The Big Bang Theory is well-known for its mix of heady science references and pop culture references, from the Large Hadron Collider and the late Dr. Stephen Hawking to Star Trek: The Original Series. It's no secret that Dr. Sheldon Cooper looks up to Leonard Nimoy's Spock for inspiration, but some Big Bang Theory fans think it goes beyond that. Perhaps Sheldon actually is Spock, but in an alternate universe.

Many works of sci-fi and fantasy imagine a character ending up in an alternate universe, perhaps with their memories gone or their special abilities or technology missing, to see how they handle "normal" life with nothing but their own personality to sustain them. Presented in a video from The Late Late Show with James Corden's YouTube channel, this Reddit fan theory has found some clear parallels to suggest that Sheldon is Spock in another universe.

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Why Sheldon Might Be Spock, According To Fans

The Big Bang Theory's Sheldon Cooper, played by Jim Parsons, standing at his apartment door

The fan theory posits that Big Bang Theory's Sheldon Cooper keeps quoting and miming Star Trek's Spock because he actually is Spock. It doesn't clarify whether this supposed Sheldon/Spock remembers everything from his experiences with Captain James T. Kirk, but either way, some of Sheldon's behavior and experiences suggest that he could be the famed Vulcan in a new form. For instance, Sheldon has actually heard Spock's disembodied voice before, such as when Penny gave him and Leonard transporter toys from the original series and Sheldon broke Leonard's while using it with a Spock action figure. As Sheldon was tussling with guilt over damaging Leonard's toy and not telling him, Spock's figurine lectured him in the character's original voice. This is a phenomenon practically unique to Sheldon, and it involved Spock, of all characters.

Sheldon and Spock are both logic-oriented and factual, and they have little patience for the games or trivialities around them. To them, science, reason and practicality take precedent, and they're not known for making many rash decisions, though there are exceptions. And while these characters are not truly emotionless, they do tend to suppress their real emotions, burying them deep in order to maintain that cool, logical exterior at all times. Sheldon actually considers emotions to be a burden, from anger to jealousy to, most of all, lust and love. Conversely, Spock might not see emotions as a burden, but rather, something to handle responsibly and to keep hidden from view so as to maintain a polite exterior.

Actor Jim Parsons is certain that the writers for The Big Bang Theory never intended for Sheldon to actually be Spock in disguise, in any shape or form, but he won't ruin any fan's fun and criticize their theory-crafting. Besides, such fan speculation can be fun, even if it's not sanctioned by canon.

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How Sheldon & The Big Bang Theory Crew Mimic Star Trek

Star Trek Spock And Kirk In And The Children Shall Lead

Other similarities can be drawn between Sheldon and Spock, even if these don't necessarily confirm the two as being one and the same. Chiefly, one could argue that Sheldon's relationship to Leonard mirrors Spock and Kirk's friendship. They're both foils to each other: logical and cool vs emotional and creative. In Star Trek, James Kirk is a proactive, creative and emotionally driven man who saves the day, but he needs a logical and rational companion to help keep him in check, and neither character is complete without the other. They complement one another, and Sheldon and Leonard are much the same way. Leonard is the emotional one, and he is driven by his burning passion for finding true love, experimenting with his many relationships and his heartfelt diplomacy with other parties, such as an upset girlfriend.

Lastly, Sheldon didn't want a girlfriend at first, but he eventually found love with and married Dr. Amy Farrah Fowler, which might be a parallel to Spock's pon farr instincts as a Vulcan. Once in a while, even Spock feels the call of the opposite sex, creating a hot-blooded exception for his cool, detached exterior.

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