Sheldon's Storage Room Secrets

In the episode The Solder Excursion Diversion, Sheldon reveals to his girlfriend Amy that he has a storage unit containing everything he has ever owned. Amy is shocked by this revelation and wants to know why he has kept this from her. Sheldon explains that he is embarrassed about his hoarding and finds it difficult to let go of his possessions. He calls the storage unit his Fortress of Shame.

Sheldon's daily 20-minute activity in the storage room

Sheldon Cooper, a character from the popular sitcom The Big Bang Theory, has a daily 20-minute time period between 2:45 pm and 3:05 pm, which he spends locked in a Caltech basement storage room. His friends, Howard and Raj, are determined to find out what he does during this time. They follow him down to the storage room and break in later that night, finding an almost empty room with a blackboard that has the number 43 written on it. Unable to solve the mystery of what the number 43 means, they install a camera to spy on Sheldon.

The next day, they watch the video feed and are shocked to see Sheldon use a machine to create a small wormhole in the room. He mentions that he hasn't found life in 43 parallel universes and thrusts his head through the wormhole, only to be attacked by a reptilian creature. However, this turns out to be a prank by Sheldon, who had discovered the camera and created a fake video to cover up his real activities.

Sheldon's storage room activities highlight his unique personality and provide a contrast to his highly intellectual pursuits. It also showcases the dynamics between the characters, as his friends are curious and determined to uncover his secret.

Howard and Raj's investigation

Cornering Sheldon in the hallway, they question him about his daily activities, but he denies anything unusual. They then turn to his assistant, Alex, who reveals that even she doesn't know where he goes during that time. Determined to uncover Sheldon's secret, Howard and Raj follow him down to an old storage room in the Caltech basement. Unable to hear what he's doing inside, they decide to break into the storage room later that night.

Once inside, they find the room almost empty, except for a blackboard with the number 43 written on it. Baffled by the significance of the number, Howard and Raj spend the entire night trying to decipher its meaning. Unable to solve the puzzle, Howard installs a spare camera from the Mars rover project to spy on Sheldon in the storage room.

The next day, they watch the video feed and are astonished to see Sheldon using a mysterious machine to create a small wormhole. As Sheldon mentions that he hasn't found life in 43 parallel universes, he thrusts his head through the wormhole, only to be attacked by a reptilian creature. However, this turns out to be a prank by Sheldon, who had discovered the camera and created a fake video to throw them off his trail.

The number 43

Intrigued by the significance of the number, Howard and Raj spend the night trying to decipher its meaning. They are unable to solve the mystery, so they install a camera to spy on Sheldon. The next day, they watch the footage and are astonished to see Sheldon using a machine to create a small wormhole in the room. He mentions that he has not found life in 43 parallel universes and proceeds to stick his head through the wormhole. However, the footage turns out to be a prank by Sheldon, who had discovered the camera and wanted to keep his activities private.

Sheldon's Fortress of Shame

In Season 9, Episode 19 of The Big Bang Theory, titled "The Solder Excursion Diversion", Sheldon reveals a secret storage unit to his girlfriend, Amy. He calls it his "Fortress of Shame", and it contains everything he has ever owned, including books, T-shirts, broken electronics, and even old Ziplock bags. Sheldon's attachment to his belongings is so strong that he is unable to bring himself to throw anything away, despite knowing that it is illogical. This results in him hoarding his possessions in a storage unit, which he keeps a secret due to his embarrassment over it.

Amy is shocked by this revelation and wants to help Sheldon deal with his hoarding. However, she recognises that he needs to confront this issue himself and offers to assist him when he is ready. Sheldon's struggle with letting go of his possessions is a reflection of his OCD tendencies and his emotional side, which he usually keeps hidden.

The storage unit also plays a role in another episode, "The 43 Peculiarity" (Season 6, Episode 8), where Sheldon is shown spending 20 minutes alone in a Caltech basement room every day. His friends, Howard and Raj, become curious and spy on him, discovering an empty room with only a blackboard displaying the number 43. This leads them to install a camera, and they eventually witness Sheldon creating a small wormhole and thrusting his head through it. However, this turns out to be a prank by Sheldon, who had discovered the camera and created a fake video to throw them off.

Amy's reaction to Sheldon's storage unit

Amy is shocked to learn that Sheldon has a storage unit filled with every single piece of garbage he has ever owned. She is taken aback by the extent of his hoarding, which includes every book he has ever owned, every T-shirt he has ever worn, all of his broken and outdated electronics, VHS tapes, a bin of pine cones, and even a giant Ziploc bag full of every toothbrush he has ever used.

Despite her shock, Amy does a good job of masking her reaction and tells Sheldon that there is nothing to be ashamed of. She understands that sharing these feelings means he trusts her and values their relationship. Amy is also wise enough to avoid any reaction that would push Sheldon towards changing his hoarding habits, knowing that any attempt to do so would be selfish and counterproductive.

Sheldon eventually decides to get rid of a golf ball that his brother once threw at his head, and Amy is proud of him for taking this small step. After their trip to the storage unit, Sheldon and Amy both admit that they feel closer to each other.

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