Young Sheldon Viewers Are Still Bothered By This Big Bang Theory Mistake
The Big Bang Theory has been one of the biggest sitcom smashes in recent memory. It's now available to stream, to the delight of binge-watchers everywhere. There's something to enjoy whether it's the first time you're watching or the fifth. However, seasoned BBT viewers started to notice some errors in continuity in the long-running series — and many bonded over their discoveries on Reddit.
Finding errors for one character in particular has become very popular. We know a fair bit about Sheldon Cooper (played by Jim Parsons, per IMDb) thanks to the show's 12 seasons, plus Young Sheldon, currently in its fourth season (via IMDb). For example, we know that Sheldon's birthday is February 26, 1980, thanks to a season 9 episode of BBT called "The Celebration Experimentation." In the episode, Sheldon lets the gang celebrate his birthday for the first time ever and reveals that he had bad birthdays as a child, according to Fandom.
However, subsequent episodes seem to contradict that truly being Sheldon's date of birth.
There are two things about Sheldon's birthday that don't make sense
In Season 1's "The Peanut Reaction," Penny talks to the gang about zodiac signs (via YouTube). Sheldon, of course, doesn't believe in them, which leads to Penny dismissing him, saying, "blah blah blah ... a typical Taurus." In a season 8 episode, however, Penny refers to him as a Pisces, which would make sense with a February 26 birth date (via Fandom). After learning it's Sheldon's birthday, she says, "That is so funny. I would never pegged you for a Pisces."
What's more, an attentive Reddit user found another plot hole regarding Sheldon's birthday. "I know it's established that Sheldon was born in 1980, but ... [he] says, 'I've spent the past 3 and a half years staring at grease boards full of equations. Before that I spent four years working on my thesis. Before that I was in college, and before that I was in fifth grade,'" they wrote. "So assuming Sheldon was an older fifth grader at 11 years old, and assuming he spent four years in college ... that would put his age in season 1 at 22.5 years old, which seems completely wrong."
Adding to the age criticism, The Express notes many viewers couldn't believe the cast was in their early 20s at the show's beginning. So, while fans may never get to the bottom of Sheldon's mysteriously changing birthdate, it likely won't lessen their love of the show one bit.