The Big Bang Theory Has An Obvious Lord Of The Rings Plot Hole

By now, fans of "The Big Bang Theory" know the characters that brought us laughs for twelve seasons each have their own quirky interests and hobbies. One passion this group of brilliant friends shared was their love for the "Lord of the Rings" trilogy. In fact, this borderline obsession with the franchise is solidified in a Season 3 episode in which their very friendship is almost ruined by a genuine prop ring from the films. One fan, however, discovered a possible plot hole in the storyline when looking back at actor Sean Astin making a guest appearance on the hit sitcom. This viewer wondered how can the guy who played Samwise Gamgee also play a role in the "The Big Bang Theory" universe?

Over on Reddit, it was u/onelove7866 who posed the question, "Isn't it a bit odd that in a show where the characters are huge fans of Lord of the Rings, Sean Austin, who plays Sam, appears as a character in the show?" Agreeing with this familiar face plot hole, u/megmultisync replied with, "In a universe where there is a nerd culture based on real life and proven to be at least similar in several casting decisions ... I agree that it would only make sense that Sean Aston would be recognizable as Sam." However, u/DariusPumpkinRex disagreed, referring to another similar circumstance in a past episode with the comment, "Christopher Lloyd also played the homeless guy who Sheldon rents out his room to and they mentioned 'Back to the Future' numerous times."

When Sean Astin first appeared as the character Dr. Greg Pemberton, many fans who know the guys of "The Big Bang Theory" could easily link him to their love for "The Lord of the Rings" films. One can just reference the Season 3 episode, "The Precious Fragmentation," when the guys find an actual prop ring used in the "LOR" trilogy at a garage sale. This moment threatens their friendship as each one of them wants the ring so desperately, they even go to the bathroom together at one point. The episode is worth watching just for Sheldon's (Jim Parsons) hilarious transformation into Gollem. But for some fans, this episode proves that they should have recognized Sean Astin's face.

However, when looking through the comments on Reddit, you can see that many fans have pointed out that this isn't the first time this sort of moment has occurred on the show. One perfect example is brought up by u/Dalanard, who writes, "Isn't it a bit odd that Raj said "You know who's apparently very smart, is the girl who played TV's 'Blossom' ... then they cast Mayim Bialik as Amy?" U/QueenRatigan added to that comment about this exact moment involving Raj by stating, "He later mentions the girl from 'Wonder Years' and she ends up playing a part in the episode where Raj bribes Sheldon to go out with superhero toys." Well, it seems that with both sides of the debate bringing up good points, it may be the viewers' job to suspend their belief.