Penny from The Big Bang Theory is not like most sitcom heroines. She doesn't wear her heart on her sleeve, she doesn’t believe in big sweeping gestures and she does not see the relevance of pointless sentimentality. Yet, she's not even jaded or cynical - she’s just breezy and takes life as it comes.

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Instead of having dramatic or exaggerated meltdowns and epiphanies, Penny's emotion comes off as realistic. This is mainly because Penny believes in transparency and has a really founded quality about her which keeps her from getting too carried away in emotions. However, there have been a few occasions where Penny has let down these walls and let her loved ones in...

There Was A Time When I Never Would Have Been Friends With You

Penny and Sheldon in the bathroom on The Big Bang Theory

Over the course of the show, Penny becomes really self-aware and a lot more sensitive to the kinds of friendships that can exist between people. This is an acute realization for her because she has admitted to being a bully in the past and during Sheldon’s birthday party, when he gets an anxiety attack and hides in the bathroom, Penny tries to stabilize him.

She tells him that though she hates the fact that his siblings used to torture him, she also hates the fact that if she was with them, she would join in too. She also tells him that there was a time when she would never have been friends with him, but he was also one of her favorite people in the world.

I Wish I Had The Ability To Make Things Easier For You

The Big Bang Theory Sheldon and Penny in the elevator for the first time

The reason Penny becomes Sheldon’s strongest ally is because she is genuinely interested in understanding his hang-ups and his anxieties. She doesn't immediately try to fix him or program him, which Amy has often tried to do.  As Penny and Sheldon grew closer, Sheldon would often open up to Penny about how he really feels, something he couldn’t always do with Amy or Leonard.

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At one point, Sheldon tells her that he has a really hard time understanding people’s reactions in social situations and how he would love to have Penny’s social skills. To which, Penny replies, “I wish I had the ability to make things easier for you.” The words may not sound very poignant or even deep, but that’s what makes them so functional and effective since she needed to be casual to connect with Sheldon. 

Can You Believe It’s Been Eight Years?

Sheldon offers Penny money on TBBT

In TBBT, everyone lived in such close proximity that the characters became a sort of surrogate family for each other, which is why it was hard to process how much time has really gone by. Only if someone paused and looked objectively at how they had each grown over the years, they could realize exactly how much has happened.

As part of a social experiment, the friends had to pick a person and stare into their eyes for a few minutes. As Penny stares into Sheldon’s eyes, she recalls the time she first met Leonard and Sheldon. “Can you believe it’s been eight years?” she asks Sheldon in a rather moving way. Sheldon tries to lighten the mood by pointing out that it was a Monday afternoon and she joined them for Indian food, and eight years later she was still eating their food.

You’re The One I’m With, You Know I Love You

TBBT Leonard and Penny

This was the first time Penny said ‘I Love You’ to Leonard and it was kind of a big deal because their first breakup was actually over the fact that she wasn’t ready to say it yet. But when they get back together, they were a lot mature and self-aware, clearly more evolved as individuals and as partners.

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Penny says this during an argument she has with Leonard about her British classmate, who makes Leonard insecure. She says the words rather breezily, not thinking much of it. However, it was only after Leonard points it out that she bursts into tears and realizes what had just happened. 

You’ve Got A Friend In Me

Penny and Leonard Hofstadter at the alter on TBBT

Randy Newman’s famous song for Toy Story was part of Penny’s wedding vows for her and Leonard’s first wedding in Vegas. Although they may seem like a pretty odd choice, it made total sense because not only were the words deep but Toy Story was also Leonard’s favorite movie.

After Penny learns that Leonard has written vows for their last-minute wedding, she freaks out because she had nothing prepared. But at the last minute, she thinks of the lines from the song ‘You’ve Got A Friend In Me,’ which moved Leonard to tears.

Thank You For Marrying Me, Hopefully For The Last Time

Leonard and Penny wedding photo with her family on TBBT

Penny’s vows for the second wedding were succinct and yet very expressive. The outdoor garden wedding was very similar to Howard and Bernadette’s small rooftop wedding, with only friends and family in attendance. The show had made a point to show an alternative means of celebrations and emphasized that the focus is not the party but the moments.

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Penny’s vows to Leonard was funny and reflected her fun personality as she made a funny joke about this being their second wedding. But they were also pretty deep and Penny was clearly emotional about getting married in front of her family.

That Isn’t Fair To You Leonard, I’m Sorry

Leonard and Penny drinking coffee at home on TBBT

Leonard and Penny’s first breakup was a total shock because no one really expected the couple to break up over something this minor. Leonard had said that he loved Penny and the latter wasn’t ready to say it back, and it seemed like just a small hiccup and bad timing.

But Wil Wheaton gets into Penny’s head during a bowling match and Penny starts believing that if she takes this relationship forward she would be leading Leonard on. Since she never wanted to see Leonard get hurt, she instantly breaks things off with him in an emotional meltdown. 

I Sc**wed Up, Leonard Is A Great Guy

Leonard Penny TBBT

Penny would probably never have admitted this if she was sober but after seeing Leonard with Priya, she realized that she broke things off with Leonard rather hastily. Especially because she saw Leonard evolve into a great, competent partner.

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Though Penny didn’t give away her emotions when she admitted this to Raj, her regrets were very real as she struggled to see Priya and Leonard together. She later admits that she regrets dumping Leonard.

It Feels Like A Sad Attempt To Recapture Our Youth

big bang theory penny internet

This was one of the most relatable moments on the show as every person has felt this at some point or another. Penny has always been pretty breezy. However, seeing Bernadette have kids and look at pre-schools, she starts to think she’s failing at life and her marriage.

So when the girls go out dancing one night and something goes wrong, Penny just wants to call it a night and tells the girls that the night has started to feel like a sad attempt to recapture their lost youth and eventually breaks down into tears.

Everyone Knows You’re Weird But They’re All Here Because They Care About You

penny made dinner for sheldon - the big bang theory

This was a pretty significant moment on the show as Sheldon finally found some acceptance that he always craved. When Sheldon hides in a bathroom at his own birthday party, Penny tries to talk to him. She simply reaches out to let him know that whatever he wants to do is okay and he should feel no pressure to come out and join the party.

This is the form of understanding that Sheldon has craved all his life and when he asks Penny if people would think he’s weird if he hid in the bathroom, she tells him that everyone is here in spite of knowing who he is because he is loved by them.

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