# The Big Bang Theory, May 1 - The Proton Transmogrification **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [May 2, 2014, 5:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-big-bang-theory-may-1-the-proton-transmogrification/687486 "2014-05-02T05:16:00Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Ranger\_Jeff](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ranger_jeff/32/2065_2.png) [@Ranger\_Jeff](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ranger_Jeff)\ **Post date:** [May 2, 2014, 5:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-big-bang-theory-may-1-the-proton-transmogrification/687486/1 "2014-05-02T05:16:00Z")
True Fact: Some props and sets from the Star Wars films were used in this episode. Sheldon showed some emotion! Having done this once, do you think it’ll continue? And now we know why spherical cakes are rare. Who says you can’t learn anything from watching tv? And I hope Professor Proton will be making the rare [del]reappearance[/del] reapparition. ---
**Author:** ![Robot\_Arm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/robot_arm/32/18280_2.png) [@Robot\_Arm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Robot_Arm)\ **Post date:** [May 2, 2014, 5:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-big-bang-theory-may-1-the-proton-transmogrification/687486/2 "2014-05-02T05:26:26Z")
> [@Ranger\_Jeff](#): > > And now we know why spherical cakes are rare. Who says you can’t learn anything from watching tv? I figured once the Death Star cake fell on the floor they could just call it an Alderaan cake. ---
**Author:** ![Oakminster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/77aa72/32.png) [@Oakminster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Oakminster)\ **Post date:** [May 2, 2014, 5:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-big-bang-theory-may-1-the-proton-transmogrification/687486/3 "2014-05-02T05:26:27Z")
I liked this episode a lot more than the last several. The show went back to its nerdy roots, and the humor was better for it. Bob Newhart was great. Hate that they killed off his character, but he can always return in another dream sequence, or flashback. I liked that Raj wasn’t so pathetic this week. Also like that they toned down the nastiness. Bernie still got her bitch on, but less is more with that sort of thing. On the down side, we really should have gotten at least one of the girls as Princess Leia… ---
**Author:** ![GuanoLad](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guanolad/32/42_2.png) [@GuanoLad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GuanoLad)\ **Post date:** [May 2, 2014, 8:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-big-bang-theory-may-1-the-proton-transmogrification/687486/4 "2014-05-02T08:30:56Z")
Bob Newhart in the Obi-Wan costume looked really authentic! Especially with the glow applied. ---
**Author:** ![BobLibDem](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/boblibdem/32/3149_2.png) [@BobLibDem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BobLibDem)\ **Post date:** [May 2, 2014, 11:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-big-bang-theory-may-1-the-proton-transmogrification/687486/5 "2014-05-02T11:52:37Z")
I’m not sorry to see Professor Proton go. I love Newhart, but it seems that this character was written as a vehicle for Newhart to do his things like Nicholson’s characters often seem to be vehicles for us to see Jack Nicholson. The Death Star cake seemed a little over the top to me. How would two amateurs bake such a thing, and do it twice? The final product seemed too good for two scientists to come up with. Looking forward to next week where the Penny Skin Factor promises to be much higher. ---
**Author:** ![Joey\_P](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/919ad9/32.png) [@Joey\_P](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Joey_P)\ **Post date:** [May 2, 2014, 12:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-big-bang-theory-may-1-the-proton-transmogrification/687486/6 "2014-05-02T12:11:44Z")
> [@BobLibDem](#): > > The Death Star cake seemed a little over the top to me. How would two amateurs bake such a thing, and do it twice? The final product seemed too good for two scientists to come up with. Bake a cake and cut fondant into a bunch of trapezoids? I can’t believe that could be all that difficult. Keep in mind that they had Star Wars 1-5 PLUS a 1 hour complaining window after Phantom Menace built in to do that in. That’s, what, like 12 hours. Making the spherical cake isn’t that hard, it’s just a bunch of layer cakes stacked and trimmed into that shape\*. All you have to do is work under the assumption that at some point in their lives one of the girls has worked with fondant and knows how to wrap it around the cake. You can do a little bit of fanwanking, right? \*There’s nothing special about that, that’s just how you make big or special shapes when you bake cakes. ---
**Author:** ![gytalf2000](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/ac91a4/32.png) [@gytalf2000](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gytalf2000)\ **Post date:** [May 2, 2014, 1:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-big-bang-theory-may-1-the-proton-transmogrification/687486/7 "2014-05-02T13:20:11Z")
> [@GuanoLad](#): > > Bob Newhart in the Obi-Wan costume looked really authentic! Especially with the glow applied. Yeah, that was impressive! ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [May 2, 2014, 1:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-big-bang-theory-may-1-the-proton-transmogrification/687486/8 "2014-05-02T13:46:44Z")
“I’m gonna need a band-aid.” The previews bode well for the future. If Penny embraces the roll, then she’ll get cast in something bigger and we’ll get what a lot of us have been clamoring for. ---
**Author:** ![johnpost](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/f17d59/32.png) [@johnpost](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/johnpost)\ **Post date:** [May 2, 2014, 2:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-big-bang-theory-may-1-the-proton-transmogrification/687486/9 "2014-05-02T14:04:08Z")
it is funny how they let Bob be Bob in a very unBob show. Penny will be ape over her new role. ---
**Author:** ![Misnomer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/misnomer/32/14897_2.png) [@Misnomer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Misnomer)\ **Post date:** [May 2, 2014, 2:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-big-bang-theory-may-1-the-proton-transmogrification/687486/10 "2014-05-02T14:54:50Z")
> [@Robot\_Arm](#): > > I figured once the Death Star cake fell on the floor they could just call it an Alderaan cake. OMG they totally should have! LOL! 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Ranger\_Jeff](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ranger_jeff/32/2065_2.png) [@Ranger\_Jeff](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ranger_Jeff)\ **Post date:** [May 2, 2014, 2:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-big-bang-theory-may-1-the-proton-transmogrification/687486/11 "2014-05-02T14:56:16Z")
> [@GuanoLad](#): > > Bob Newhart in the Obi-Wan costume looked really authentic! Especially with the glow applied. LucasFilms worked with TBBT on the production of this episode besides just sending over a light saber, some costumes, and set decorations. They may have even done the glow, the light saber beam, and the hum/whoosh for TBBT. If not, they certainly advised. Newhart was unfamiliar with the SW universe. He had to be tutored. I know ST fans are called “Trekkies”. Is there a collective noun for SW fans? 😕 ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [May 2, 2014, 3:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-big-bang-theory-may-1-the-proton-transmogrification/687486/12 "2014-05-02T15:14:25Z")
> [@Ranger\_Jeff](#): > > I know ST fans are called “Trekkies”. Is there a collective noun for SW fans? 😕 Virgins? d&r ---
**Author:** ![gytalf2000](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/ac91a4/32.png) [@gytalf2000](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gytalf2000)\ **Post date:** [May 2, 2014, 3:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-big-bang-theory-may-1-the-proton-transmogrification/687486/13 "2014-05-02T15:20:49Z")
> [@silenus](#): > > “I’m gonna need a band-aid.” > > The previews bode well for the future. If Penny embraces the roll, then she’ll get cast in something bigger and we’ll get what a lot of us have been clamoring for. Yeah, I’m hoping for that! ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [May 2, 2014, 3:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-big-bang-theory-may-1-the-proton-transmogrification/687486/14 "2014-05-02T15:35:59Z")
She should also embrace the role as well. ---
**Author:** ![Biggirl](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/biggirl/32/3294_2.png) [@Biggirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Biggirl)\ **Post date:** [May 2, 2014, 3:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-big-bang-theory-may-1-the-proton-transmogrification/687486/15 "2014-05-02T15:49:17Z")
Know what I noticed? That anytime we see character development from Sheldon, the kicker at the of the episode always gives the impression that, no, Sheldon hasn’t _really_ changed at all. This week it was specifically that Sheldon is not changed at all. ---
**Author:** ![Gangster\_Octopus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/a8b319/32.png) [@Gangster\_Octopus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gangster_Octopus)\ **Post date:** [May 2, 2014, 5:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-big-bang-theory-may-1-the-proton-transmogrification/687486/16 "2014-05-02T17:32:38Z")
My favorite line was Raj berating Penny about criticizing TPM. ---
**Author:** ![muldoonthief](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/muldoonthief/32/3188_2.png) [@muldoonthief](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/muldoonthief)\ **Post date:** [May 2, 2014, 6:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-big-bang-theory-may-1-the-proton-transmogrification/687486/17 "2014-05-02T18:42:32Z")
I can’t be the only one hoping they kill off more characters so we get to see Penny in her funeral dress again, can I? ---
**Author:** ![Biggirl](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/biggirl/32/3294_2.png) [@Biggirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Biggirl)\ **Post date:** [May 2, 2014, 8:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-big-bang-theory-may-1-the-proton-transmogrification/687486/18 "2014-05-02T20:03:41Z")
> [@muldoonthief](#): > > I can’t be the only one hoping they kill off more characters so we get to see Penny in her funeral dress again, can I? I don’t know about that but I was thinking, is she going to a funeral or a mixer? ---
**Author:** ![Ranger\_Jeff](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ranger_jeff/32/2065_2.png) [@Ranger\_Jeff](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ranger_Jeff)\ **Post date:** [May 2, 2014, 11:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-big-bang-theory-may-1-the-proton-transmogrification/687486/19 "2014-05-02T23:54:06Z")
> [@Biggirl](#): > > I don’t know about that but I was thinking, is she going to a funeral or a mixer? For Penny, it was funeral garb. Sure, it was short, but it was black and for her, it had a high neckline. ---
**Author:** ![Sir\_Prize](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d2c977/32.png) [@Sir\_Prize](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sir_Prize)\ **Post date:** [May 3, 2014, 12:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-big-bang-theory-may-1-the-proton-transmogrification/687486/20 "2014-05-03T00:02:53Z")
I thought Penny looked the best I’ve ever seen her. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-big-bang-theory-may-1-the-proton-transmogrification/687486.md?page=2)