Like any long-term sitcom, The Big Bang Theory also revealed its weaknesses over the course of its 12 seasons, but its weakest link only became evident 13 years ago. Its longevity could have only been obtained through the characters progressing, and this couldn’t have been more evident than from The Big Bang Theory’s ending and where it brought its characters.
The arrival of characters the likes of Amy and Bernadette in TBBT’s friend group, or the moment Leonard and Penny got together for good, were often credited as the start of TBBT going downhill. However, what both developments highlighted halfway into Big Bang Theory was the same weak link that had been a constant in the show since its beginning.
Leonard Never Changed Throughout The Big Bang Theory
Amy & Bernadette Becoming Part Of The Friend Group Highlighted That
Although Bernadette and Amy appeared in The Big Bang Theory season 3 only to become a permanent fixture in season 4, the true impact of their roles could be seen from TBBT seasons 5 and 6 onwards. Key developments happened in Big Bang Theory season 5, including Sheldon and Amy officially becoming boyfriend and girlfriend, and Howard and Bernadette marrying.
The Big Bang Theory season 5 also saw Leonard and Penny get back together, despite their reticence to let the rest of the group know from the get-go. These changes involving most of the main characters highlighted how much Leonard didn’t change throughout TBBT. This could be seen through Howard and Sheldon’s changes, and Leonard resuming his relationship with Penny.
Howard’s change was possibly the most drastic, with him going from someone whose behavior towards women was abhorrent to a devoted boyfriend first and husband later. Howard’s words to Bernadette after Raj’s viral bachelor party speech exemplified said change by highlighting her role in changing him rather than telling her excuses, like a past version of him could have done.
Big Bang Theory always emphasized Sheldon’s self-sufficiency regarding personal relationships, with the introduction of Amy not initially changing that. Indeed, while Sheldon always needed The Big Bang Theory’s characters for practical things, he wasn’t as emotionally dependent on others. However, Sheldon began to cherish Amy’s company enough to propose a boyfriend-girlfriend relationship agreement in season 5, marking a massive change.
The final straw to highlight Leonard’s resistance to change was his renewed romance with Penny. Despite starting it by emphasizing how different their relationship would have been, Penny and Leonard fell into their usual patterns. From feeling flattered by Alex’s attentions to his happiness in maintaining the status quo of his insecurity in his relationship with Penny, Leonard opposed change.
Leonard’s tendency to put himself at the center of any situation was all the more evident in The Big Bang Theory season 6, whether his and Penny’s first Valentine’s Day back together emphasized such a pattern or a middle school visit to inspire girls to choose STEM fields of study did. It being a constant highlighted how Leonard never changed.
Why Leonard Got Away With Never Changing In The Big Bang Theory
Howard, Raj & Sheldon’s Worst Qualities Made Leonard Seem Innocuous
Compared to Sheldon, Raj and Howard, Leonard seemed the least problematic of the gang in The Big Bang Theory’s earlier seasons. Raj was a close second, as he was rarely derogatory to women, but he revealed his worst impulses when using alcohol to talk with them, and this problem continued for far longer than Howard and Sheldon’s more unsavory characteristics.
Before Bernadette fixed Howard’s story in The Big Bang Theory, Howard was the sleaziest in their friend group. His attempts to approach women always resulted in them feeling deeply uncomfortable or offended, at times achieving both outcomes simultaneously. Even when women weren’t present, how Howard discussed his relationship with them highlighted his incredibly misogynistic worldview, making Leonard appear somewhat ordinary.
Sheldon’s boundless rudeness in The Big Bang Theory’s earlier seasons also had the unintended consequence of making Leonard seem reasonable, especially as the pair interacted with others together, making Leonard counteract Sheldon’s most extreme behaviors with a sense of normalcy. Between his misogyny and egotism, Sheldon truly made his roommate seem better than he was through the comparison with him.
Leonard and Sheldon’s interactions touching upon similar points highlighted Leonard’s inability to change throughout the sitcom. While Sheldon’s repeated complaints about Leonard only thinking about himself seemed ludicrous because he did the same, they weren’t wrong. Through Leonard’s eyes, he had always been someone who let others trample his wishes and the “good guy,” despite his actions proving the opposite.
While this could have been enough to count as somewhat acceptable when Leonard’s behavior was compared to Raj’s, Sheldon’s, or Howard’s at the beginning, it couldn’t be anymore once they all displayed visible signs of change. Leonard remaining stuck in the same loop thus made him the weakest link in The Big Bang Theory, with everybody changing around him.
How Leonard Remaining The Same Is Linked To TBBT’s Worst Betrayal
Leonard Benefited The Most From TBBT’s Crime Against Penny’s Story
Leonard not showing any kind of growth in The Big Bang Theory inevitably impacted Penny, as the character most inextricably linked to him, even more than Sheldon, in the later TBBT seasons. Leonard and Penny’s Big Bang Theory mistake being their getting together early might have worked if it made all their storylines stale, but unlike Leonard, Penny considerably grew.
Leonard remaining the same even played a major hand in TBBT’s worst Penny development. The Big Bang Theory season 12 established clearly Penny’s desire to remain child-free, making it a problem in her relationship with Leonard because he always wanted kids.
Leonard’s desires didn’t change, and he also didn’t have to grow to accept Penny’s choice, with the problem being completely erased by having him get what he wanted all along, with Penny’s agency paying the price.
While they eventually came to a decision not to have children to respect Penny’s choice, The Big Bang Theory season 12’s finale completely subverted that storyline by having them expect their first child, something they both celebrated. Not only did Big Bang Theory have Penny completely change her mind in mere months, but it also never showed why she did.
Leonard’s desires didn’t change, and he didn’t have to grow to accept Penny’s choice, with the problem being completely erased by him getting what he wanted all along, with Penny’s agency paying the price for his happily-ever-after. Keeping Leonard unchanged thus proved the series’ weakest link and downfall, dragging part of Penny’s The Big Bang Theory character development with it.
