The Big Bang Theory is one of the most beloved sitcoms of all time, but the series includes a roaster of pretty obnoxious characters. From the lead character himself, Sheldon Cooper, to other members of the gang, and even recurrent characters, the show takes Flanderization too far. A lot of characters are either bidimensional or blatantly obstructive, and even fans of the series can’t stand them.
Sitcoms often simplify characters to make them funnier, but The Big Bang Theory took this resource too far. At different points in the series, Sheldon is irredeemably selfish, Howard is a pervert, and Stuart is unrealistically pathetic. Of course, the series stays afloat thanks to great characters like Penny or Amy or moments that redeem the characters. However, above all, The Big Bang Theory might be one of the most cartoonish comedy series, and not everyone is into it.
10. Ramona Nowitzki Doesn’t Add Anything Good to the Show
Ramona Nowitzki Is Played by Riki Lindhome
The only good thing about Ramona Nowitzki is that she only appears in a couple of episodes of The Big Bang Theory. She is a Caltech academic who develops a big crush on Sheldon. She tries to micromanage Sheldon, pushing him into his academic work and isolating him from his friends.
The problem with Ramona as a character is that she is not funny, doesn’t advance the plot, and her lack of common sense gets on people’s nerves. Sheldon simply doesn’t need anyone else to boost his ego. However, she doesn’t make it to the top of the list because fans can simply skip her episodes. Additionally, it’s thanks to her romantic advances that Sheldon eventually decides to spend his life with Amy.
9. Raj’s Lack of Common Sense Is Unnerving at Times
Raj Koothrappali Is Played by Kunal Nayyar
Raj ignites very different feelings in The Big Bang Theory’s audience, but there is no doubt he has very bad moments. Raj can be adorable, funny, and charming, earning a great fandom. However, he has episodes where he is entitled, misogynistic, and self-centered, and fans can’t help but dislike those Raj moments.
For example, in “The Griffin Equivalency,” Raj is published in People Magazine, and fame goes to his head. He becomes arrogant and dismissive, even assuming that Penny has sexual feelings for him. At some point, he also had a reunion with all his ex-girlfriends to ask them how he could become a better boyfriend, which was pretty insensitive. Writers also made Raj worse and worse as the show progressed, turning him into an insecure and toxic boyfriend. His desperation in the last seasons is problematic and makes him a pretty annoying character.
8. Lucy Never Makes Up Her Mind About Raj
Lucy Is Played by Kate Micucci
In Season 6 of The Big Bang Theory, it seems that Raj finds the perfect romantic partner. Lucy, played by comedy actress Kate Micucci, is a quirky girl that Raj meets in the comic store during Valentine’s Day. Much like Raj, Lucy has social anxiety, so the two understand the challenges of meeting new people, talking face-to-face, and getting out of their comfort zone. The problem is that eventually, Lucy’s indecisiveness becomes obnoxious.
Lucy keeps bailing on Raj on their dates, she refuses to meet the rest of the gang, and breaks up with Raj via text message. What’s worse, it doesn’t take her much to get herself into another romantic relationship. She later wants to try again with Raj, but he’s already dating Emily, and Lucy isn’t comfortable with Raj dating two women. Honestly, Lucy as a character is pretty pointless.
7. Barry Kripke Is Too Unpalatable for the Fandom
Barry Kripke Is Played by John Ross Bowie
Barry Kripke is a recurrent character in The Big Bang Theory who appears in at least one episode per season except for the first one. Barry is particularly recognizable for the way he pronounces “r,” usually replacing it with the sound of a “w.” The problem with Barry, however, is that he is petty, arrogant, childish, and disrespectful.
The plots with Barry usually involve an ego fight with Sheldon or Barry being obnoxious to all the other characters. He never grows up or redeems himself. He often makes inappropriate jokes about strippers, which is really disgusting. Barry is a constant comic relief, but most viewers don’t find him funny or appealing in any way. He just comes around to the show every few episodes to shake things up in an absurd manner.
6. 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.
5. 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.
4. 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.
3. 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.
2. 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.
1. 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.
Sheldon’s stubbornness gets tiresome with time. Most of the series’ plots involve Sheldon refusing to accept change, people, and his own flaws. It’s hard to understand why he even has friends since he’s constantly insulting them. He is even mean to his own girlfriend, Amy. People usually forgive him, but even today, there are people who refuse to watch TBBT because of Sheldon’s character.
