In the seventh season of The Big Bang Theory, the episode "Cooper Extraction" had the gang wondering if they would all be friends had it not been for Sheldon. Sheldon really is the piece of the puzzle that brings them all together. The theory brought up an interesting question: Would Howard and Amy be friends if it weren't for Sheldon?
The two would eventually meet at Caltech once Amy starts working there but would they be friendly? It's hard to tell because Amy wasn't always the Amy we knew and loved by the final season. Before befriending Penny and Bernadette, Amy was robotic and cold. Likewise, before meeting Bernadette, Howard was lonely and creepy. Without Sheldon, Leonard, Penny, Bernadette, and Raj, would Howard and Amy be friends? We're not so sure...
The Scavenger Hunt Episode Was Very Telling Of Their 'Friendship'
The episode "The Scavenger Vortex" saw the group of friends on an epic scavenger hunt. They were assigned random partners and Amy got stuck with Howard. Funnily enough, the two mention they've never really spent time alone together, which proves they're not "best friends" since Amy came on the series in season three.
Did it really take them five seasons to get to know one another? The only thing these two found they had in common was their love for Niel Diamond.
Howard Regretted Bringing Amy Into The Group
Sheldon had been single for most of his adult life until he met Amy. He also would have never met Amy had it not been for Howard and Raj, who signed Sheldon up on a dating website. Upon meeting Amy, she seemed perfect for Sheldon.
Amy was equally as awkward and not interested in the typical "romances" as Sheldon. But when the duo broke up briefly after a disagreement in Caltech's lunchroom ("The Zazzy Substitution"), no one seemed more relieved than Howard and co.
Amy Was Relieved Not To Be Alone With Howard While Wine Tasting
In the ninth season, the gang (minus Bernadette and Sheldon) go wine tasting. Howard and Amy are the first to arrive, resulting in an awkward exchange. After standing there in silence for a few seconds, Howard says that he doesn't remember the last time the two of them hung out alone (which speaks volumes) and Amy replies quickly, saying it was "three years ago" after the scavenger hunt.
The funny thing is, they both said they should hang out more often but that didn't happen until that exact moment. As soon as Penny and Leonard walked through the door, Amy said "Oh, thank God," proving that the pair have practically nothing in common.
The Coveted Parking Space
As many Big Bang Theory fans know, Sheldon hates driving. He relies on Leonard and Amy for rides on most days. Due to the fact that he doesn't own a car, Sheldon's assigned parking space at work was ironically given away to Howard. Even though Sheldon wasn't using the space, he hated the idea of someone else having his spot.
While the parking space had absolutely nothing to do with Amy and Bernadette, the two women got involved in the boys' fight. To get back at Howard, Amy parked her car in Howard's new spot so he wouldn't have anywhere to park. Sadly for her, he and Bernadette towed her car and took the spot anyway. Friends don't tow friends' cars.
"And Your Boyfriend Is Extremely Howard"
While Amy and Bernadette were away at a conference, they were flattered when two men sent drinks their way at a bar. Without having Penny around, Amy was excited that men were actually interested in them. Sadly, her high came to a crashing stop when Bernadette said she wouldn't blame Amy for being interested in someone other than Sheldon (implying that Sheldon is weird).
Bernadette quickly regretted saying anything but Amy jumped into defense mode and insulted Howard in return. Without Bernadette and Sheldon's help, would Amy be friends with Howard? It's hard to say.
Amy Didn't Care If Howard & Bernadette Were Married Or Not
When Howard and Bernadette became engaged, Amy was elated that she was going to be a bridesmaid. She became even more excited when Bernadette chose her to be her maid of honor. However, Amy wasn't chosen to be the maid of honor because she respects and supports Bernadette's relationship with Howard, she was chosen because she was tired of being left out.
Amy selfishly cared more about being able to wear a gown and having all eyes on her than the actual fact that Howard would be getting married. To be fair, their marriage didn't mean anything to Amy. She just wanted to get dolled up. True friends wouldn't make someone's wedding day all about them.
Howard Hated How Amy Treated His Wife
After Bernadette chose Amy to be her maid of honor at her wedding to Howard, she assumed that Amy would repay her by selecting her to be her maid of honor at her wedding to Sheldon. However, Amy couldn't decide between Bernadette and Penny (Sheldon also had similar problems), so she started making a tally to compare the two women.
Penny and Bernadette found out about it, of course, and Howard gave Amy a stern talking to about the situation. He thought it was cruel of Amy to treat his wife like second best. However, did Howard really care or was he just tired of Bernadette complaining about it to him?
Amy Is Bothered By Howard & Bernadette's Constant PDA
When Amy was introduced, she was a completely different human being. She was robotic, cold-hearted, and didn't pick up on small talk. But the more she hung out with Penny and Bernadette, the more she started acting more like them. Once upon a time, Amy would never have dreamed of publicly touching Sheldon but when Valentine's Day rolled around, it was all she wanted.
Amy invited Bernadette and Howard to her Valentine's Day adventure with Sheldon, but the night didn't go to plan. Between Sheldon making friends with a fellow train fanatic and Bernadette and Howard kissing and expressing their love to one another, Amy had enough of them. She practically kicked the couple out of their booth.
Howard's Immitation Of Sheldon Bothered Her
Sheldon unintentionally picks on Howard daily. There's a part of his brain that doesn't pick up on the fact that he's being insulting or rude. For him, he believes he's just being honest. To get back at Sheldon for years of torment, Howard dressed as him for Halloween and imitated him throughout the day.
Once Amy heard about what Howard did and how it made Sheldon feel, she became upset at him. The couple retaliated, of course, but Amy was all too thrilled to get back at Howard (even though it didn't involve her).
She Joins In Insulting Howard's Education
For the entire 12 seasons of The Big Bang Theory, Howard is teased for being the only member of the group not to have his Ph.D. He lets the insults slide most of the time but other times it really bothers him.
When Amy is first introduced to the group, she (unknowingly) throws jabs at Howard for being an engineer and only having his Master's Degree. Howard asks what she's studying at work and Amy replies coldly with "I doubt you'd understand, Sheldon tells me you only have a Masters Degree." As you can see, without the guidance of their friends around them, the only thing Amy and Howard have in common is their love for Niel Diamond.