The Big Bang Theory Action Figure Error That Bothers Star Trek Fans
The Big Bang Theory helped make nerds and geeks popular in the 21st century, and throughout the show's run, the producers peppered in plenty of nods to the kind of pop culture people like its protagonists follow. Of course, the show also frequently ranked as one of the most-watched series on television, spanning 279 episodes across 12 seasons, so that's a lot of geeky references crammed into over a decade of plot lines. With so many Easter eggs flying at you at hyperspeed, it's only a natural that some of them don't quite add up.
There are thousands of hours of content with The Big Bang Theory, so there are naturally going be to be a few of these little mistakes sprinkled here and there. While the show may have ended, fans are going back and rewatching it from the start, and early on in the series, there's one glaring error you're bound to notice provided you're familiar with the nuances of rare Star Trek action figures. Although if you're really a Star Trek superfan, you'll understand there's nothing at which to be upset in the first place.
Did the Big Bang Theory showcases the wrong Geordi LaForge action figure
Early on in season 1's fourteenth episode, "The Nerdvana Annihilation," Penny makes fun of Leonard for having so many action figures, insisting they're for children. Leonard's torn up by the comment and decides to sell his collection. Naturally, Sheldon, Howard, and Raj don't want him to do that, and in the tussle, Leonard threatens to open a rare, mint-condition, production error Geordi LaForge figurine without his visor from Star Trek: The Next Generation.
A forum thread on moviemistakes.com has noted several errors in "The Nerdvana Annihilation," including issues with that Geordi LaForge action figure. The post notes that the Geordi LaForge action figure is wearing a uniform he only wore for the Star Trek: Generations movie, not The Next Generation series.
So, did Leonard really not know what he had in his collection? Apparently, no one else knew either, because surely Sheldon would have corrected him after such an egregious error. It's also entirely possible that the specifics of the figure mentioned in the script weren't clocked by the production designers. After all, who's going to notice a detail that minute?
Big Bang Theory fans, that's who. It's interesting, however, that so many outlets have reported that this action figure was the wrong one, because the show actually had the right figure all along.
The Big Bang Theory had the right action figure all along
Despite the "error" being reported on by outlets like The Sun and Express, the Geordi LaForge action figure Leonard presents is actually exactly what he said it is. Leonard describes the apparently confusing action figure as follows: "Rare mint condition production error Star Trek: The Next Generation Geordi LaForge without his visor."
Leonard shows the action figure in question, which is Geordi LaForge in his movie uniform as labeled within the Next Generation toyline, noted on the package. The figure was specifically designed to be wearing that uniform. It came like that in stores, so it's actually not an inconsistency. It's unlikely this would be a production error considering the tiny visor is removable.
It's an easy mistake to make considering the surprisingly confusing road the uniforms in Star Trek Generations took. The entire Next Generation crew was supposed to have brand new uniforms for the film, but at the last second (for unknown reasons), the producers scrapped the new costumes entirely. As it stands, the action figures are the only place where the original (newer) costumes can still be found. And if you're as confused as we are right now, then you know how every non-Trekkie feels when someone tries to explain the Star Trek continuity to them.
Despite the rush to cry foul, The Big Bang Theory actually had this one right. But with such a minute detail, it's easy for even die-hard fans to slip up.