While prequel entitled Young Sheldon. Leonard and Penny were The Big Bang Theory’s original focus, with their love story shaping seasons 1-5.
Young Sheldon Proved The Big Bang Theory's Cheating Storyline Was Sadder Than It Seemed
Although The Big Bang Theory treated Sheldon's fears about Penny's infidelity as a joke, Young Sheldon proved this character detail had tragic roots.
Although they may have appeared in every episode of the series, Howard and Raj were always the show’s ing stars and not its true protagonists. The Big Bang Theory’s Thanksgiving episode might have given everyone something to do, but most of the show’s outings centered their main plot lines on Leonard, Penny, and Sheldon, and the B-stories of Howard, Bernadette, Raj, and Amy. On that note, Bernadette’s arrival meant that Howard had more to do as a father and a family man, but this only further sidelined Raj. Kunal Nayyar’s character was always present, but rarely the show’s focus.
How The Big Bang Theory Season 6's Christmas Episode Improved Raj
“The Santa Simulation” Saw Raj Penny Bernadette and Amy On A Night Out
Raj was underserved in The Big Bang Theory as the show never seemed to know how to handle his character after he overcame his crippling shyness around women. This was highlighted in one of the show’s Christmas outings, season 6, episode 11, “The Santa Simulation.” As the title implies, this outing focused on a Dungeons and Dragons game wherein the heroes of the series attempted to save Santa Claus from ogres. Raj was killed almost instantly when the game began so, in frustration, he ed Penny, Bernadette, and Amy as they left for a night of dancing and clubbing.
Raj’s comments to Amy highlighted his biggest Big Bang Theory character flaw, as he was too self-centered to see how often he thoughtlessly hurt women.
At the club, a lovelorn Raj complained that he couldn’t find anyone to hook up with, only to then cluelessly insult Amy by implying that he was attracted to Penny and Bernadette but not her. Raj’s comments to Amy highlighted his biggest Big Bang Theory character flaw, as he was too self-centered to see how often he thoughtlessly hurt women. The Big Bang Theory adding Bernadette and Amy to its cast improved the chemistry between its characters and diversified the main lineup, but it also exposed just how callous Raj could be despite claiming to be a sweet, considerate partner.
The Big Bang Theory Never Gave Raj’s Romantic Story A Satisfying Conclusion
Raj Learned Nothing From Listening To His Exes Highlight His Problems
By the end of “The Santa Simulation,” Raj appeared to right his wrongs in a heartfelt conversation with Amy. The sweet moment when Raj itted that he would be lucky to find a partner like Amy was genuinely touching and seemed to prove that Raj understood how badly he had hurt Sheldon’s love interest. However, this character shift was short-lived. As the series continued, Sheldon became a more considerate partner to Amy, Howard had a complete character change from a sleaze into a family man, and Leonard matured past the petty jealousy that defined his character in the early seasons.
In contrast, Raj never took the lessons of “The Santa Simulation” and applied them to his future romantic relationships. If the creators of the series felt that one of the show’s main characters simply needed to be single by the finale, then it is arguably fair that Rain was the one this fate befell. However, what was less fair was The Big Bang Theory’s inconsistent handling of his character arc. The Big Bang Theory's spinoff may redeem this issue by giving Raj a more hopeful love life but, by the original finale, he was arguably worse than before.
Raj constantly bounced between viewing women as potential conquests and seeing a stable, committed relationship as the most important goal in his life
When The Big Bang Theory began, Raj was a walking contradiction. On the one hand, he had sentimental visions of a perfect romantic relationship and craved intimacy while, at the same time, he constantly made crude jokes and crass comments about women he wanted to sleep with. More than Leonard or Howard, Raj constantly bounced between viewing women as potential conquests and seeing a stable, committed relationship as the most important goal in his life. When he gained the ability to speak to women, The Big Bang Theory had a chance to fix this issue with Raj picking one persona.
Of All The Main Characters, The Big Bang Theory Wasted Raj The Most
Raj’s Story Deserves To Be Revisited In The Show’s Forthcoming Followup
Once he overcame his fear of speaking to women, Raj could have become a smooth-talking, amoral lothario like How I Met Your Mother’s Barney Stinson. Alternatively, he could have been a hopeless romantic who was addicted to falling in love overnight, like the same show’s Ted Mosby. The issue was that The Big Bang Theory never knew what to do with Raj’s love life, resulting in the character becoming simultaneously desperate for affection and a callous player. The Big Bang Theory’s Raj ex reunion drew attention to this obvious contrast but failed to solve it in any meaningful way.
Raj refused to take these critiques seriously, relied on Howard to debunk them, and ended up concluding that he didn’t need to change.
In season 10, episode 14, “The Emotion Detection Automation,” Raj assembled all of his ex-girlfriends to learn why he was still single. Emily, Lucy, Emily, and Claire proceeded to tell him that he was needy, vain, and overly invested in the approval of his parents. They noted how uncomfortable and manipulative the meeting itself was, implying that this sort of behavior led to Raj’s persistent singlehood. However, Raj refused to take these critiques seriously, relied on Howard to debunk them, and ended up concluding that he didn’t need to change. This was his character arc’s worst wasted opportunity.
The Big Bang Theory’s focus on Sheldon, Leonard, and Penny meant that the series continued to use Raj's failing love life as a punchline.
In “The Santa Simulation,” Raj is surprised to learn that he guilelessly hurt a woman, and he responds by trying to make amends. Not only does he succeed, but the show implies that he might learn something from the encounter. Instead, The Big Bang Theory’s focus on Sheldon, Leonard, and Penny meant that the series continued to use his failing love life as a punchline without ever improving his romantic prospects. As a result, Raj himself remained immature no matter how many times he learned the same lesson from his friends and girlfriends alike throughout The Big Bang Theory.
The Big Bang Theory is available to stream on Max.
