“The Big Bang Theory”=”The Little Mermaid”

You know, I just rewatched “The Big Bang Theory” season 5 finale and…from the moment it occurred to me, Bernadette just looked more and more like Ursula from The Little Mermaid as “Vanessa” marrying Prince Eric.  Something about the way she side-eyes everyone or how she looks so smug-although she’s happy for very different reasons here.  In short, “The Big Bang Theory” is now officially a world where Prince Eric marries Ursula, Ariel is perfectly content in her transformation to a “higher plane” and everyone is happy.

Thus, it follows:

Ariel is clearly Amy in this version.  Amy’s vast character development and altered self-image from her introduction to now would be akin, I’m sure in her mind, to emerging from waters where she felt misunderstood and left out to the upper world where things she’s dreamed of happen to her, like sleepovers and being a maid of honor.  Even with Amy’s yen for Sheldon, she clearly values her new self-image as a cool girl in a clique more than him.  Although, her pursuit of Sheldon does mirror Ariel’s determination to snare Eric, making the characters of Amy and Ariel more similar-so, Ariel does want a man, just not the prince.  To cap it off, Amy utters the words, “Please, allow me to continue being part of your world” to Penny in the episode about the chair.

The man this Ariel wants is clearly Grimsby.  Grimsby and Sheldon are both tall, full of advice, talkative, insistent on their personal social rules, and lacking in certain kinds of social grace.  Also, pale and sickly.  Now I’m imagining Ariel chasing Grimsby and him being flustered in a highly Sheldonite way…

Raj is Flounder-the longtime friend full of joy, playfulness (gaming!), loyalty, and innocence.  Only in this version…Flounder is friends with Eric.  Also, his jacket is blue and yellow.

Yes, Howard gets to be the prince.  Let’s face it-Eric is ridiculous!  His only human friends are Grimsby and this washed-up-girl-who-can’t-talk, he’s easily susceptible to suggestion, he clearly likes the rowdy like of a cowboy even though it’s nothing like what he should be up to-just as Howard likes to go out and act the player, when that’s clearly shouldn’t be his thing.  Howard also is incredibly susceptible to any suggestion involving girls, he lives in his own world much of the time, aka the internet, and he does get a lot of social pressure about his different social standing, although in his case it’s his lack of a doctorate and therefore lowered level instead of elevated.   Howard’s magic can be attune to Eric’s flute playing as a random creative hobby.  Eric’s permanent residence in his blood and family inherited castle mirrors Howard’s living at home and depending on his mother.  The Eric part just works for me here, though yes you could argue with ‘prince’.

Penny is clearly the Scuttle of this universe.  The crazy bird (wordplay!) from far-off parts with a more open, wild outlook on life who dazzles others.  Both claim to know about style and romance but obviously make bad choices (remember Scuttle’s attempt at romantic music in the lagoon?).  Both can get very flustered.  But both have big hearts in the right place and will go the distance for a friend.

This leaves Leonard as Sebastian.  This, amazingly, also works well for me!  The worried guy, it is!  That guy who’s obsessed with approval from authority figures (Triton/Leonard’s mom, big diff), who’s constantly trying to check himself to see how he’s doing, who only has one area of expertise (science and music are actually in related fields, guys!), and whose capacity for being emotionally swayed leads them into all KINDS of odd and awkward situations.  Yep, he’s the lobster.

 

As the audience, we are Eric’s dog Max-the only one who always knows what is going on.

This leaves us with: Ariel and Grimsby!  Scuttle and Sebastian! Grimsby facing off against Sebastian and putting him down, but counting on him to side with him against others like Eric and Ursula.  I can see that.  I’m sure there’s more.  But still, the main point is: The Little Mermaid and “The Big Bang Theory”-same folks, happier endings.