The Raj Continuity Error Even Huge Big Bang Theory Fans Missed In The Luminous Fish Effect
Die-hard fans of "The Big Bang Theory" can, of course, recall the show's most memorable scenes, such as the moment Penny (Kaley Cuoco) and Leonard (Johnny Galecki) first kiss, the introduction of "Soft Kitty," or the time Penny and Sheldon (Jim Parsons) meet Stan Lee.
While Howard (Simon Helberg) and Raj (Kunal Nayyar) started off as secondary characters, they made it into some pretty unforgettable scenes early on too. The show wouldn't have had the same trajectory without Howard's contentious relationship with his mother or the gang's realization that alcohol significantly improves Raj's skills with the ladies.
While there are countless other dramas, significant events, and turning points to track throughout the show's 12 seasons, it's surprising that one particular moment involving Raj in Season 1, Episode 4, "The Luminous Fish Effect," dropped off the radar for many "TBBT" fans. And when you look back, it's so obvious that the mistake takes effort to miss.
Raj and the disappearing dinner roll
At the top of the episode, Sheldon is rude to his boss at Caltech University and to his horror, fired. Without his former focus, Sheldon takes to hanging around the apartment at loose ends, in search of a new passion. Maybe a project like researching and improving scrambled eggs or creating glow-in-the-dark fish nightlights might fill the void?
When his efforts to move on don't take, Leonard calls Sheldon's mother, Mary (Laurie Metcalf), to come from Texas to fix his roommate. Mary's motherly moves include cooking a chicken dinner with greens and rolls on the side for the whole "Big Bang Theory" gang (shown above). Raj, Howard, Penny, and Leonard join her to eat in the living room. (Sheldon opts out and stays in his room.)
As they carry on their conversation, the camera switches among the characters, depending on who's talking or otherwise reacting. That's when things go awry. We see Raj on the couch with a dinner roll on his plate. But as Mary wraps up a story about the sonic death ray Sheldon built as a child, we see him again — without the roll.
Next, Mary announces that it's time to eat before launching into prayer, and we see Raj freeze mid-bite. And what's that he's got in his mouth? The very same roll that was nowhere to be seen moments ago.
As Mary continues, "We pray that you help Sheldon get back on his rocker," the roll switches in a split second from Raj's right hand to his left hand. Before she can complete her next sentence, Raj's roll disappears and then reappears once again.
Spotting mistakes can add fun for fans
A minor continuity error that doesn't alter the plot or lead to misinformation isn't the worst thing that can happen on a sitcom. And at least one detail-oriented fan did catch this one, calling it out on Moviemistakes.com. The fact is, there are plenty of opportunities to make mistakes when it comes to continuity on a show. Each scene requires multiple takes, and props get moved around to accommodate different kinds of shots. When the final shots are edited together, the little details might not match. Some mistakes might be so minor that even people working on the show don't spot them until it's too late.
Fans on Reddit have found plenty of other errors in "The Big Bang Theory," including an unexplained name change for Penny's father from Wyatt to Bob and Sheldon asking to go to Supercuts following an episode in which he makes it clear he doesn't like it there. But that doesn't mean fans love the show any less. Redditor u/Gauge117 claims that parsing the show is all in good fun. After all, the true mark of a "Big Bang Theory" fan isn't finding mistakes; it's accepting that they're bound to happen on a 12-season show.
As u/FeelThePower999 put it, "There are definitely quite a few continuity errors in this show, but I still think overall the show does a pretty good job at continuity considering it's had over 200 episodes. Continuity errors will happen inevitably."