The Big Bang Theory’s Amy Farrah Fowler is one of the most refreshing sitcom heroines. The neurobiologist’s character design underwent a tremendous progression since she was introduced in the fourth season. Her dynamic with Sheldon also opened up many conversations about how each relationship grows at its own pace.
However, the show has often dropped ridiculous plots featuring Amy which are not just unfunny or pointless but also unrealistic. Such as when she developed a dislike for Will Wheaton without any reason, or when she got into a nasty fight over her boyfriend’s parking spot. This is just uncharacteristic of her, and only two examples of her most nonsensical plotlines.
Her Ignorance Of Basic Lingo
The show often takes things to an unrealistic level in a bid to establish that so-called ‘nerds’ can’t fit into mainstream society. Amy’s ignorance about what words like 'girl-talk' or 'slumber party' mean is very hard to believe.
She may not have had friends while growing up but as someone who’s culturally aware, is obviously on social media, and is a superbly intelligent scientist, it’s hard for viewers to believe that she doesn’t know what these basic social codes are.
Amy’s Inconsistent Love For Costumes
In the episode titled "The Justice League Recombination", Sheldon tells his friends that Amy wasn’t joining them because she didn't enjoy dressing up and wasn't the 'free spirit' he was. But in later seasons, Amy is the one urging Sheldon to dress up in a couple's costume.
On one Halloween, Amy dresses up as Raggedy Ann as Sheldon is C-3Po. In another celebration of the holiday, they dress up as Howard and Bernadette. So the original storyline that depicted Amy as someone who doesn’t dress up doesn’t make sense at all.
The Amy vs Will Storyline
Not only was the 'Amy hates Will Wheaton' storyline very uncharacteristic of the characters, but it contributed nothing to their personal narratives. The episode itself was designed quite oddly because there was no reason for Amy to be rude towards Will, and clearly, she was the one with the problem as Will tried hard to work along with her and Sheldon for the Fun With Flags episode.
What made things weirder is that their tensions escalated so much that it was the central theme of the episode, which was rather sloppy. The whole thing had no substance, to begin with.
Her Moving In Proposal
Amy should know better than anyone how Sheldon feels about his own space; she’s not just a highly-skilled neurobiologist but over the years, she has actually come to learn a lot about Sheldon's hang-ups and why he likes what he likes. It makes no sense that Amy would just casually propose moving in together, despite knowing how long it takes Sheldon to cope with even the slightest of changes.
One could argue that she simply wanted their relationship to grow, but knowing Amy and how cautious she is about Sheldon’s priorities, it seems unlikely that Amy would suggest all these big changes and expect Sheldon to just go along with it.
The One Where Leonard Is Her Date
What really was the purpose of the storyline in season 5 when Leonard had to accompany Amy to a wedding? The episode wasn’t just loosely designed but also seemed pointless on many levels.
The storyline was dedicated to exploring Amy and Leonard’s friendship, but surely that could have been depicted over time, and not just through one episode. The outcome of their date was also quite bizarre as Amy assumes Leonard has feelings for her, which is quite silly, considering Amy is a really intelligent person who should ideally know better.
The Confusing Admission
In season 5, Amy tells Leonard that she is jealous of how comfortable Sheldon is around Penny; naturally, it’s not romantic jealousy but a broader one as Amy had been trying to cultivate intimacy between her and Sheldon for years. But this is quite surprising because Amy knew Sheldon quite well, and perhaps understood him better than Leonard.
Moreover, she’s a neurobiologist and is aware that her and Sheldon’s relationship is quite different from Sheldon and Penny’s. So, it’s quite uncharacteristic of her to talk to Leonard about her insecurities, and not to Penny or Sheldon directly since she’s closer to both of them than she’s to Leonard.
When She Fights A Sexist Article
Amy had rightly pointed out that ‘the fifty sexiest scientists in California’ article was sexist and reductive to women in science. Bernadette was picked to be one of the fifty scientists and she was ecstatic. Amy writes to the magazine stating her issues with the article that leads to the magazine canceling the category.
Following this, Bernadette expresses her anger at Amy and takes jibes at her relationship with her own sexuality. The storyline as a whole is extremely unrealistic. Firstly, Bernadette herself would probably be quite miffed if an article like this came out and would refuse a space in it. Moreover, Amy would definitely talk to Bernadette before writing the letter to the magazine, especially since Bernadette seemed so happy with it.
The Tiara Solution
The show has often tried to pass off its intelligent main leads as unthinking and shallow; this is particularly hard for TBBT viewers because every person on the show, except Penny, has been established as an outstanding genius. So when a successful neurobiologist like Amy overlooks the major issues in her relationship just because her boyfriend bought her a tiara, it's a hard sell.
It's unlikely that anyone as smart and intuitive as Amy would simply gloss over how bad a partner Sheldon is just because he brought her a tiara. There were many ways to establish the fact that Amy was happy about the gesture without making her seem like a caricature.
The Spider-Man Date
Fans have often expressed their wariness with the tensions in Sheldon and Amy’s relationship; they obviously had a one-of-a-kind relationship agreement, but Amy would often lash out at Sheldon for not reciprocating her gestures. It was very obvious that they were not on the same page even though they wanted to be with each other.
When they go out on a date in season 6 and Sheldon does not respond to Amy’s advances, she says she wants to end things. Amy is entitled to demand more from a relationship, but fans experienced a dèja vu as this has happened quite a few times on their dates and the issue was getting too repetitive to be realistic.
The Parking Spot Debacle
It’s unlikely that Amy would fight Bernadette over her boyfriend’s parking spot. The show has often introduced ludicrous storylines that not only come across as unrealistic but also do a disservice to the main leads.
Amy is extremely intelligent and knows better than to get tangled up in a petty office feud, especially since it does not directly concern her. Instead, she starts taking jibes at Bernadette which was uncalled for, and this escalates into a much larger and nastier fight that even gets physical.