 On the CBS sitcom , The Big Bang Theory , Sheldon Cooper is a fan of Firefly . When he and Leonard Hofstadter are discussing their roommate agreement , they include a passage in which they dedicate Friday nights to watching Firefly , as Sheldon believes it will last for years . Upon its cancellation , he brands Rupert Murdoch , the owner of Fox , a traitor . During the second season of The Big Bang Theory , in episode 17 ( " The Terminator Decoupling " ) , Summer Glau appears as herself , encountering Sheldon , Leonard , and their friends on a train to San Francisco . When Raj tries to hit on her he says that although he is an astrophysicist , she was actually in space during the shooting of Firefly . Glau chides him for believing this and Raj backtracks , saying , " Those are crazy people ! " 
