Amy Farrah Fowler started out as a peripheral character but went on to be a staple of the gang of friends in the popular CBS comedy The Big Bang Theory.
Portrayed by Mayim Bialik, Amy was a brilliant scientist and evolved from being almost unlikable to an endearing young woman who was the outstanding Sheldon Cooper's equal, if not better than him, in every respect. Amy had some empowering overall story arcs but a few rather weak seasonal arcs as well.
Worst: The Obnoxious Female Sheldon
When Amy was first introduced, she was basically a female counterpart of Sheldon Cooper himself, mechanical, awkward, and deeply insensitive to others' feelings.
The writers, of course, wanted to explore the possibility of a female version of Sheldon, which they did. In fact, not many fans might know this but Mayim Bialik who played Amy was only meant to appear as a guest actor until her role became one with great potential. However, although it made sense to have the obnoxious neurobiologist playing off Sheldon, it wasn't very flattering for Amy herself.
Best: Patience, Patience, Patience
Amy started evolving into a mature, understanding woman and one of her biggest traits was the wealth of patience she had where Sheldon was concerned.
From season 5 onwards, Amy starts to crave human , friendship, and a social circle which she had been deprived of her whole life. To this end, and because she found herself falling for Sheldon, she became the epitome of patience, an arc that turned into a characteristic of her personality over the seasons.
Worst: Being A Self-Centered Maid Of Honor
Amy was profoundly upset and humiliated when Bernadette and Penny went dress shopping for Bernie's wedding without informing her.
She reacted to this, guilting Bernadette into making her maid of honor. However, Amy turned out to be a rather annoying maid of honor, making Bernie's wedding all about herself, and generally irritating both Bernadette and Penny in the days leading up to the wedding. This selfish avatar made little sense as a story arc for Amy.
Best: Her Accomplishments
Amy Farrah Fowler was one of the strongest characters in the hit comedy-drama. Amy was a neuroscientist and although Sheldon considered himself above her, she never compromised with her career prospects, until the last season when she was ready to give up her Nobel recommendation for her husband's sake.
However, Amy as a whole was a smart, extremely intelligent young woman with an established academic career and in time became an inspiration for young women to take up science. This arc of Amy that pushed her to the top of her field, was one of the best running storylines for her character.
Worst: An Overbearing Friend To Penny
Amy had a girl crush on Penny, which was sweet until she became an overbearing, attention-seeking friend.
She stayed oblivious to Penny's feelings towards her, which were friendly and even affectionate, but Amy pushed for a special kind of friendship. She even gifted Penny a huge unflattering portrait of the two of them in season 5, which might have been comic but didn't present Amy in a very good light.
Best: Controlling Sheldon's Relentless Insolence
Amy's patience with Sheldon is a running arc for her character but she gradually also comes to gain control over him, as her patience and fussing around pays off.
Amy slowly maneuvers Sheldon into being nicer and more polite to his friends and even enforces negative reinforcement like a mother does her child. By season 10, he accepts her controlling certain aspects of his life and in turn, becomes a much better person himself.
Worst: Allowing Sheldon To Steamroll Her
Unfortunately, although Amy is perseverance personified, she also allowed Sheldon to insult her repeatedly and take advantage of her innate goodness for years.
This arc of Amy's, wherein she gave in to most things Sheldon demanded, however unfair, from not touching or having sex, to g various agreements, almost neutralized her otherwise empowering series arc.
Best: Taking A Break From Sheldon
In season 10, Amy's steely resolve is finally shown to crack and she wants a break from being Sheldon's girlfriend, which is understandably a highly demanding full-time occupation.
This was one of the best storylines for Amy as far as her personal life was concerned as she made efforts to move on, and find someone who would appreciate her instead of constantly ignoring her needs and even insulting her.
Worst: Amy 2.0
In the final season, Amy Farrah Fowler gets a make-over and from frumpy, oversized sweaters, she slips into elegant, well-cut suits and dresses, topped off with a trendy haircut.
However, although this might have been long-awaited, and definitely boosted Amy's confidence in herself somehow, it also in a way negated her earlier dorky image which had become part of her character. Yes, she had zero fashion sense but to imply that a woman can be most powerful when she dresses well and looks attractive countered the whole idea of the socially inept, unglamorous but brilliant Amy Farrah Fowler, which was much more relatable to a lot of women.
Best: Teaching Sheldon Humility
Amy's biggest achievement, besides winning a Nobel, was to have taught the self-obsessed, insolent, and socially handicapped Sheldon humility and love.
The patience, perseverance, and diligent commitment that Amy had given to her relationship eventually resulted in Sheldon bowing down to her and his friends who had spent years tolerating him because they cared. This overall arc was one of the best aspects of Amy's evolution and transformation during the course of the series.