Matrix, The

Film triology in which reality is discovered to be an illusion of perfection called the Matrix, created by a race of machines in order to subjugate humanity. Neo, played by Keanu Reeves, discovers that he is the key to defeating the machines (IMDb page The Matrix, 1999; IMDb page The Matrix Reloaded, 2003; IMDb page The Matrix Revolutions, 2003).

• Sheldon, annoyed by Dennis Kim getting all the attention as the new "star" of the Physics Department, sarcastically compared him to Neo (0112):

Sheldon: The Oracle told us little Neo was the one ... (to Dennis) You can see the Matrix, can't you?

• Over lunch in September 2008, Sheldon told Leonard that they could tell they weren't in the Matrix because if they were, the food would be better (0202).

• When Sheldon gets stuck with a physics problem in January 2010, Leonard tells Howard (0314):

Leonard: I haven't seen him this stuck since he tried to figure out the third Matrix movie.