, and Testicular Hernia – 12/21/2017
- Sheldon’s father bribes him with a spending spree at the train store if he will help Georgie study for his algebra exam so that he can pass and continue to play football. The harder Sheldon tries to bring him up the speed, the more Georgie shows that he doesn’t get it at all. Sheldon chalks it up to him not being a good teacher, but he’s okay with that since he’s good at so many other things. Whereas Sheldon breezes through the exam, he has to watch his brother suffer through it. When the grades come back, Sheldon – along with Georgie and Ms. Ingram – are utterly shocked when he gets a B on the exam. Later in gym class, Tam tells Sheldon that he saw Georgie cheating on the exam by writing the answers on the bottom of his shoes. Sheldon threatens to tell their parents, but Georgie warns him that it will upset his parents if they find out, especially since it will mean he will be kicked off the football team. Even though Sheldon gets his train spending spree, he is sullen over the incident. Meemaw talks him through it by comparing people who take shortcuts in life to Captain Kirk in Star Trek, and how his cheating often gets him out of jams. Sheldon decides to try this out for himself, and forges a note to Assistant Coach Wilkins that says he has a testicular hernia and can’t participate in gym class. He then starts taking books from the library without checking them out, even though he returns them on time. He also convinces Missy that there is money buried in Meemaw’s yard, so she will be anxious to go digging, and Sheldon can have the TV. He ends up watching Professor Proton (Bob Newhart), which gives him the idea to write to him and tell him that he is terminally ill so that Proton will come visit him. Before he goes through with it, Wilkins gives Sheldon’s father the fake letter, and they end up confronting Sheldon. He quickly rips up the Proton letter and tells them that he was just trying to be more like Georgie. While George can’t help but being a little proud of Sheldon, he is forced to apologize to everyone involved, including Meemaw for the holes that Missy dug in her yard. Pappy Faulkner, Amanda Kubota, and Landon Klotz are other students. 5/2/22
- 010. An Eagle Feather, a String Bean, and an Eskimo – 1/4/2018
- Principal Peterson calls Sheldon’s parents into the school to let them know that the curriculum at the school is simply not challenging enough for Sheldon, and that teachers are getting upset by Sheldon’s tendency to always correct them… and be right. He recommends the private school Wilmot in Dallas three hours away. He even offers a scholarship, and plans to have a local family host Sheldon why he is there. Although Mary thinks he is too little to be on his own, George wants to discuss it, as it might be important to Sheldon’s growth and development. Meemaw agrees with George that it is probably best for Sheldon. They decide to ask Sheldon, and he is all for it, as long as the couple he stays with a couple who doesn’t have a dog. They take Sheldon to see the school and meet with the Dean, Dr. Flora Douglas (Frances Conroy), and Sheldon seems to take a liking to her. She offers herself and her husband Elliot (Harry Groener) to be Sheldon’s family hosts. Meemaw gives Sheldon a feather as a good luck charm, Tam doesn’t seem affected by Sheldon’s departure, but Missy tells Sheldon she’ll miss him, and he says he’s used to her. While the family struggles through their first night without Sheldon and worrying about how strange Flora and Elliot seemed, Sheldon tries to acclimate to the Douglases by foregoing saying Grace and admits that he’s wearing gloves because he doesn’t know where their hands have been. George overhears Missy trying to contact Sheldon telepathically, and then hears Mary and Meemaw both arguing about how much they miss Sheldon. George decides to go get Sheldon three hours away, not knowing how Sheldon has struggled through folks singing The Mighty Quinn and sleeping under a fan. As they drive home, Sheldon admits that he’s glad that his father came to get him, but forces him to turn off the radio when The Mighty Quinn comes on. When Missy wakes up, she thinks Sheldon got her message and gives him a huge hug. The teachers resort to drinking whisky at 11am about Sheldon coming back, but at least they are able to laugh about it. 5/2/22
- 011. Demons, Sunday School, and Prime Numbers – 1/11/2018
- Mary finds it unsettling when she finds Sheldon, Billy, and Tam playing Dungeons & Dragons, and realizes that it contains demons. She shares her concerns with George and her mother, and then goes and speaks to Billy’s father Herschel Sparks (Billy Gardell), but he is just happy that no one has their pants down in the game. He also speaks to Tam’s parents Le (Paul Yen) and Trang (VyVy Nguyen), and they too think it is a non-issue but humor her to get her to leave their store. She then calls in Pastor Jeff, but he suggests that it will be more meaningful if God takes away the desire to play. He invites Sheldon to come to Sunday School, but Sheldon declines since he doesn’t believe in God. Pastor points out that if he makes a decision about God’s existence without scientifically exploring the possibility, then he isn’t much of a scientist. This drives Sheldon to not only attend, but to also read and memorize the entire Bible. Mary is especially pleased with this, but then is disappointed when Sheldon wants to learn about different religions as well. He consults Tam about being Catholic, and his Meemaw takes him to meet one of her boyfriends, Ira Rosenbloom (Richard Kind), so he can learn about Judaism. Miss Hutchins fills him in on being a Mormon. Although Mary tries to steer him toward being a Baptist, she says she’ll love him no matter what he chooses. Sheldon then has a dream that he speaks to a Number One (Phil Morris) and a Zero (Anjali Bhimani) who tell him that binary numbers are the origin of the universe. Sheldon is awakened before they can tell him the one missing piece to the secret of life. Sheldon returns to Sunday school, this time to push his own religion: Mathology. Although Pastor Jeff kicks him out to go talk to his mother, he manages to concert Billy to his new church off the bat. 8/30/22
- 012. A Computer, a Plastic Pony, and a Case of Beer – 1/18/2018
- During a visit to Radio Shack, Sheldon expresses how much he wants the new Tandy 1000 XL computer, but it costs nearly $1000. Mary mentions it to George who thinks it is out of the question, even when Connie offers to lend them the money. Mary later mentions that she has been saving her mad money for years and thinks she might have enough to buy it. George is offended that all of his money belongs to both of them, and yet she has her own money to spend as she pleases. He gets back at her by buying two cases of beer and saying that he did it with his own money. This is the last straw for her and she decides to take Sheldon and Missy and go stay with her mother. Mary now feels like she has to buy Sheldon the computer, so she purchases it. Sheldon’s first use for it is to ask ‘ELIZA’ how to make his parents marriage better. Back home, George and Georgie are struggling to do the laundry because they can’t figure out how to turn on the washer. Georgie suggests that his father go apologize, but George thinks it would set a bad precedent. Connie is anxious to get Mary and the kids out of the house, so she suggests that Mary go over to get clothes for the kids and give George the cold shoulder. As she heads over there, George is heading to see her, and they meet in the middle. George indeed apologizes and the two go for a walk hand in hand. The family all finds uses for the computer, with Sheldon figuring out how much his father spends annually in beer, Missy playing games, and Georgie flirting with ELIZA. Meemaw can’t figure out how to talk in the mouse. George also pays close attention to see how Mary starts the washer. Thomas Andoue Polk is Dave at Radio Shack. 8/30/22
- 013. A Sneeze, Detention, and Sissy Spacek – 2/1/2018
- When Sheldon witnesses his teacher Ms. MacElroy sneezing in class, he decides to walk out and avoid the chance of catching any germs. When he disobeys her command to come back, he is then sent to see Principal Petersen, and his parents are called in as well. Petersen decides that Sheldon should be forced to face detention. When they go out to get him, Sheldon has already left the school grounds when he witnessed the receptionist Diane (Pam Cook) sneeze as well. Although his parents think that may be a little harsh, they agree to it, but give him a few dollars to use as protection from the other kids in detention. As he is trying chewing tobacco, even Georgie gives him advice to avoid getting beaten up. During the detention, he gives on of the big boys named Ned (Kurt Doss) $3.00 right away. When Mr. Givens shows up, he admits that he has a tickle in his throat too, so Sheldon walks out of the detention… and gets suspended. This time his parents decide to take him to see Dr. Eberland, but Sheldon isn’t interested in advice from any doctor who smokes. Sheldon becomes even more serious when he starts wearing a face mask and gloves at dinner. Then when he hears a newscaster (Katie Von Till) talk about a Chinese flu strain that is particularly severe, especially for children. Sheldon is even comforted when his mother prkuays for him. Sheldon then builds a germ-proof area with a plastic wall in the garage to create his own germ-free ecosystem. His parents humor him for a while, but then his mother has had enough and tries to get him out, but he throws on his astronaut costume and won’t come out. Georgie milks the situation at school by lamenting his brother’s condition to fellow female classmates Veronica (Caitlin Carmichael), Vanessa (Amanda Pearl Bell), and Robin (Eloise Jacott), who hold his hand and give him sympathy hugs. Meemaw then tries to take a crack at getting him out by making him cookies. Even this won’t get him out, even though he dons his costume and is able to bring the cookies into the garage. Meemaw then gives him a speech about what it means to be a brave Texan, and that finally gets him to give up the fight and leave the garage. He winds up getting sick with a 102-degree temperature. The silver cloud to this is that his mother sings to him the song Soft Kitty, Warm Kitty. Monica Garcia is the coughing teacher. James Sklena and Christopher Griffin are detention students. 12/15/22
- 014. Potato Salad, a Broomstick, and Dad’s Whiskey – 3/1/2018
- At the church potluck, where Mary’s potato salad is dominating, Pastor Jeff introduces his Spanish-speaking wife Selena (Zuleyka Silver) to the Coopers. Only Sheldon understands her when she says how bored she is in Medford. The pastor speaks to Mary and offers her a job as the new church secretary. Mary is anxious to take the job but can’t find anyone to watch the twins after school. She asks her mother, but she is too busy enjoying her life to spend several hours every night with the kids. When George sees how disappointed she is, he tells her to take the job anyway and that they will see how Sheldon and Missy do on their own. That night, they announce the change at dinner, and ask them to step up and be responsible. On their first day, Mary shows them where the emergency numbers, First Aid kit, and fire extinguisher are located. Mary reports to work, meets the chain-smoking receptionist Peg (Nancy Linehan Charles) and checks in with Pastor Jeff. Mary can see that he is crying and finds out that he’s having some trouble with Selena, who is running up his credit card with frivolous purchases like a massage chair. When Sheldon and Missy arrive at home to the empty house, Meemaw notices them on the way to her bowling and decides to check in on them. The kids see Meemaw stalking the house outside, and when she comes to the door, they douse her with the fire extinguisher. After she leaves, Sheldon gets splinter in his finger from the broom handle. Missy thinks they can handle the splinter by themselves without calling their mother. They go on a search of the house to find the tweezers, even going into their parents’ room where they are prohibited. Since they can’t find them, Missy plans to take out the splinter with a needle, using their father’s whiskey to sterilize it. Sheldon can’t stand the sight of the needle, so finally Missy remembers a place to find some tweezers… in the board game Operation. Meanwhile, Pastor Jeff confesses that he took the credit card from his wife’s purse, but Mary tells him that is not a good idea, which gives Pastor Jeff guilt and remorse. Mary suggests that they pray about it, although her prayer consists mostly of asking God to stop her from using Pastor Jeff’s plight as fodder for gossip. When Mary gets home, she nearly panics when she sees Sheldon’s finger all wrapped up. Missy is too excited to tell her about the splinter, but jumps right in and tells her about shooting Meemaw with the fire extinguisher. 12/15/22
- 015. Dolomite, Apple Slices, and a Mystery Woman – 3/8/2018
- When Sheldon and Tam spots a girl in the library take a book on geostatistics, which isn’t required reading for any Science course, they want to get to know her and perhaps bring her into their circle. Her name is Libby (Anjelika Washington) and she agrees to have lunch with them where they talk many of their scientific theories. Georgie spots them together and goes home and tells everyone that sh is Sheldon’s girlfriend. George is surprised when he finds out that she is black, so Georgie tells him to check out a book on Martin Luther King Jr. Mary thinks that it is a miracle from God that Sheldon has not only made a new friend, but a girl at that. The three kids talk a lot about Geology and rocks, and they go on a rock hunting expedition together. Libby even helps stand guard when Sheldon has to use the restroom, keeping a student named Doug (Cedric Begley) at bay until Sheldon comes out. Libby tells the boys about a space shuttle movie in IMAX at the Museum of Natural Science in Houston. She offers to drive them there, but Mary doesn’t like the idea of her nine-year old going that far with a teenage driver. Sheldon is furious that she denies him and takes it out by going on a mad cleaning frenzy around the house. Finally, Mary tells him that she will let him go as long as she meets Libby first, which Sheldon finds perfectly reasonable. When Libby arrives to pick him up, she has a sit-down conversation with her and is satisfied with all of Libby’s answers. However, when she tells Mary that she babysits kids all of the time, Sheldon is offended, cancels going on the trip, and runs to his room crying. Mary has a talk with him about how he may be smarter than most, but that doesn’t mean he is emotionally and physically mature as an average high schooler. The next day, Tam tells Sheldon that Libby wanted to be more than friends with him, but he wanted to keep things platonic, although actually he tried to put his arm around Libby and she nearly obliterated him. They decide that Geology isn’t really a Science, and more of a childish hobby, which is there way of putting their friendship with Libby behind them. 5/31/23
- 016. Killer Asteroids, Oklahoma, and a Frizzy Hair Machine – 3/29/2018
- Although Sheldon normally hates everything that goes on in the gymnasium, he actually enjoys it one day out of the year: when they hold the Science Fair. He does a project on saving the Earth from an incoming asteroid, the winner of the event ends up being Sueann Ludlow (Lily Keene), who merely shows off a Van de Graff Generator that makes her hair stand on end. Sheldon is furious and thinks that the results of the Science Fair are rigged since he only got an Honorable Mention. His father tries to talk to him about the disappointing football games he lost, but Sheldon doesn’t hear a word he says. Sheldon begins mouthing off in Mr. Givens’ class and gets sent to see Principal Petersen, and when the secretary Diane goes to get him, Sheldon locks the in the office and commandeers the intercom system, telling his fellow students about the contest he lost and how they all need to rise up. He also tells his parents that he is giving up on Science. Not knowing how to handle the situation, his parents take him to speak to psychologist Dr. Goetsch again. Sheldon tells the doctor how he wants to quit Science, and Dr. Goetsch validates his feeling and tells him to try and find something else that interests him. Sheldon decides he’s like to take acting classes and goes to see the drama coach Mr. Gene Lundy (Jason Alexander) about joining the class. Sheldon studies book on acting and watches many of the classics to see what he needs to do to act. When it comes time for tryouts, Sheldon dazzles Lundy by doing a Shakespeare reading, singing Don’t Cry for Me Argentina, and dancing to I Got Rhythm, which Mr. Lundy joins in. Sheldon not only gets accepted into the upcoming play, but gets cast in the lead role in Annie. His father tries to talk him out of playing a girl onstage, but he is quick to point out that many have done this in the past… and that Sandy Duncan played Peter Pan. On the night of the play, Sheldon looks out at the audience and gets stage fright. Mr. Lundy has all of the kids rally around him and tells him that they are all there as a team to back him up if he runs into trouble. Sheldon thinks he might be okay, but when Annie makes ‘her’ appearance on stage, it is Mr. Lundy playing her. Ava Cantrell is Eva, who plays Molly. Aliyah Moulden is the girl playing Pepper. Catherine Fisher is the girl playing July. Gabriella Martinez is the girl playing Kate. 5/31/23
- 017. Jiu-Jitsu, Bubble Wrap, and Yoo-Hoo – 4/5/2018
- Sheldon draws an analogy between the predator-prey ecosystem and his current situation, whereby he has to tread lightly when he walks home from the bus stop, as there is often a predator stalking him. The bus driver Luis (Paul Bates) isn’t allowed to drop him any closer, so he has to make a run for it and keep himself hidden by any means possible. Sheldon starts reading a book about Jiu-Jutsu in order to learn how to defend himself and tries some of his moves on his friend Tam, to absolutely no success. When his parents find that Sheldon has wrapped himself in bubble wrap in order to not get injured as he learns the martial art, and realize he is trying to defend himself, Mary immediately wants to find out what is going on. She tells George Jr. to watch after him the next day, and that is when he makes the discovery that the bully is the little sister of Bobbi Sparks (Ella Allan, Mia Allan), the little sister of Billy. Mary makes George go talk to her father Herschel, but George laughs it off since she is such a little girl. This prompts Bobbi to come over and visit Sheldon in the garage and confront him. Sheldon tries to use his Jiu-Jitsu but falls and skins his knee. Sheldon then asks Missy to step in and beat up on her on his behalf in exchange for Sheldon’s TV privileges for two months and four dollars. However, Missy has too much fun hanging out with Bobbi and Billy. Mary goes to see their mother Brenda (Melissa Peterman) at the Medford Lanes bowling alley where she works to confront her about the situation. Brenda reacts by ‘telling on’ Mary to her mother, who frequents the bowling alley several times a week. Even after spraying Mary with shoe spray, she also sends Herschel over to talk to George about Mary. Herschel freely admits he is only there because his wife sent him. He then invites George to come over and drink beers with him in his hiding place in the chicken coop, which Brenda stays out of because she is afraid of chickens. They agree to tell their wives that their meeting almost got ugly, then Herschel tells George that he will see what he can do to stop Bobbi from picking on Sheldon. Brenda comes looking for Herschel, but they continue to hide in the coop. Sheldon finds that the best defense against his predator is just some simple running away and screaming. 10/4/23
- 018. A Mother, a Child, and a Blue Man’s Backside – 4/12/2018
- When Mary catches Missy reading Cosmopolitan, Missy tells her that Sheldon is reading inappropriate comic books. Mary takes a look at the violence and the butt of a blue superhero inside and marches down to King Kong Comics and yells at the proprietor Glenn (Chris Wylde) for selling this trash to her son. Sheldon and Tam are in the store, and Sheldon is mortified by his mother’s scene. They argue about the nature of art on the way home, and then when they arrive, Mary bundles up all of Sheldon’s comics and tells him that he can have them back when he is eighteen. Sheldon argues that there is also adultery, genocide, and human sacrifice in the Holy Bible. Sheldon tells her how smart he is and that she continues to treat him like a child. Mary agrees that she will stop treating him like a child from that point on. That night Sheldon is forced to make his own chicken dinner. Most of the family members think she is being too hard on Sheldon, while George is turned on by her assertiveness. Sheldon also struggles the next morning making his lunch since he can’t get the jelly jar open. When his mother won’t sign his field trip permission slip, Sheldon decides he wants to move on to college, and goes to see his guidance counselor Mrs. Costello (Cleo King) to get an application for Harvard. His mother tells him that he’ll need money for an application fee, so Sheldon tries to get a job at Radio Shack. Despite the fact that Sheldon helps a customer (Corey Mendell Parker), the manager Randall (Charlie Hankin) says it is illegal to hire a little kid. He then goes to see Meemaw and asks if he can do work for her. She lets him weed the yard at one dollar per hour. While Sheldon is working, Mary hears a news broadcast about a tornado watch in the area. Despite the fact that the watch has been going on all week, Mary has a bad feeling and goes to retrieve Sheldon. He refuses to go… until he hears the sirens. They then rush back to the house and hide in the bathroom. Mary says intense prayers to protect their house and the family. They seem to work as most of the neighbors don’t have a lot of damage. After it is all over, Sheldon rushes to his mother to give her a giant hug. Jonathan Brooks is the voice of the radio DJ. Piotr Michael is the voice of the emergency alert. 10/4/23
- 019. Gluons, Guacamole, and the Color Purple – 4/19/2018
- Sheldon often gets bored in class and resorts to daydreaming in a fantasy world where his intelligence helps NASA solve some of its biggest problems as he tutors a NASA director (Michael Cudlitz) and a scientist (Dave Theune). He tells his parents how bored he is with high school and wants to audit the Theoretical Physics class of a Professor John Whitney Sturgis (Wallace Shawn), a noted scientist he’s become pen pals with from East Texas Tech. Sheldon volunteers Meemaw to take him one day a week, and she reluctantly agrees. Meanwhile, Missy asks for Georgie’s help with her English homework, but Georgie scarcely knows anything about it either. They both lament how dumb they are compared to Sheldon, but they put their heads together and learn the rules of English in order to finish the assignment. Missy pi up getting a 100%, and Georgie is so thrilled that he hangs it on the bulletin board in his room. Meemaw meets Professor Sturgis before the class that Sheldon is sitting in, and he invites her to listen in as well. After the class, he asks her to go to dinner. Sheldon is thrilled at the prospect of doubling the number of smart people in the family, so he tells Professor Strugis little facts about his Meemaw, including her favorite foods and that she loves the color purple. Connie accepts a date with him but finds him rather strange when he rides a bicycle to her house to pick her up, then wants to sit in the back seat while she drives. Throughout the dinner, he exposes much of his strangeness, but she finds him kind and charming enough, as well as unintentionally funny, that she tells might be willing to go on a second date. She later tells the family that she thinks he is very weird, but he ends up winning her over in the end when he sends her a purple bicycle and tells her how much he enjoyed their date. She sits in the next class next to Sheldon, but her presence keeps distracting Professor Sturgis, so Sheldon asks her to leave. The next time Sheldon has one of his NASA fantasies, he brings Professor Sturgis into the mix. 2/1/24
- 020. A Dog, a Squirrel, and a Fish Named Fish – 4/25/2018
- While Sheldon is doing scientific experiments in the garage, he is terrified when the dog named Bucky that Herschel has taken in for his incarcerated brother-in-law Marcus (Aaron Schwartz) wanders in. The dog won’t leave, causing Sheldon to have to climb up on a shelf and remain there until someone gets him. Missy comes to tell him that it is dinner time but takes no action. George and Herschel figure out that he has chewed his way through the wooden fence that divides their properties. Although Herschel tries to fix it, the dog gets through it again, and then pushes its way through a screen and winds up in Sheldon’s bedroom causing another panic attack. George brings the dog back to Herschel, but Mary is furious and demands they do something, especially after she finds a dead squirrel in the living room that she is certain that Bucky had brought in. Brenda takes issue with the accusation and the ladies get into a major argument as the husbands try to make peace between them. Connie tells Mary that she will try and smooth things over next time she sees Branda working at the bowling alley. The two have an amiable conversation over margaritas at the alley, but once they start insulting each other kids, they get into it too, and Connie winds up with a black eye. Sheldon realizes all of the commotion that he is causing so he goes to the library and has Miss Hutchins help him find a self-help book in overcoming his phobia of dogs. He goes through the exercises of watching Scooby-Doo on TV, then looking at real dogs in windows, and then calling the vet to see if he can touch any sedated or dead dogs. During Sunday school, Missy tells Pastor Jeff about the feud between her family and Brenda Sparks. He sets up an appointment with all of them and forces them to agree to get along and apologize to each other. Sheldon covers himself in padding, and then goes outside and pets Bucky. All is well, until Buddy licks his face including his tongue, causing another meltdown. It is revealed that Sheldon uses the same Brylcreme that Bucky’s original owner uses, which is what attracted him to Sheldon in the first place. Meemaw later buys him a fish that they name Fish to get him acquainted with animals, but the fish bites him. George does not believe this, until the fish bites him as well, causing him to slam the fish down out of the water and killing it. 2/2/24
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