Howard and Bernadette were one of the first long-lasting couples on The Big Bang Theory. Penny met Bernadette at work and thought she could be a potential love interest for Howard. And while the couple had a rocky start, they eventually outdid the other couples and got married and had children first.
But just because Howard and Bernadette seemingly have a strong foundation doesn't mean they haven't had their issues. From Howard's mother being invasive in their relationship to Bernadette's parents not approving of Howard to Howard's dark past to Bernadette's controlling nature — not all is fine and dandy in the Rostenkowski-Wolowitz household. Let's take a look at 10 times the famous couple could have broken up.
HOWARD SHOULD HAVE BROKEN UP WITH HER: SHE MADE HIM CHOOSE BETWEEN HER AND HIS MOTHER
To be fair, Bernadette loved Howard so much that she wanted to spend her life with him but he always seemed more interested in what his mother would think. That can weigh heavily on a relationship.
Bernadette brought up the possibility of them living together and Howard had a small panic attack about what his mother would think, which made Bernie ask him to choose between her and his mother. Howard may be a serious mama's boy but no one deserves to be stuck in that position.
BERNADETTE SHOULD HAVE BROKEN UP WITH HIM: HE SPENT $5,000 ON A PRINTER
In "The Cooper/Kripke Inversion," Howard and Raj began playing around with a 3D printer. When they realized they could easily buy a 3D printer themselves and make whatever they wanted, they decided to split the cost and buy it to make miniature versions of themselves.
The problem is, they both needed to come up with $5,000... Howard made action figures of Bernadette and himself to soften the blow but once she found out he spent $5,000 of their own money, she kicked him off the joint account. If she can't trust her husband with their own finances, they have major kinks to work out.
HOWARD SHOULD HAVE BROKEN UP WITH HER: SHE ACTS LIKE HE WAS NOTHING BEFORE HER
Did Howard mature a lot since being with Bernadette? Of course. With her guidance, she got him through NASA, his mother's death, fatherhood, and beyond. However, she, at times, comes off as condescending. As if Howard would have never achieved anything without her help. But that's not the case.
He already had his degree and his job before he met Bernie, meaning he would have become an astronaut with or without her. He also already owned his mother's home when she passed away, so he was already a homeowner. Howard's life is happier with Bernadette in it but she takes credit when it doesn't belong to her.
BERNADETTE SHOULD HAVE BROKEN UP WITH HIM: HE SAID SHE WASN'T HOT ENOUGH
Remember Glenn? Glenn was Bernadette's former professor and ex-boyfriend. They dated for about a year before breaking up. After Howard met Glenn, he immediately became insecure. He didn't think he could compare sexually to a person like Glenn.
He was also shocked that someone like Bernadette could land someone like Glenn... This observation disturbed Bernadette because it implied she wasn't hot enough to land someone like Glenn. Sorry Howard, but no woman deserves that kind of treatment.
HOWARD SHOULD HAVE BROKEN UP WITH HER: SHE LIED ABOUT WANTING CHILDREN
Before Howard and Bernadette got married, he alluded to the thought of them being parents. Bernadette was on page at first but that quickly changed. Bernadette is a very bright woman with a great career and she didn't want to give all that up just because it was the social convention.
Considering Howard's dad wasn't in his life, becoming a father was a big deal for Howard. Being told his partner was taking kids off the table is a big discussion to be had. As we know, the two ended up having two children and are very happy but who knows what would have happened if she never did.
BERNADETTE SHOULD HAVE BROKEN UP WITH HIM: HE DIDN'T WANT TO WORK WITH HER
In "The Workplace Proximity," Amy has a chance to work at Caltech. She ponders the idea with Sheldon because they'd be working in close proximity and wasn't sure if any boundaries would be crossed. Thankfully, Sheldon welcomes the notion. Howard, on the other hand, tells Sheldon he's making a grave mistake. He would never work with Bernadette because he needs time away from her to do his own thing.
While no one is saying some time alone is a bad thing, Howard does this time and time again. He'd rather hang out with Raj than Bernadette. He'd rather play D&D with the guys and not invite Bernadette. And he'd obviously rather work without her (even though she makes way more money than him). Does Howard not realize that Bernie has feelings?
HOWARD SHOULD HAVE BROKEN UP WITH HER: MAKES HIM GET RID OF THE THINGS HE LOVES
Is Howard offputting? Of course. But he is who he is and he shouldn't be changed just because his wife wants him to be and act a certain way. Bernadette made him sell his moped in the 12th season and tried getting rid of all of his action figures and comic books when they first moved in together.
Sure, Penny does the same thing to Leonard but if she hates everything Howard brings to the table, why did she marry him in the first place?
BERNADETTE SHOULD HAVE BROKEN UP WITH HIM: HIS BACHELOR PARTY
Shockingly, Howard had a very tame bachelor party. He had a bunch of his friends at a restaurant where they ate good food, drank a lot, and told stories. However, Wil Wheaton decided to film some of the speeches being made and put them on the Internet.
This is how Bernadette found out that her future husband lost his virginity to his cousin, had a threesome with Raj, and hired a prostitute in Las Vegas. That's a lot of unpacked baggage to go through a few days before her wedding. It's like she didn't even know him at all.
HOWARD SHOULD HAVE BROKEN UP WITH HER: SHE WAS TIRED OF HEARING ABOUT SPACE
When Howard went to Space, it was one of the greatest achievements in his lifetime. He was terrified but fought his fear to follow his dreams.
When he came back from Space, he couldn't stop talking about it, which annoyed many of his friends, colleagues, and yes, his wife. She had a discussion with him that people were getting sick of his stories, which was upsetting for Howard to hear. So, Bernadette can brag about making "a butt load of money" and having an amazing career but Howard can't talk about his one accomplishment?
BERNADETTE SHOULD HAVE BROKEN UP WITH HIM: HER PARENTS CAN'T STAND HIM
With a manly man of a father, Bernadette's choice in a husband couldn't be any more different than her own dad. As a former police officer, her father is tough, dry, and enjoys the outdoors. Howard, on the other hand, is the complete opposite.
Her father comes around eventually but it's obvious Howard wasn't his first choice in a son-in-law, which can make or break a family at times.