While The Big Bang Theory’s Howard spent years hanging around with Raj after marrying Bernadette, I finally found the exact moment when this pattern shifted. By The Big Bang Theory’s ending, all the show’s main characters had undergone pretty substantial character development. Sheldon was finally able to admit that he relied on his friends and family and he couldn’t have succeeded without them, Leonard and Penny were happily married, and even Raj had matured a lot throughout the course of the series.
There was one member of The Big Bang Theory’s cast of characters whose transformation stood out to me. I was struck by Howard’s change from a sleazy wannabe womanizer into a genuinely sweet, caring husband and family man. Re-watching early episodes of The Big Bang Theory, I couldn’t believe how much Simon Helberg’s character changed and how the sitcom managed to make this drastic shift feel relatively seamless. As a result, I did some digging and mangled to uncover the exact moment that Howard’s character changed for the better.
Howard Promises To Prioritize Bernadette In The Big Bang Theory Season 7 Episode 5
“The Workplace Proximity” Centers On A Fight Between The Couple
In season 7, episode 5, “The Workplace Proximity,” Howard makes the mistake of telling Sheldon that he could never work with Bernadette, since this would leave him with no time away from her. Bernadette thinks this means that he is bored by her and their relationship, and she is understandably upset. This results in a fight that mirrors many of their earlier conflicts. Howard stays with Raj until Bernadette cools off, prompting her to eventually make amends by apologizing to him. For his part, Howard promises he will start prioritizing Bernadette in “The Workplace Proximity.”
This claim is immediately undermined when Howard says that he first needs to finish the video game he is playing with Raj, and Bernadette ends the episode angry at him. However, while the original conflict might remain unresolved, I was surprised to discover that Howard never went back on his word. In the following seasons, Howard began to spend less screen time hanging around with Raj and more time focusing on his wife. While The Big Bang Theory’s return could change this, from what I can see, Howard’s promises from “The Workplace Proximity” actually were genuine.
The Big Bang Theory Followed Through On Howard’s Promise
Subsequent Seasons Paired Howard And Bernadette Over Howard And Raj
Although Howard and Raj’s shared storylines remained a presence in The Big Bang Theory until the show’s finale, the pair’s screen time diminished as Bernadette and Howard’s priorities shifted. Bernadette’s pregnancy and the birth of their daughter aided this shift, as these two plots became the focus of Howard and Bernadette’s stories in The Big Bang Theory seasons 9 and 10 respectively. The Big Bang Theory phased out Raj and Howard’s stories to focus on Howard’s family with Bernadette, meaning his seemingly empty promise from “The Workplace Proximity” was actually sincere.
I’m not sure whether Howard meant it when he told Bernadette that he wanted to spend more time with her but, by having a child together, the couple ensured that they became each other’s top priority. Not all The Big Bang Theory’s storylines were resolved properly, but I was surprised by how well this promise played on a re-watch. In the original episode, it is just a setup for the revelation that, while Howard says he wants to prioritize his wife, he can’t even abandon a video game for her.
Why Howard Still Spent So Much Time With Raj After Marrying Bernadette
The Big Bang Theory Never Knew What To Do With Raj’s Solo Stories
However, upon re-watching, Howard’s comment took on a new weight in my eyes. The promise ended up reshaping his story as the series continued, with later seasons of The Big Bang Theory centering on his role as a parent and husband over his friendship with Raj. This made me wonder why Raj and Howard’s friendship got so much screen time in seasons 5-7, since Bernadette and Howard were already not only dating but married at that stage. There is an expiation for this, although it is not altogether satisfying.
Raj became something of an afterthought after the three main couples paired off and left him behind.
Viewers got two more seasons of the dynamic duo, even though Howard and Bernadette got married back in season 5, because The Big Bang Theory needed time to work out how Raj’s solo stories would work. While The Big Bang Theory’s upcoming spinoff may change this, one of the original show’s greatest shortcomings was the sidelining of Raj’s story. Raj became something of an afterthought after the three main couples paired off and left him behind.
Thus, viewers got stories like Raj getting his ex-girlfriends together and asking them why they left him, only for Howard to insist that their criticisms were invalid and tell Raj not to change. Raj’s stories were filled with this sort of frustrating stagnancy, so I can see why the show’s creators took a few years to un-tether him from Howard. Sadly, while this greatly improved Howard’s The Big Bang Theory character arc, I can’t say the same for Raj’s role in the hit sitcom.
