The Big Bang Theory: 10 Things You Completely Missed From Season One
Sheldon's habits weren't so defined at first.
Because The Big Bang Theory focuses on geeky physicists obsessing about comic books and Star Trek, it sounded like a niche sitcom which few people would understand or appreciate, much like the characters themselves. However, Chuck Lorre's comedy was a triumph, winning ten Emmys, earning a spin-off, and making the careers of the whole ensemble. It's a commitment to watch all 280 episodes and yet, fans keep watching and rewatching the series.
But if you gave Season 1 a second look, you may notice a couple of things you didn't catch the first time. Howard's father left him when he was a kid and yet, he mentions to Raj in one episode that his parents are still together. Penny's kitchen and balcony appears and disappears without explanation. Raj and Sheldon's eccentricities were less defined before the show took off.
Even if you know all the gang's quirks, memorised every flag in Sheldon's Fun with Flags videos, and can sing the lyrics to Soft Kitty, Warm Kitty verbatim, there's still a few things in the first season which may have escaped your attention.
10. What Happened To Howard's Co-Workers?
For the majority of the series, Raj and Howard work as engineers in Caltech, which is renowned for being among the best research universities in the United States. Despite the fact Sheldon regards engineers as "semi-skilled labourers", he and the rest of the gang often hang out at the establishment.
Because Raj and Howard's research can be volatile or classified, they often work with no outside help. But that wasn't always the case. In the twelfth episode, The Jerusalem Duality, Sheldon visits Caltech to team up with Howard to devise a project to showboat a student who humiliated him earlier.
As we get our first glimpse of Howard's workstation, we can see other employees in the background, who Sheldon refers to as "Oompa Loompa's of science". It's not confirmed whether these people are Howard's co-workers or his assistants but it can be assumed they are working on the same project since they share his workspace. But like many elements in the beginning of the series, these enigmatic employees vanished after Season 1, never to be seen or mentioned again.