# Big Bang Theory: 4.03 "The Zazzy Substitution" (open spoilers) **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [October 8, 2010, 1:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/big-bang-theory-4-03-the-zazzy-substitution-open-spoilers/556442 "2010-10-08T01:10:58Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 9\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![Quimby](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/22d042/32.png) [@Quimby](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quimby)\ **Post date:** [October 11, 2010, 7:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/big-bang-theory-4-03-the-zazzy-substitution-open-spoilers/556442/41 "2010-10-11T19:07:24Z")
> [@Meeko](#): > > \*\*God help us if we start playing Counter-Factuals over in the game room. \*\* Is it wrong that that game sounded fun as hell to me? ---
**Author:** ![PunditLisa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/4af34b/32.png) [@PunditLisa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PunditLisa)\ **Post date:** [October 11, 2010, 7:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/big-bang-theory-4-03-the-zazzy-substitution-open-spoilers/556442/42 "2010-10-11T19:08:01Z")
> [@Markxxx](#): > > Doesn’t the flat belong to Sheldon? Leonard moved in, so I wouldn’t be sure that Leonard is on the lease or in any case the roommate agreement is probably one sided favouring Sheldon as he was there first Yes, but in the past they’ve read directly from the roommate agreement and it says things like, “If either roommate is to discover a way to time travel…” etc. ---
**Author:** ![Kal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/9de053/32.png) [@Kal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kal)\ **Post date:** [October 11, 2010, 7:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/big-bang-theory-4-03-the-zazzy-substitution-open-spoilers/556442/43 "2010-10-11T19:17:18Z")
The roommate agreement is a continuity nightmare. It states no pets except service animals, yet Sheldon has had cats and fish; they didn’t bother with any rules about girlfriends because having one was so unlikely, yet there are multiple examples of it having rules about girlfriends; it contains a rule about the apartment flag - with the flag only being seen in a flashback episode. The Sheldonesque way to explain all the inconsistencies is to posit that each episode takes place in a different universe. Of which there are an infinite amount. As to the end bit of this episode, it’s likely that the gang told Sheldon that’s how the ‘Cats $20’ thing goes. He has little understanding of how mundane things work and they’re always doing stuff like that to him (and sometimes Raj). Examples: When going to help Howard move, they got fed up with Sheldon’s disbelief that the normal payment for doing that favour was just pizza so they told him it was a choice between a PS3 or a mountain bike. With Raj, well they convinced him that the Rocky mountains were in Philadelphia. ---
**Author:** ![Cat\_Whisperer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cat_whisperer/32/4839_2.png) [@Cat\_Whisperer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cat_Whisperer)\ **Post date:** [October 11, 2010, 7:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/big-bang-theory-4-03-the-zazzy-substitution-open-spoilers/556442/44 "2010-10-11T19:28:30Z")
I’m watching the Barenaked Ladies singing the theme song on an eTalk special right now - cool, mang. 🙂 Jim Parsons, Kunal Nayyar and Simon Helberg are guests answering questions as well. ---
**Author:** ![Cat\_Whisperer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cat_whisperer/32/4839_2.png) [@Cat\_Whisperer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cat_Whisperer)\ **Post date:** [October 11, 2010, 7:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/big-bang-theory-4-03-the-zazzy-substitution-open-spoilers/556442/45 "2010-10-11T19:31:53Z")
> [@PunditLisa](#): > > > [@jackdavinci](#): > > > > [Also I have to say, holy shit, those were well trained stage cats. (Or they got a lot of overtime in extra takes). > > I got the feeling that Parsons and all the kitties were on a closed set during the bedroom scene, and Leonard and Sheldon’s mom’s live scenes were later edited in. I don’t know why. > > I kept thinking that Leonard was going to get out the roommate agreement and find the pet clause. It’s likely that the agreement strongly favours Sheldon, but also that Leonard is a much more laidback person, so he’s not as likely to bust out the agreement all the time. ---
**Author:** ![Washoe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/ecae2f/32.png) [@Washoe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Washoe)\ **Post date:** [October 11, 2010, 9:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/big-bang-theory-4-03-the-zazzy-substitution-open-spoilers/556442/46 "2010-10-11T21:02:14Z")
> [@Quimby](#): > > Is it wrong that that game sounded fun as hell to me? I dunno—I’ll go so far as to admit that I once had a cat named Linus Pauling (seriously), but the notion of stroking my inner geek by play Klingon Boggle or Counterfactuals gives me paws. ---
**Author:** ![Justin\_Bailey](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/justin_bailey/32/8792_2.png) [@Justin\_Bailey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Justin_Bailey)\ **Post date:** [October 11, 2010, 10:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/big-bang-theory-4-03-the-zazzy-substitution-open-spoilers/556442/47 "2010-10-11T22:51:16Z")
> [@Kal](#): > > The roommate agreement is a continuity nightmare. It states no pets except service animals, yet Sheldon has had cats and fish; they didn’t bother with any rules about girlfriends because having one was so unlikely, yet there are multiple examples of it having rules about girlfriends; it contains a rule about the apartment flag - with the flag only being seen in a flashback episode. > > The Sheldonesque way to explain all the inconsistencies is to posit that each episode takes place in a different universe. Of which there are an infinite amount. It’s likely Sheldon proposes countless addendums to the agreement and Leonard, being the agreeable sort, just agrees to them. ---
**Author:** ![DSeid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dseid/32/20194_2.png) [@DSeid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DSeid)\ **Post date:** [October 12, 2010, 12:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/big-bang-theory-4-03-the-zazzy-substitution-open-spoilers/556442/48 "2010-10-12T00:19:47Z")
> [@Spavined\_Gelding](#): > > > [@Grapefruit](#): > > > > I liked this episode… but then again, when cats are involved, I almost always like 'em. > > > > One thing I don’t get… at the end, Shamy are giving the cats away along with $20. Where is the logic in giving people money to take the cats…??? > > My reading of the epilogue was that Sheldon was returning the cats and paying rent. Sheldon had barrowed the cats and the whole “Sheldon is devastated by the break-up” was a clever scheme engineered by Sheldon to get what’s-he- face back. My DVR had cut the epilogue off. Question: could it be read that the whole break up was a con by Sheldon and Amy to get Leonard to not continue to urge keeping her away? They come to the lunch table the day after Leonard asks that she not hang around so much because she is a bit condescending, she acts condescending to Sheldon, they terminate the relationship in front of the friends, who are soon working to get the couple back together and who now will never dare complain about her to Sheldon again. I sense a Bazinga. ---
**Author:** ![panache45](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/panache45/32/64_2.png) [@panache45](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/panache45)\ **Post date:** [October 12, 2010, 1:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/big-bang-theory-4-03-the-zazzy-substitution-open-spoilers/556442/49 "2010-10-12T01:34:55Z")
> [@Grapefruit](#): > > One thing I don’t get… at the end, Shamy are giving the cats away along with $20. Where is the logic in giving people money to take the cats…??? I think the joke is totally about logic, especially since Sheldon takes everything literally. He would interpret “Cats $20” as meaning two things that they are giving away, like “Food Water” might mean, following a disaster. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/big-bang-theory-4-03-the-zazzy-substitution-open-spoilers/556442.md?page=2)