9 Mar 2015
by Mayim Bialik on March 9, 2015 at 12:02 PM ET
From time to time, I have written behind-the-scenes posts about special and monumental “The Big Bang Theory” episodes such as Tiara,Spanking, and Train Kiss.
This past week’s “Sheldon and Amy get a turtle” episode ended with a sweet hug and a lot of emotion so I think it’s worthy of a post!
Here are four things you wouldn’t have guessed about that episode.
1. Turtles are hard to work with.
The script actually was adjusted a few times to account for the “unpredictability” (also known as turtle-ness) of the turtles. There were turtles selected for their ability to “look half-dead” versus more active turtles, but sometimes they didn’t do what the script wanted them to. We had to work around them! So there you have it. Turtle variability.
2. Fighting is hard.
Amy and Sheldon have rarely had “fights” like we see in this episode. Amy’s feelings get hurt, and she doesn’t come right out and say it. It sort of festers and she doesn’t exactly know how to put her finger on it. Usually she can identify it right away. This was a more sophisticated fight, as it were.
Amy eventually reveals her vulnerability in the hallway after storming out, arguably the first time we see her do such a thing with such emotion. Our writers crafted this scene very carefully, adding her storming off and continuing the argument in the hallway and down the stairs. Originally the whole scene was in the guys’ living room, and it just felt stagnant–and like the actions needed to reflect the outrage and hurt she was feeling. So the exit and pursuit was added, which also ups the ante for Sheldon as a willing participant in the relationship.
The finesse involved in this sort of writing should not be underestimated. It’s risky to have two characters who people like so much in a fight, and it has to be handled delicately. Our writers are why most people like our show, even though they may not realize it!