'Star Trek: Discovery' Had A 'Big Bang Theory' Easter Egg

It seems the writers of Star Trek: Discovery are as big a fans of The Big Bang Theory as [...]

It seems the writers of Star Trek: Discovery are as big a fans of The Big Bang Theory as characters on The Big Bang Theory are fans of Star Trek as tonight's episode included an Easter egg reference to the long-running sitcom.

Mild spoilers for Star Trek: Discovery Episode 5, "Choose Your Pain," follow.

Star Trek: Discovery's fifth episode, "Choose Your Pain," brought back a fan favorite character from Star Trek: The Original Series, Harry Mudd, played on Discovery by the Rainn Wilson.

Mudd met the USS Discovery's Captain Gabriel Lorca in a prison cell on a Klingon battle cruiser. A third prisoner, Lt. Ash Tyler, was later added to the cell. Tyler offered Lorca some food, but the food is taken by Mudd's insect-like pet called "Stuart," who is later revealed to be carrying a transmitter that is feeding intelligence to the group's Klingon captors.

The Star Trek: Discovery after show After Trek revealed that the original script for "Choose Your Pain" referred to the Mudd's pet creature as "Buggsy." However, feeling that name was a bit on the nose, the name of the creature was changed to Stuart, named after The Big Bang Theory character Stuart Bloom, played by Kevin Sussman.

In The Big Bang Theory, Stuart is friends with an actual Star Trek cast member, Wil Wheaton, who played Wesley Crusher on Star Trek: The Next Generation. This may be why Stuart was the character chosen to lend his name to Mudd's little friend.

Of course, both Star Trek and The Big Bang Theory are CBS properties, which may have something to do with why The Big Bang Theory was chosen in the first place.

While The Big Bang Theory Easter egg is certainly interesting, it probably won't be what "Choose Your Pain" is most remembered for. Instead, the episode will likely be most remembered for featuring the first F-bomb in Star Trek franchise history.

New Star Trek: Discovery episodes become available to stream Sundays at 8:30 p.m. ET on CBS All Access.

After Trek live streams Sundays at 9:30 p.m. ET on CBS All Access.

0comments