‘Big Bang Theory’: Mayim Bialik Shares What Was Behind That Hug In The Turtle Episode

Last week on The Big Bang Theory, Sheldon and Amy almost took a giant leap forward by planning to buy a turtle. The couple’s delight quickly turned sour when Sheldon casually mentioned he’d applied to go to Mars. Amy, unaware of his extra-planetary ambitions, wanted confirmation that her relationship with Sheldon was actually going somewhere.

Mayim Bialik wrote about that episode, “The Colonization Application,” on her Kveller blog, and revealed what went into the end-of-episode moment when the rarely physically affectionate couple had a moment of intimacy. Sheldon said that if he’s going to Mars, he would like Amy to come too, and they hugged.

“I made the decision to not pause at all before hugging Jim once it is clear that Sheldon understands and wants Amy as part of his life, because I wanted there to be that sense of how much on the verge of needing him she was. I wanted to convey that her affection and love for him was always just a breath away, and that she was waiting for him to meet her in the middle. I hope that’s what came across.”

Bialik also revealed that in the scene where Sheldon and Amy go to the pet store, she and Jim Parsons had to work around the turtles. Although the animals were chosen for their supposed personality traits, their activity level didn’t always match what was needed according to the dialogue. Bialik said the script was changed because of the “turtle variability.”

The Big Bang Theory always seems to get mileage out of tender moments between Sheldon and Amy. In this week’s new episode, “The Leftover Thermalization,” there is bound to be some tense moments between Sheldon and Leonard, as only Sheldon gets authorship credit for a scientific paper they wrote together.

Big Bang Theory fans can expect some tears and more tugs on the heartstrings this Thursday, as the gang spends some time in Mrs. Wolowitz’s house. The death last year of Carol Ann Susi, who played the voice of Howard’s mother, resulted in the passing of her character. The upcoming plotlines will continue to address Howard’s grieving process.

The cast’s real-life remembrance of Carol Ann Susi included an “impromptu memorial” on-set and the inclusion of a wallet-sized photo of the actor on the fridge in Leonard and Sheldon’s apartment.

The Big Bang Theory airs on CBS.

[Jim Parsons and Mayim Bialik: Image courtesy of Getty]