Seven Character-Changing Moments from The Big Bang Theory

One thing I've always found interesting is how easily it is to become emotionally invested in characters on a television series. You know they aren't real, but when that show goes off the air, you still feel as though you've lost friends. I think this is a big part of the reason spin-offs are so popular.

I feel that way about The Big Bang Theory which, with the debut of Stuart Fails to Save the Universe tonight, will have its third spin-off series (though one is technically a spin-off of a prequel) and will emphasize some of the secondary characters that helped make that show great. 

As I think about the original series while debating if I'll watch the new spin-off tonight or tomorrow morning, I find myself contemplating each of the seven main characters and how they all changed at some point during the show, some more than others. While those changes were over the course of the full series, I was able to pinpoint the moments I think had the biggest impact for each of them.

Sheldon (Jim Parsons) loses Amy (Mayim Bialik). The decision to put the quirky genius in a relationship to begin with was a surprising move by the series that paid dividends. However, I think the biggest and best changes to his character happened when she broke up with him. The emotional roller coaster he went through from the time she called it quits to the time she took him back made him change his priorities considerably. Science and his other interests took second to her, as proven by his willingness to risk losing the Nobel Prize if she couldn't share it with him.

Leonard (Johnny Galecki) dates Priya (Aarti Mann). There are conflicting views about Priya, but I think that relationship was good for Leonard. His first attempt at a relationship with Penny (Kaley Cuoco) failed in part because he came off as desperate. His relationship with Priya and the breakup that happens while she is in India helped him realize it was OK to have his own opinions and not just do what his girlfriend (and later, wife) wanted out of fear of losing her.

Howard (Simon Helberg) meeting Bernadette (Melissa Rauch). At the start of the series, Howard was a problematic, creepy pervert who stalked models with a government satellite, tried to have sex with a robotic hand, and probably should have been fired for sexual harassment. After meeting Bernadette and realizing he wanted her to be in his life, he all but dropped that part of his character, though it did still take quite a bit of time for him to stop being childish in general.

Raj (Kunal Nayyar) finally stands up to Howard (Simon Helberg). Yes, I know Raj suddenly gaining the ability to talk to women was a huge character shift too. However, I think his season 11 fight with Howard over the way the latter always put him down and damaged his confidence did a lot more for him by making him be his own person rather than just Howard's sidekick. He even landed a great job at the planetarium as a result of his new-found confidence though, sadly, it didn't help him find the love of his life.

Penny quits the Cheesecake Factory. I will go on record saying one of the most disappointing things about TBBT is Penny not getting her big break as an actress because even Sheldon recognized she had talent. Her decision to quit her job as a waitress/bartender and pursue her dream full-time didn't work as she planned but it did result in both landing a well-paying job and finally appreciating Leonard more than I think she ever appreciated him. Had she remained at the Cheesecake Factory, I'm not so certain they would have ever gotten married.

Bernadette gets her Ph.D. Maybe it's just me, but I think Bernadette pre-doctorate is a different person than Bernadette post-doctorate. When she was still in school and working alongside Penny at the Cheesecake Factory, she was friendly and a bit naive. Once she got her degree and a job at a pharmaceutical company, she gained a lot more confidence but also became kind of mean. Though, to be fair, some of that might have been Howard's doing too.

Amy meets Zack (Brian Thomas Smith). When she was first introduced in the final episode of season 3, Amy was basically a female version of Sheldon, including an aversion to physical intimacy. Within a couple seasons, however, that changed to Sheldon being the only one who had that aversion. While it is hard to really put a finger on that character change, I think Amy's chance encounter with Zack, which lead to her getting unexpected sexual urges, was at least the start of that transformation.

Or maybe it was just the result of her hanging out with Penny.

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