Even though it's been over three years since the last episode of The Big Bang Theory aired, it's still a beloved show with memorable characters and their stories. From Penny's struggles to get her acting career off the ground to Sheldon's hilarious attempts to navigate social interactions, there were a lot of things that played out on the show that fans loved.
The show was brilliantly done, but like many shows, it had its flaws. There were some things that happened on The Big Bang Theory that fans weren't happy about and would have changed. Reddit is one popular platform where fans share these storylines and plot points that they wish were done differently, offering some fascinating, alternative directions for the show.
Penny Should Have Become A Voice Actress
Penny's career was a key part of her storyline. From seasons 1 through 7, she was a waitress at The Cheesecake Factory. The Cheesecake Factory ended up having some of the best scenes in the show but the job was only ever meant to be part-time while she waited for a big break in her acting career. Eventually, she quit waitressing and gave up on acting when she took a job as a pharmaceutical sales representative.
Justice_Prince suggested that Penny should have been a voice actor and said "It would have been better to let her eventually become successful as an actress." In defense of this opinion, the Redditor thought using her looks as an attractive sales rep was just as bad as using her looks to get an acting job, which was something she was trying to stay away from. The voice acting job would have also let her dream come true, albeit differently from what she expected.
Stuart Should Have Had More Screen Time
Since Stuart owned the comic book store where the guys often hung out, he made a couple of appearances occasionally on the show. Although the guys were friendly with him, they usually treated him as a back burner friend and an afterthought — and the show was no different.
Redditor joel523 listed one of the things they'd change about the show was to "Have Stuart in more episodes." His life was miserable for most of the show, but he was a funny and entertaining character that the audience didn't get to see enough of — especially since his story had so much room for growth.
Raj's Marital Status Was Upsetting
Raj had several successful and unsuccessful relationships on The Big Bang Theory, and he was the only one among his close friends who was single when the show ended. The final season gave the audience some hope that would change with his arranged marriage to Anu, but that didn't work out either.
Reddit user Drain-U said one of the things they'd change is to "Give Raj a woman that he marries." After all his struggles with love, it was sad that he didn't get a happy ending with a woman he loved, and several fans wished that could change. On the other hand, Raj's ending showed that the conventional happy ending of marriage and kids isn't all that's needed for someone to be happy.
Howard Was Funnier Without Bernadette
Bernadette joined the show in 'The Creepy Candy Coating Corollary' when Penny set her up on a date with Howard. After a couple of ups and downs, they got married and had kids. The relationship changed both of their characters drastically, with Howard becoming less creepy and Bernadette becoming less sweet.
While complicated, Howard and Bernadette were relatable. Joel523 told Reddit they'd delay the couple's meeting because "Single Howard was amazingly funny." While some fans enjoyed Howard's character when he was still single, others were relieved when that came to an end with Bernadette's introduction. He evolved into a mature, loving husband and father, and still had his humorous moments.
Sheldon Should Have Dated After His Breakup With Amy
When Amy and Sheldon's relationship timeline came to an end in 'The Commitment Determination,' he remained single until they eventually got back together. However, while Amy dated a few other men during their separation, Redditor Drain-U also commented that Sheldon should have "Had another girlfriend for a few episodes."
This almost happened when Sheldon tasked Raj and Howard with finding him another girlfriend in the episode 'The Mystery Date Observation.' Unfortunately, even though Vanessa Bennett figured out their puzzle, Sheldon turned her away. Still, it would have been interesting to see if anyone else could handle a relationship with Sheldon as well as Amy did.
Zack And Beverly Should Have Had More Screen Time
As Penny's on-and-off boyfriend, Zack showed up a number of times on the show. Even though he didn't get much screen time, he still left a memorable impression on fans. The same applied to Beverly, whose strained relationship with Leonard was the subject of most of her storylines.
The Redditor lurkingaround08 wanted to see more of Zack and Beverly because they were the "best two characters." Of the many secondary characters on The Big Bang Theory, these two were certainly entertaining so it's no surprise some fans wanted to see more of them.
Barry Kripke's Rivalry With Sheldon Should Have Took Center Stage
Like the other supporting characters, Kripke was only present in limited episodes for a few minutes at a time. He was still entertaining whenever he showed up, especially when he riled Sheldon up and bickered with him.
The One Redditor commented about having more of Kripke on the show, saying "I loved his and Sheldon's fights." Their arguments were prominent whenever Kripke made an appearance and were always fun to watch, like the time he fed helium into Sheldon's office during an interview and Sheldon's foamy revenge. His rivalry with Sheldon was certainly a highlight of the show.
Bernadette & Amy's Character Development Happened Too Quickly
Bernadette and Amy changed the most during the time they first joined the show and when it ended. By the series finale, Amy was less uptight and robotic and Bernadette was more aggressive. As Penny's best friends, the group learned from each other in different avenues.
While character changes are a given in any show, many fans, like MrBigd77, complained that "[Amy and Bernadette] shouldn't have changed [sic] that much as quick as they did." The changes would have been easier to accept if they'd happened gradually over time, rather than suddenly and out of the blue.
Penny's Pregnancy Bothered Diehard Fans
Besides Sheldon and Amy's Nobel Prize win and the elevator finally working again, Penny's pregnancy was another surprise in the series finale. This development came after an argument between Leonard and Penny over having kids, where she insisted she didn't want any and he eventually made peace with it.
Superb_Lime_1734 rejected this TBBT storyline, writing, "Penny says she doesn't want children and Leonard makes peace with it and yet somehow Penny is pregnant and Amy isn't?" With Penny's decision not to have kids, the writers had a good opportunity to show that it is perfectly okay for an individual to be child-free. Instead, they chose the clichéd happy ending.
The Nobel Prize Should Have Gone To Sheldon And Leonard
One of the highlights of the series finale was Sheldon and Amy winning a Nobel. For Sheldon, especially, it was a life-long dream finally coming true and he was sharing it with the love of his life. Fans loved that and the particularly sweet speech Sheldon gave at the end when he received the prize.
However, some fans hoped for something different, like the Redditor yahyrohat who said "If Sheldon and Leonard had won this award, it would have been much more emotional and meaningful." Since they were best friends and worked together on many projects, this view is understandable. Still, Amy's win was also emotional and meaningful because they came up with the idea at their wedding and her win gave the show a chance to inspire other young women who want to pursue science.