I need a caffeine remedy.
The Big Bang Theory show dipped into familiar territory on The Dependence Transcendence. Sheldon, Howard, and Leonard are all at crunch time trying to build a super-secret machine for the Air Force. Like all big projects, though, they get a little tuckered out. Especially Sheldon. To fix this, Sheldon decides to try. . . dun dun dun! The caffeine remedy.
It’s played for jokes, of course. Sheldon’s mind conjures up The Flash, who like a back-alley salesman, assures Sheldon everyone’s doing it.
First one’s free.
We all have a laugh-and-a-half as Sheldon’s caffeine remedy causes him trouble. The energy substance he so daringly drinks makes him jittery, talkative, and energetic.
More than usual.
It’s great at first, but like all good things, it comes to an end. Ol’ Sheldon finally crashes, more exhausted than before. To his panicking mind, he goes on to think – uh oh, chemical dependence!
I can quit whenever I want!
The reality is, Sheldon’s reaction isn’t too far off the mark.
Not to distract from all the fun we’re having watching Sheldon, but essentially, caffeine is in fact, a drug. It’s a stimulant that helps block the receptors in our brain that signal tiredness and “helps” produce energy. Which it did for Sheldon, in a big way.
But Sheldon wasn’t drinking straight up caffeine. The superfast superhero spook gave Sheldon an energy drink. This concoction was less a caffeine remedy and more a liquid injection of chemical whiplash.
Sleep? What’s that again?
As the episode progresses, Sheldon goes on to have a little “withdrawal.” Howard and Leonard collectively roll their eyes, dismissing this. The funny thing, though, is the reaction to an energy drink is entirely accurate.
Yes, you do start twitching, though not like a hyperactive chipmunk.
Don’t worry; I’ll sleep for 14 hours and be fine.
The tail end of the episode has Sheldon emotionally falling apart. He’s frustrated that he can’t solve an incredibly complex math problem, until falling asleep.
Which, yes, is part of the energy drink caffeine remedy.
The takeaway is while it’s played for laughs, energy drinks are actually kind of sinister. Sheldon’s goofy ups and downs are a demonstration of what really goes on.
At the end of the day, The Big Bang Theory touches on plenty of real-life issues in a comedic way. Though you may have never expected it to be the problems caused by energy drinks. So before you’re considering a third Monster for the day, think of Sheldon’s unflattering, chipmunk-like instability.
