The Big Bang Theory lasted twelve seasons, won oodles of awards, and brought the STEM world into a fan’s everyday conversation. The show found a way to bring science and humor together in a lovable and admirable way. However, despite 279 episodes and 12 seasons, not every storyline was gold. In fact, there are some fans who believed the writers ran out of things to put our favorite characters through.
Like many sitcoms, not every idea is a winning one with fans. Thanks to fan forums and Reddit posts, here are ten storylines that rubbed fans the wrong way.
When Leonard Cheated On Penny
Penny and Leonard surprised fans when they decided to elope in Las Vegas in the season nine premiere. They've been dating and engaged for long enough, eloping seemed like the only chance for these two wild kids to get married. However, fans (and Penny) were put through the wringer when Leonard admitted to cheating on Penny while he was away at sea. This entire storyline made no sense considering it was completely out of character for Leonard. He's been self-conscious for years and spent even more years trying to win Penny over. Now that he had her as his fiance, why would he give that up? It was even more infuriating that he was always worried that Penny would be the one to cheat but it was actually him!
Why Can't Raj Find Love?
Raj has got to be the most loyal and romantic man on the show. Howard was always a creep until he found Bernadette, Leonard did okay with the ladies but he was never the most delightful boyfriend, and we all know how Sheldon was with Amy in the early years.
Raj was the only one who would have been a kick-butt partner. But sadly, we never got to see his one true desire come to life. He wanted to be a husband, a homemaker, and a dad. Instead, he had a string of broken relationships and a successful career. But for fans, it was upsetting to never see him end up with someone.
And The Raj And Anu Relationship
Raj contacted his parents about an arranged marriage or relationship a few times and Anu was the most promising. However, Anu and Raj didn't work out longterm and she definitely didn't sit well with fans. One fan told Reddit they thought the addition of Anu was "desperate." Raj dating Anu felt forced and dragged on throughout the final season. Their relationship also overshadowed Raj's new job and his time with his friends. We never got to see their relationship deepen on an authentic level; it was far too rushed.
Leonard Having Zack's Baby
Fans shouldn't have been too shocked when Penny decided she didn't want kids. After all, she's not as maternal as Bernadette and seemed to fancy wine and weekend getaways instead of watching children. So when her ex-boyfriend Zack came into the picture and wanted Leonard's sperm to have children of his own, fans (and Penny) were thrown through a loop.
What's more annoying is that Leonard was considering the offer! It was at this point it was clear writers weren't sure how to handle Penny and Leonard's future with children and we're trying to cause a rift between the two
Stuart's Sad Life
Stuart Bloom has been through a lot during his time on the show. When we first met him, he was oddly confident enough to ask out Penny and win her over before she realized she liked Leonard. After that minor setback, Stuart lost his stride and all his self-assurance. His comic book store struggles to pay the bills, he ends up sleeping in the back of the store because he has nowhere to live, and he's incredibly single (until he met Denise). His entire being was upsetting and that coincidentally upset fans. His "sad sack" of a lifestyle annoyed fans. There was never any growth, just incessant bad luck and failed opportunities.
Girlfriends Replacing Friend Time
If you can remember back to the first couple of seasons, The Big Bang Theory was about four friends (Sheldon, Leonard, Howard, and Raj) and their love for science and comic books. Sure, they were all hilariously single but it brought them together. Over time, we slowly started seeing the group dating and keeping girlfriends, which ended up taking over the entire series. The guys started distancing themselves from each other and focused more on their love lives than on each other or their work. Everything became about love and loss, which takes away from the show's uniqueness.
Amy's Desire For Intimacy
Amy started out being dry and robotic but over time she became compassionate and more human-like. She found her way into Penny and Sheldon's hearts and became a cherished member of their social circle.
Part of her character was how much she wanted to be intimate with her boyfriend and yet she was mocked for it. Sheldon being Sheldon turned her down and never seemed to be ready for the next step; something that bothered Amy throughout her time on the show. Seeing how many times she's been denied by her own boyfriend and husband annoyed fans. She was as desirable as Penny and Bernadette but never got what she wanted for years. Some fans saw this "comical" storyline as offensive and tired.
Howard 'Only' Being An Engineer
Unlike Sheldon, Leonard, Raj, Bernadette, and Amy, Howard was the only one without his doctorate. He had his Master's Degree from MIT but that never seemed to be enough for Sheldon. Sheldon saw Howard's education at MIT as waste since it's nothing but a "trade school." While this gag was funny at first, it never seemed to stop. Even when Howard went to outer space, Sheldon continued to belittle and mock him for being nothing but an engineer. Was Howard ever going to get the recognition and respect he deserved?
Penny Is Just Pretty & Dumb
With Penny being the only "normal" one in the group (she's the only without a high-end degree), she's seen as ditzy, dumb, and is never taking seriously. People bring up her excessive wine-drinking as a joke but over time, her love of wine seemed to increase.
Sure, Penny might not have been a genius but that didn't mean she was dumb. She was a valid member of their friend group and deserved as much respect as anyone else. Seeing her berated for being a free-loader or a woman who got anything she wanted just by looking cute got old and never died throughout the series.
Bernadette Becoming Howard's Mother
We all know Howard's close (and weird) relationship with his mother. His tightness with his mom may have been intimidating for Bernadette but she fought through it.
As Howard and Bernadette become more serious, Bernadette begins to sound just like his mother. It was funny at first but over time it became odd that Bernadette transformed in the very woman Howard was always hiding from. With her sounding like his mother, we began to lose sight of Bernadette's true character, which was a sad mistake.