It's safe to say that The Big Bang Theory's Sheldon Cooper and Bernadette Rostenkowski-Wolowitz are two characters that would not interact if it weren't for Howard. Without his friendship with Howard, Sheldon would look down on Bernadette's degree as a microbiologist and Bernadette would judge Sheldon for being a "weirdo."
The two have nothing in common and their short tempers would be enough to cause arguments daily if they worked together. Nevertheless, the two rally to find things in common for the good of the group. But does that mean they're truly friends?
Bernadette Didn’t Want To Play D&D With Sheldon When She Was Pregnant
When Bernadette was pregnant with Halley in the ninth season, the group of friends were going wine tasting. Not wanting to be around wine and drunk friends, Bernadette decides to spend the night at home. However, Sheldon has other plans. He tells Bernadette that he created a special Dungeons & Dragons game specifically for Bernadette's condition.
Playing a board game with Sheldon Cooper is the last thing on Bernadette's list but she doesn't have much of a choice. While this may have been an olive branch on behalf of Sheldon, Bernadette had to force herself to play and be nice for the sake of her husband.
She Discouraged Howard From Signing A Business Agreement With Sheldon
In "The Application Deterioration," Howard, Raj, and Sheldon make the decision to patten their project and to split the money three ways when it becomes profitable. However, before Howard signs the agreement that Sheldon created, Bernadette stops him in his tracks.
Did he really want to sign a contract agreement with Sheldon Cooper? Before going any further, Bernadette encourages Howard to make changes in the contract so that Sheldon respects him and doesn't poke fun at his education or career any longer. True friends wouldn't need to have that kind of agreement written in contract form.
She Wouldn’t Blame Amy For Cheating On Sheldon
While Amy and Bernadette are away for a convention, they use this time to talk shop since Penny isn't around. It can be hard to talk about the sciences when Penny has no idea what's going on.
The two step out for a drink and are having a nice time when two men send drinks over to the girls. Flattered, Bernadette tells Amy she wouldn't blame Amy for wanting to entertain another male suitor. Amy is, of course, bothered by Bernadette's inference. Bernadette clarifies and says it's just that her boyfriend is extremely Sheldon. Her rude remarks on Sheldon prove that she doesn't think he's a good enough partner for Amy.
He Spoke Klingon At Their Wedding (Even Though she Forbade It)
Bernadette and Howard decided to get married on a whim before Howard's expedition to space. The couple had all of their friends ordained so they could marry the couple in a special way.
Sheldon asked if he could read his passage in Klingon, which received a hard no from Bernadette. Yet, on the day of their wedding when it was Sheldon's time to speak, he started his speech off in Klingon, proving that he didn't care what Bernadette wanted on her big day as long as it suited him.
She Chose Amy Over Sheldon When They Broke Up
It can be hard for a group of friends when two members of the group break up. Their group hangouts will become increasingly awkward and sometimes they'll have to choose who they'd rather hang out with.
Oddly enough, on the day Sheldon's best friend (Leonard) is getting married, he's shocked to hear that Bernadette and Howard are having people over to watch the live stream version of their wedding. Did they really invite Amy and not Sheldon? Does this mean Howard and Bernadette choose friendship with Amy over Sheldon? Likewise, in later episodes when Amy and Sheldon were still broken up, Bernadette called him a "weirdo." Adorably, Amy did not agree with her.
Bernadette Loved When Howard Dressed Up As Sheldon For Halloween
In "The Imitation Perturbation," Howard dresses up as Sheldon for Halloween. He didn't just look like Sheldon but he acted like him, too, which garnered laughter from their group of friends. Once Sheldon caught on to the fact that Howard was mocking him, he became hurt. Why were his friends laughing at him?
When Amy confronted Bernadette over Howard's impersonation, Bernadette didn't just love it, she encouraged it. She explained that Sheldon has made fun of Howard and his education for years and that this was simply payback. It's safe to say that Bernadette wasn't laughing when Sheldon and Amy dressed as them to give them a taste of their own medicine.
Sheldon Was Annoyed When She Became Pregnant
Everyone in the friend group was shocked when Howard and Bernadette announced that they were expecting. Howard told the guys first, which excited Leonard and Raj but Sheldon began immediately pouting. Throwing a baby in the mix was only going to disrupt their weekly schedule and add change to a seemingly perfect life.
Furthermore, when Sheldon and Amy decided to test their cells and realized how promising they were, Sheldon compared them to Bernadette's unborn child, which really didn't sit well for her.
The Parking Space Fiasco
Who can forget the time when Howard was assigned a new parking space at the university? In a strange cosmic twist, Howard's new spot was actually the parking spot assigned to Sheldon. But since Sheldon didn't drive a car, the spot had been vacant for years. After learning that Howard would now have his spot, Sheldon began a parking spot war. And while Bernadette wasn't directly affected by this war, she got involved and began insulting Sheldon to protect Howard.
Likewise, Amy jumped in and defended Sheldon from Bernadette. To get back at the both of them, Bernadette had Amy's car towed to teach her and Sheldon a lesson. Friends don't have friends' cars towed, folks.
Bernadette Tolerated Sheldon When It Helped Her
One could say that Bernadette tolerated Sheldon because he was "different." As she told Howard early on, Sheldon doesn't realize when he's being mean. He doesn't pick up on general human emotion, empathy, or sarcasm, which can make being friends with him hard. However, when it benefited herself or her husband, Bernadette had no problem taking advantage of Sheldon.
She had Sheldon go dress shopping with Howard's mom when she didn't want to and she tricks him into doing Howard's chores around the house when she doesn't want to. Is it really fair to take advantage of a person when they don't realize it's happening?
Sheldon Did Not Want To Celebrate Valentine's Day With Bernadette & Howard
In "The Locomotive Manipulation," Amy semi tricks Sheldon into a Valentine's Day getaway. She always wanted a romantic weekend with Sheldon but couldn't find a way to make it worthwhile for him. But when vintage trains are involved, Sheldon's ears perk up.
However, the presence of Howard and Bernadette on their trip made things uncomfortable due to their constant public affection, which Sheldon can't stand.