When The Big Bang Theory altered one of its main characters within the first few seasons, this change secretly paved the way for Sheldon’s character growth. When The Big Bang Theory’s cast of characters was first introduced, the hit sitcom’s focus was mainly on Johnny Galecki’s Leonard and Kaley Cuoco’s Penny. Their potential romance was the driving force of the show’s first two seasons, with Cuoco and Galecki’s chemistry keeping viewers hooked to see whether the nerdy Leonard would ever woo his glamorous, carefree neighbor Penny. Once Penny and Leonard got together, Jim Parsons’s breakout character Sheldon took precedence.
By The Big Bang Theory’s finale, the hang-out show no longer even hid the fact that Sheldon was its de facto protagonist. Leonard and Penny were married off earlier, but it was Sheldon’s Nobel Prize acceptance ceremony that dominated the finale’s events. This shift seems radical when a season 1 episode is compared to the show’s finale, but a lot of character reshuffling went on in the intervening seasons. Most notably, one supporting star’s substantial character change early on proved that Sheldon could become the show’s hero. Years earlier, The Big Bang Theory had already redeemed its worst character.
Young Sheldon’s series finale included an episode that shed new light on Sheldon’s internal world, making The Big Bang Theory tragic in the process.
Howard’s Big Bang Theory Change Proved Sheldon Could Also Grow
Howard Went From A Sleaze To A Family Man
Howard paved the way for the finale’s more understanding version of Sheldon.
Although Simon Helberg’s performance was funny, Howard Wolowitz was a genuinely unpleasant character in The Big Bang Theory’s early seasons. In season 1, Howard filmed up Penny’s skirt while, in season 2, he and Raj used a drone to spy on the house where America’s Next Top Model contestants were staying. Even as late as season 4, Penny revealed that Howard gifted her a teddy bear that had a secret webcam inside it, an act that goes far past his usual sleazy harassment and into actual criminality. It is easy to forget this since the show slowly, subtly changed Howard’s character.
Howard was a fully different person by the final season, and this proved Sheldon could also change while maintaining his popularity. In the beginning, Howard was secretly filming Penny, whereas, by the end, he was a committed family man. Although The Big Bang Theory betrayed Penny by giving her less character growth than her co-stars, Howard’s changes were immeasurable once he began dating Bernadette. This made Sheldon’s changing persona plausible, as his flaws were never as pronounced as Howard’s creepy tendencies in the first place. Thus, Howard paved the way for the finale’s more understanding version of Sheldon.
Howard and Sheldon’s Romantic Relationships Improved Their Characters
Their One-Dimensional Old Selves Were Changed By Love
The Big Bang Theory ensured that Amy’s impact on Sheldon’s self-centered worldview was gradual and incremental.
Not only did Howard’s relationship with Bernadette introduce a new star to the series, but it also proved that he could genuinely change. Howard’s sleaziness faded away quickly as he and Bernadette got more serious, with what was once his defining character trait becoming a much milder running gag as early as seasons 6 and 7. In contrast, Sheldon’s obstinacy and his contrary attitude lasted well into his relationship with Amy and even contributed to their temporary breakup. That said, the shift seen in both characters could ultimately be credited to their respective relationships, though their relative speed did differ.
The reasoning behind this might be that Sheldon’s character flaws were funnier than Howard’s creepiness. Howard had other qualities that made him a funny supporting star in the series, whereas Sheldon’s entire role in The Big Bang Theory relied on his frank, rude attitude. Young Sheldon’s best episode even addressed this when the prequel series acknowledged that Sheldon’s abrasive personality was less amusing since it alienated him from his childhood peers. This resulted in the spinoff focusing more on Sheldon’s family, while The Big Bang Theory instead ensured that Amy’s impact on Sheldon’s self-centered worldview was gradual and incremental.
Why Sheldon’s Big Bang Theory Growth Took Longer (And Mattered More)
The Show’s Breakout Character Became Its Protagonist
Although Leonard was The Big Bang Theory’s original hero, Sheldon was so popular that he effectively took over this role in later seasons. This made his character development frustratingly slow in comparison to Howard’s since he wasn’t a supporting star. The show’s entire premise hinged on his unreasonable antics, so Sheldon couldn’t become kind overnight the way that Howard became markedly less creepy a lot faster. Another factor was Raj’s close relationship with Howard. In later seasons, Raj’s womanizing ways allow his character to effectively take over Howard’s role in the show’s earlier seasons, albeit less creepily.
When Howard finally settled down with Bernadette, Raj ensured that The Big Bang Theory still had a single antihero whose desperate, amoral attempts to get laid gained laughs and sympathy from viewers. In contrast, no one could replace Sheldon if he acted more reasonably and made more accommodations for his friends and partner. Sheldon’s wacky way of thinking was unique to him, which explains why he was the subject of the show’s first spinoff. This was one reason that The Big Bang Theory’s Penny character arc was so underwhelming, as her character was already more grounded from the show’s beginning.
The Big Bang Theory Could Have Lasted Longer
The Show Was Set Up For Further Success
The Big Bang Theory could have offered Raj and Penny the same level of growth and focus that Sheldon and Howard received in earlier seasons had the show continued into its thirteenth outing.
Most hang-out sitcoms come with an in-built expiration date. How I Met Your Mother, Friends, and even arguably New Girl were always destined to end once their respective central couples finally got together for good. In contrast, The Big Bang Theory’s handling of Howard and Sheldon’s growth proves the show could have gone on a lot longer since the rest of its heroes underwent much less character development. The Big Bang Theory could have offered Raj and Penny the same level of growth and focus that Sheldon and Howard received in earlier seasons had the show continued into its thirteenth outing.
Although Young Sheldon made The Big Bang Theory better by fleshing out Sheldon’s backstory, the show did so at the expense of its predecessor. Howard’s growth from a legitimately creepy, unpleasant figure into a sweet family man was a surprising, inventive character arc that the show’s entire supporting cast could have received had the series continued. Sheldon’s character growth reaffirmed that the series was able to pull off this sort of long-form storytelling, but the series ended before Raj and Penny could receive the same spotlight. As a result, The Big Bang Theory failed to fulfill its potential.
