Big Giant Head
| The Big Giant Head | |
|---|---|
| 3rd Rock from the Sun character | |
Shatner as The Big Giant Head at the airport, having just arrived in Rutherford. | |
| First appearance | "Dick's Big Giant Headache: Pt. 1" |
| Last appearance | "The Big Giant Head Returns Again: Pt. 2" |
| Created by | Bonnie and Terry Turner |
| Portrayed by | French Stewart (as Harry in Transmitter Mode) William Shatner (human form) |
| In-universe information | |
| Alias | [Stone Phillips] |
| Species | Extra-terrestrial |
| Gender | Male (human form) |
| Occupation | Ruler of the Galaxy |
| Spouse | Vicki Dubcek |
| Children | Dick Solomon (son) Eric Travis (son) (with Vicki) |
| Relatives | Maimie Dubcek (mother-in-law) Janet (niece) |
The Big Giant Head is a fictional character from the American sitcom 3rd Rock from the Sun. He is the Solomons' mission leader and king of the universe.
Role on the show
The Big Giant Head is initially an unseen character, and very rarely referred to. When Harry is upset about not serving any useful purpose in the mission, the family reveals to him that he was modified to serve as the transmitter to relay messages from the Big Giant Head, from which point the character then "speaks" through Harry. He apparently got his job by "outrunning the fireball". Though the Solomons are subordinate to the Big Giant Head, they sometimes express dissatisfaction with his leadership, with Dick declaring at one point that he only got the job because he "kissed the Big Giant Butt."
When the character appears onscreen in human form, he is portrayed by William Shatner. He arrives at their local airport, and when asked about his flight he responds, "Horrifying, at first. I looked out the window and ... I saw something on the wing of the plane", to which Dick replies "The same thing happened to me!" (a reference to the Twilight Zone story "Nightmare at 20,000 Feet", which starred Shatner in the original 1963 episode and John Lithgow in the 1983 film).
At first, the Big Giant Head does very little apart from wreak havoc on the Solomons' lives. He insists on being waited on hand and foot, and frequently interrupts Dick's physics classes, posing as an associate of the Solomons under the pseudonym "Stone Phillips". He eventually confesses to being Dick's father.[1]
Relationship with Vicki
After landing on the Earth, the Big Giant Head knows very little about women and is very rude towards them.[2] He accompanies Tommy to his prom, where he meets Vicki Dubcek,[3] who has recently broken up with Harry. After "Stone" beams her up to his "bachelor pod" for the night, Vicki declares the next day that she is pregnant by him. Stone leaves immediately, and shortly afterwards Vicki delivers his baby, whom she names Eric Travis ("E.T."). After Stone leaves, Vicki tells a news reporter that she is the mother of a new species, but the reporter does not believe her story because the baby looks like a normal human being.[4] Stone later returns to try to take his son back to his home planet, but Vicki refuses to allow him, so he makes up with her and tries to become a family. Stone tells Vicki that he and the Solomons are aliens and the two leave to explore the galaxy.[5] They return to Earth together one last time, and Vicki reveals she still has feelings for Harry and finds her marriage to Stone boring.
References
- ^ "The Big Giant Head Returns Again: Pt. 2". 3rd Rock from the Sun. Season 5. Episode 22. 2000-05-23. NBC.
- ^ "Dick's Big Giant Headache Pt. 1". 3rd Rock from the Sun. Season 4. Episode 23. 1999-05-26. NBC.
- ^ "Dick's Big Giant Headache Pt. 2". 3rd Rock from the Sun. Season 4. Episode 24. 1999-05-25. NBC.
- ^ "Episode I: the Baby Menace". 3rd Rock from the Sun. Season 5. Episode 01. 1999-09-21. NBC.
- ^ "The Big Giant Head Returns". 3rd Rock from the Sun. Season 5. Episode 12. 2000-02-22. NBC.