The Big Bang Theory started with Leonard (Johnny Galecki) swooning over Penny (Kaley Cuoco), while his roommate Sheldon (Jim Parsons) did whatever it is that Sheldon does. Over the course of 12 seasons, the core cast expanded to include Howard (Simon Helberg), Raj (Kunal Nayyar), Bernadette (Melissa Rauch), Amy (Mayim Bialik), and even Stuart (Kevin Sussman) in the later seasons. Countless other minor and supporting characters came and went across the show’s long run on CBS. But while many of the secondary and tertiary characters got their time in the spotlight one way or another, The Big Bang Theory missed a massive opportunity with these characters.
None of the show’s four male leads has the healthiest of relationships with their mothers. But, it’s safe to say that Leonard’s relationship with Dr. Beverly Hofstadter (Christine Baranski) is the most fractured and complicated. Baranski is one of the show’s most beloved guest stars, and Beverly’s scenes with Leonard always unveil more fractured foundations in their relationship, opening a window into Leonard’s childhood. But, there was the potential for the exploration of Leonard’s character to be so much better. It’s just a shame The Big Bang Theory forgot about his siblings.
As the seasons progressed and audiences became more comfortable with the core cast, The Big Bang Theory began introducing their extended families. We got to meet Sheldon’s sister, Missy (Courtney Henggeler), and his brother, Georgie (Jerry O’Connell). Penny’s drug-cooking brother, Randall (Jack McBrayer), is introduced in the later seasons, and we even get to meet Howard’s brother, whom he didn’t even know he had. Given that Leonard is one of, if not the main character of the show, then why were his siblings left behind?
Within the show, it is confirmed that Leonard has two siblings. His older brother, Michael, is a tenured law professor at Harvard, while his sister is a medical researcher working on the cure for diabetes. Although his sister isn’t even named in the show, creating one of the biggest mysteries among the fanbase. Given how fracturous and, as a result, hilarious, Leonard’s relationship with his mother is, it feels like a severely wasted opportunity for his siblings not to appear at least once.
Michael is mentioned by name in the show on a handful of occasions, while his older sister is rarely mentioned throughout the 12 seasons. The closest we get to seeing Michael is Leonard reacting to a postcard his wildly successful brother had sent him for New Year’s, leading Leonard and Penny to try and create a list of all of the things they’d done that year. Their list included “still married” and “still employed” — a win is a win.
It makes some sense that we never get to meet Michael and Leonard’s sister in person in the show, as it represents the lack of emotional connection that he feels towards them, stemming from his apathetic childhood. But to see that dynamic actually play out on screen would have been far more interesting. Leonard and Michael meeting on screen would open up countless narrative doors. The pair could have discussed Beverly’s parenting style. Maybe Michael also resented their mother for being cold and clinical, or he took after her, creating a further divide between them.
The vast disparity in their levels of success would also be an interesting dynamic to see in at least one episode. As Leonard states in his murder mystery novel, his inferiority complex isn’t massive; it’s just average-sized. Seeing his relationship with Michael on screen would have been another opportunity to validate the crude double-entendre. Leonard and Penny are constantly feeling insecure about their marriage and careers in the later seasons. Introducing the insanely successful Michael would have provided a new perspective on that dynamic. Perhaps Michael’s own marriage is falling apart, making Leonard and Penny feel better about theirs, or it could have led one of them to have a massive realisation about their relationship, or their careers.
The Big Bang Theory is coming back with a new spin-off, Stuart Fails to Save the Universe. The show puts four of The Big Bang Theory‘s minor characters into the spotlight. But, it’s unlikely that characters as minuscule as Michael or “Leonard’s Sister” will appear in the new series.
