Bert Kibbler

 The Big Bang Theory history

Bertram “Bert” Kibbler is a geologist at Caltech and a winner of the MacArthur Fellowship. Socially awkward but kind-hearted, Bert has a reputation as a gentle giant. He is deeply enthusiastic about geology, especially rocks, an interest that often goes unappreciated by his Caltech colleagues.

Bert earned the MacArthur Fellowship for his research on the way microbes in rocks can survive in extreme environmental conditions. The award brought him professional recognition, but it also made Sheldon jealous that a geologist had received such a major honor.

Outside his scientific work, Bert plays guitar and joined Raj and Howard’s band, Footprints on the Moon. Throughout his appearances on The Big Bang Theory, Bert was often lonely and unlucky in romance, but he remained good-natured and eager to connect with the group.

 Stuart Fails to Save the Universe history

When we meet Bert in 101 “Spoiler: Gary Dies”, he is still a regular customer at Stuart’s comic book store, even in the post-apocalyptic ruins of Pasadena. With the economy reduced to bartering, Bert brings food to trade for old comic books and jokingly keeps asking Stuart if any new issues have come in, despite knowing there are no new comics any more.

When an alternate version of Stuart arrives in the comic book store and tells Stuart that Sheldon, Leonard and Howard’s vari-state quantum interference device malfunctioned and changed reality, Bert embraces the idea that he and Stuart have been given a quest to reach the device and set things right. While Stuart is unsure whether their world really needs fixing, Bert can see there is room for improvement.

On the journey to Caltech, Stuart and Bert discover Denise is still alive. Bert immediately starts rooting for his friend to get back together with the ex-girlfriend he thought was dead. After a botched attempt to sneak into Caltech, Stuart, Denise and Bert are captured and held inside Bert’s old geology classroom. There, a long-imprisoned Raj confirms that reality has been changed and believes he could restore it if he reached the device, which is guarded by forces loyal to Barry Kripke, now the Grand Caliph of South Pasadena.

After Kripke takes Denise away, Stuart is determined to rescue her and reach the machine. Bert’s geology background suddenly becomes useful when he realizes the materials in his old lab can be used to make improvised explosives. Delighted that geology is finally the group’s saving force, Bert fights through Caltech with Stuart and Raj and helps them reach the device.

After Kripke shoots Raj to stop him from reconfiguring the machine, Bert attacks Kripke and struggles with him while Stuart and Denise try to follow Raj’s notes. When the machine opens a wormhole, Stuart, Bert and Kripke are pulled into another reality, leaving Denise behind.

Bert arrives with Stuart and Kripke in an apparently peaceful Pasadena, where the comic book store and the city outside seem to have returned to normal. Stuart worries that Denise did not come with them, but Bert reassures him that they will find her. As the trio look out at the ordinary scene outside, the camera reveals that all three men have electronic devices implanted in their necks.

This page has been updated up to episode 101 Spoiler: Gary Dies