Simon Helberg, who played Howard Wolowitz in The Big Bang Theory, recently made a cameo in the CBS spin-off series Young Sheldon, reprising his role as one of Sheldon’s Pasadena friends.
Howard’s brief appearance in “An Introduction to Engineering and a Glob of Hair Gel” excited fans who miss the original show, which ended in 2019. While his cameo was somewhat underwhelming, it did support a popular theory about the connection between the two series.
One of the mysteries surrounding Young Sheldon is why the adult Sheldon, played by Jim Parsons, is narrating the events of the show. One theory is that Sheldon is working on his autobiography and recalling important experiences from his childhood.
Howard’s cameo seems to confirm this theory, as he mentions that Sheldon asked him to write an introduction to engineering as part of his story.
Since Sheldon has an eidetic memory, it’s plausible that he would remember all these things from his days in Pasadena. It’s unclear how far into the future the narration is set, but based on Sheldon’s mention of having a son named Leonard Cooper, it has been more than a decade since the events of The Big Bang Theory finale. As a Nobel Prize winner, Sheldon’s life is of interest to many, and his time in Texas is a big part of that.