The Big Bang Theory introduced audiences to a cast of eccentric, lovable, and sometimes exasperating characters — and among them was Bernadette Rostenkowski, portrayed by Melissa Rauch. Initially sweet and surprisingly drawn to the equally quirky Howard Wolowitz, Bernadette seemed like a breath of fresh air. But as their relationship developed into marriage, her personality took a sharp turn. Fans soon noticed a pattern of pettiness, harshness, and even humiliation toward her husband — traits that made Bernadette one of the most unexpectedly spiteful characters in the series. What went wrong, and why did the writers turn such a promising character into a stereotypical sitcom spouse with a mean streak?
Bernadette Becomes a Very Spiteful Wife
Bernadette Rostenkowski Is Played by Melissa Rauch
Bernadette might be the most annoying character from the main The Big Bang Theory gang. The worst part is that she had a lot of potential. Bernadette comes along and surprisingly, falls for Howard, and the two have a quirky and charming relationship. However, as Bernadette and Howard get married, she becomes petty with her husband, which disappoints people.
Bernadette would often make fun of Howard, put him down, and humiliate him. In a way, it’s true that Howard isn’t a great husband, but the relationship is much of the ’60s stereotype of married people who don’t like each other. Simply because they switched gender roles, making Bernadette the mean one, doesn’t make it a more modern relationship. On the other hand, the dynamic between Bernadette, Penny, and Amy is pretty wholesome and funny, which redeems Bernadette a little bit.
Stuart Gets Tiresome Over Time
Stuart Bloom Is Played by Kevin Sussman
At the beginning of The Big Bang Theory, Stuart seemed like a nice dude who loved comics and had more common sense than anyone in the gang. He takes Penny on a date and even behaves like a gentleman. However, as the show progressed, Stuart was a big victim of Flanderization.
Stuart’s life went from bad to worse, and all the jokes about the character revolve around his pathetic life. He even ends up living with Howard, taking advantage of his mother. He is portrayed as lazy and annoying, slowly and steadily becoming the buff of all the jokes. It’s even hard to understand why the gang keeps him around. The jokes are not funny but pretty cringe-worthy. In the end, they make Stuart’s character a bit better once his life starts to look up, but by then, the damage is already done.
Early Howard Was a Terrible Character
Howard Wolowitz Is Played by Simon Helberg
Before Howard started a relationship with Bernadette, he was probably the most disliked character in The Big Bang Theory. While he was a good friend, a lot of his jokes were sexual innuendos. Howard was always talking about sex, denigrating women, and he was particularly disgusting to Penny, always making very unwanted sexual suggestions.
Howard was desperate to have a sexual life, which often ended poorly. He lets a girl play with the Mass Rover, destroying millions of dollars’ worth of footage on Mars, he masturbates with a robotic arm from the university, and he often sexually assaults women. Fortunately, Howard changes plenty after the third season and becomes a nice boyfriend to Bernadette. Otherwise, the show would be unwatchable.
Leonard Is the Only One Who Thinks He Is a Good Guy
Leonard Hofstadter Is Played by Johnny Galecki
Much like many sitcom protagonists, like Ted Mosby or Ross Geller, Leonard often falls into the cliché of the “nice guy,” and the audience eventually gets tired of it. Leonard believes he is a rational, kind, and, overall, nice person, but this is not always true. However, the character always victimizes himself when he makes mistakes, unable to admit when he’s wrong.
Leonard loves to complain about his life but never does anything to change it. He is particularly resentful of Sheldon, at the same time as he is his main enabler. When others want to set boundaries with Sheldon, it is Leonard who defends him. Meanwhile, Leonard’s relationship with Penny is very problematic, with Leonard’s constant jealousy bouts. The character barely grows throughout the series and his obnoxious personality soon gets old. He ends up being the most disappointing character in The Big Bang Theory because at least Sheldon has the ability to become a better person.
Beverly Hofstadter Might Be the Worst Mother in Any Sitcom
Beverly Hofstadter Is Played by Christine Baranski
Christine Baranski is an amazing actress, but her character, Beverly Hofstadter, is too mean to properly digest. She’s Leonard’s cold and indifferent mother who prefers Sheldon to her own son. Beverly values intelligence above all and doesn’t consider Leonard intelligent enough, treating him very poorly.
Beverly is a psychiatrist who always tries to analyze Sheldon in these terms. She has no qualms, for example, about judging Leonard’s sexual life. The character ends up being a one-trick pony who only makes everyone feel bad for Sheldon. Baranski’s role in The Big Bang Theory could have been much more hilarious, but the writers’ choices of Freudian jokes were in poor taste.
Sheldon Cooper Is Ridiculously Obnoxious
Sheldon Cooper Is Played by Jim Parsons
Sheldon Cooper, the main character of The Big Bang Theory, is also the most controversial character in the show. People either love him or hate him, but even fans of the character can admit that Sheldon is irritating. He’s entitled, self-righteous, and selfish, often being inconsiderate to his best friends.
