The Big Bang Theory: 5 Of Sheldon’s Roommate Agreement Rules That Make Sense (& 5 That Are Completely Insane)

In The Big Bang Theory, Sheldon and Leonards’ Roommate Agreement sounds crazy… but some of it actually makes sense!

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The big running joke of The Big Bang Theory is just how crazy Sheldon can be – that his brilliance is only overshadowed by his ‘quirks’, and that his friends are constantly having to find ways to deal with all the bonkers things that Sheldon demands the people around him do. The one who really takes on the brunt of this is, of course, his long-suffering roommate Leonard. He has to deal with Sheldon’s demands daily, because they live together (until the very end of the series, of course), and Sheldon (being Sheldon) makes him sign a massive, intricate, ‘Roommate Agreement’.

This agreement comes up time and time again in the show, usually when someone is asking Leonard why he is allowing Sheldon to dictate yet another element of their lives, or when Sheldon is informing Leonard of why he has to get his way – it’s in the agreement! It’s played off as a completely over-the-top thing to do, of course, but there are some parts of this agreement that more roommates may want to think about including in their rules…

10 Sensible: Time Travel

Bear with us a second, because this might seem like one of the least sensible rules in the agreement, but this is Sheldon we are talking about here. According to Section 9 “If one of the roommates ever invents Time Travel, the first stop has to aim exactly five seconds after this clause of the Roommate Agreement was signed”. Which seems like a silly nerdy thing to include, but if anyone is going to figure out time travel, it’s probably going to be Sheldon, and if he does, he would 100% stick to the roommate agreement. If nothing else, this is a fun way to start a conversation about boundaries when living together, and that’s never a bad thing.

9 Insane: Sheldon Settles All Ties

Plenty of these rules seem like they should be fair, and just about creating a great living situation, but it becomes increasingly clear throughout the series that most of them are actually just about making sure that Sheldon gets his way. And while some of those rules may just happen to be in his favor, there is no way this one was ever even intended to be fair. In short, whenever the roommates disagree, Sheldon’s vote wins. Which means that Sheldon’s opinion always wins, which is just not ok.

8 Sensible: Leonard’s Day

It might seem silly, but the addition of a day of the year to actually appreciate your roommate and everything that you do for one another is incredibly sweet – and probably extremely helpful for maintaining a great relationship. This would work better if it were reciprocal, not just or one roommate, of course. And yes, it shouldn’t be necessary, but gratitude is increasingly touted as helpful for health and happiness, so why not have a little ‘roommate thanksgiving’ holiday thrown in?

7 Insane: Thermostat Clause

According to the agreement, the thermostat must be kept at 72F (22C). Always. At all times. And although they do live in sunny California where the weather isn’t going to fluctuate as much as it would in, say, New York, that still seems extreme.

What if there’s a heatwave? What if there’s a cooler spell? Requiring the thermostat to stay at a specific temperature – and giving the roommate no say in that temperature – is controlling… and potentially just uncomfortable.

6 Sensible: Roommate Review

Admittedly, this is one of those clauses that, in The Big Bang Theory, really just works to Sheldon’s advantage – but if it worked both ways, it would make a lot of sense. According to their agreement, once a year they have a roommate ‘review’, where they (presumably) talk about any issues, and if each roommate is following the agreement. Knowing Sheldon, he’d refuse to admit any wrongdoing, but creating a regular time to check in with roommates and talk about issues before they become big issues seems like a smart move.

5 Insane: Zombie Clause

“If Sheldon turns into a Zombie, Leonard cannot kill him.” It’s right there in the roommate agreement, but this one makes absolutely no sense. Even ignoring the fact that a zombie apocalypse isn’t actually particularly likely to happen, not allowing Leonard to kill Zombie-Sheldon essentially dooms Leonard to becoming a zombie himself – which is just a terrible expectation for any roommate to have!

4 Sensible: Addendum J (Ensuring Appropriate Hot Water)

Addendum J essentially states that the person to shower first has to ensure that there’s enough hot water left for the person who showers second. While this isn’t necessary in large buildings where there is an unlimited supply of hot water, when sharing a limited water tank, this is actually a big deal!

We’re not advocating actually timing showers or anything quite that extreme (although Sheldon might disagree), but making sure that roommates are aware of consideration on bathroom time and hot water usage is actually pretty reasonable.

3 Insane: New Takeout Clause

Sheldon’s obsession with controlling the takeout choices is well-known, but the clauses about trying a new place to eat are bordering on the completely insane. According to the agreement “Selection of a new takeout restaurant requires a public hearing and a 60-day comment period”. Which means that if a new, interesting-looking place pops up, ordering dinner from them means two months of paperwork… which just isn’t worth it (not to mention that coupons may expire, or the place may even shut down!). Having a regular spot is one thing, but ordering food should be a pleasure, and that means room for some spontaneity.

2 Sensible: Cohabitation Rider

When Leonard and Stephanie are getting serious, Sheldon brings up the ‘Cohabitation Rider’, part of the agreement that deals with a romantic partner moving in. This is actually an area where Sheldon is incredibly reasonable, as he raises zero issues with Stephanie becoming part of the house – and it’s Leonard that freaks out about realizing how much time she spends there. Sheldon just wanted to go over how their shared shelf space would change! No matter what, having a plan for what happens if someone wants to move a romantic partner in is just a smart way to plan.

1 Insane: Section 37B

This innocuous-sounding clause actually means that Leonard is responsible for doing basically everything for Sheldon that involves a car. Driving him to work (and back). Driving him to dental appointments. Driving him to the train store, the comic book store, and essentially acting as a personal chauffeur. This doesn’t actually seem to bother Leonard that much, but it’s definitely something that goes above and beyond what any normal roommate (or friend!) should be doing.

Link Source : https://screenrant.com/the-big-bang-theory-sheldon-roommate-agreement-best-worst/