The Big Bang Theory: 10 Best Wil Wheaton Episodes
Which Wil Wheaton appearance was your favorite on Big Bang? Odds are, it was one of these ten...
Wil Wheaton was one of many guest stars who strolled onto the set of The Big Bang Theory while the CBS hit was in production, and he ended up appearing in 17 episodes across the series' run. He wasn't the only Star Trek actor on BBT, but he was certainly the most important.
Wheaton played a fictionalized version of himself, which seems to be a bit like the actor, but mostly took aim at establishing him as a foil to Dr. Sheldon Cooper. In this sense, he saw quite a lot of character development over the years, and many of his episodes are beloved.
Of the 17 episodes he showed up in on the show, there are some that are far better than the rest. That's not to say every nerd watching the series didn't throw on a smile whenever Wheaton appeared, but it does mean that some appearances are better than others.
This list takes a look at ten of those appearances most fans consider to be his very best. He's not necessarily at the center of the plot, but that doesn't make him any less important for the other characters — especially Sheldon.
10. "The Gorilla Dissolution"
After Wil's advice helps Penny take an acting job on Serial Ape-ist 2, they begin working on a laboratory set, where Penny is stuck in a cage. As they are filming their scene, Wil's character begs with Penny's not to shut him out, but she's still a little upset about the time he mixed her DNA with a killer gorilla's.
After some back and forth pleading, the scene comes to an end, but Penny isn't happy with her performance, so she asks for another take. The director isn't having any of it, admitting that the film is garbage, and if it weren't, she wouldn't be in it.
Things go from bad to worse when Leonard is ordered off the set by the director. When Penny objects, he fires her. Wil stands up for his friend and co-worker, and it's beginning to look like he might be able to save her job.
The next scene sees them all drinking in a bar, where Wil comments that their job situation fell apart really quickly. That's the bulk of Wil's performance in the episode, which was important in Penny's development. She turned away from acting after the incident, which ultimately changed her life.