Penny and Leonard are the central couple of The Big Bang Theory — but when do Penny and Leonard get together and what is the Leonard and Penny timeline in terms of their tumultuous relationship? Here is the Penny and Leonard timeline for their TBBT relationship broken down season by season. Arguably, most of the show revolves around their connection. Without Leonard and Penny dating, Penny would never have set Howard up with Bernadette, and Leonard wouldn’t have moved out, allowing Sheldon and Amy to move in. In so many ways, The Big Bang Theory is really the Leonard and Penny theory, and fans loved watching their ups and downs.
Of course, they had more than a few of those ups and downs. Penny often struggled to date someone so different from her usual type, and Leonard struggled to be able to even ask Penny out. The couple broke up and got back together a few times throughout The Big Bang Theory seasons, and faced numerous challenges from career changes to exes showing up out of the blue. Both of them had insecurities about dating the other, with Penny not quite feeling smart enough for Leonard and Leonard not feeling masculine enough for Penny. However, in the end, this is how the Penny and Leonard timeline played out.
1. What Happened To Penny And Leonard In Season One
The First Season Of The Big Bang Theory Built Up To Their First Date
The “will they-won’t they” arc for Leonard and Penny took a few big leaps in season 1, from the moment they first met to their first date in The Big Bang Theory season finale. For most of the season, Leonard was pining after Penny, and she was dating a string of very tall, attractive men.
Sheldon often reiterated how he thought his roommate had no chance of wooing their neighbor, and Leonard tried to perform various feats to impress her, such as getting her TV back from her ex-boyfriend. While The Big Bang Theory season 1 mainly served to set up the main friend group, a bulk of the story was devoted to Leonard’s unrequited crush on Penny.
However, Penny and Leonard did have a first kiss of sorts after Penny’s Halloween party in The Big Bang Theory season 1, episode 6, “The Middle Earth Paradigm,” when she came to Leonard’s apartment to complain about never dating decent guys. The two played cat and mouse for the rest of TBBT season 1, with Penny bringing home various suitors even after their kiss. Finally, by the end of The Big Bang Theory season 1, when Leonard finally had the courage to ask her out, she said yes in the season finale.
2. What Happened To Penny And Leonard In Season Two
The Second Season Of The Big Bang Theory Had Penny And Leonard Dating Other People But Growing Closer
After their first date at the end of The Big Bang Theory season 1, Penny and Leonard don’t have a second date, and go back to being friends. This is in part because they just weren’t sure, and in part because Leonard put his foot in it when he found out that Penny was concerned about not being ‘smart enough’ for him. Over the course of the season, they both date other people. The Big Bang Theory season 2 saw Leonard and Leslie Winkle’s relationship arc after Leonard got upset when Penny quickly began seeing someone else.
Leonard also dated Stephanie, much to Howard’s chagrin, in The Big Bang Theory season 2. However, Howard managed to get back at Leonard by going out with Leslie — until she dumped him. All in all, in terms of the Penny and Leonard timeline, season 2 made it seem like the pair would never start dating again. Thankfully, by the end of The Big Bang Theory season 2, when Leonard leaves to work at the North Pole, Penny realizes just how much she will miss him, and that she may still have feelings for him.
3. What Happened To Penny And Leonard In Season Three
Penny And Leonard Were Dating In The Third Season Of The Big Bang Theory And Then Breaking Up Again
Many fans wonder when do Leonard and Penny get back together, and the on-again/off-again nature of their relationship really began in the third season. The Big Bang Theory season 3 saw Penny and Leonard date and break up again. After Leonard gets back from the North Pole, Penny realized that she wants to be with him, and the two get together. For most of the season, they actually manage a happy and stable relationship and even set Howard and Bernadette up along the way, but it’s too good to last.
In The Big Bang Theory season 3, episode 19, “The Wheaton Recurrence,” Leonard tells Penny that he loves her, and she replies ‘thank you’. Penny felt overwhelmed by Leonard’s declaration of love, not necessarily on the same page as he was emotionally. This hurt Leonard’s feelings and pride, and Penny and Leonard break up shortly after the incident. It’s the death knell of many a small-screen relationship, and the first time the pair had been properly dating in the Penny and Leonard timeline to a close — at least, for now.
4. What Happened To Penny And Leonard In Season Four
The Fourth Season Of The Big Bang Theory Had Penny Dating Zack While Leonard Dated Priya
In The Big Bang Theory season 4, not a whole lot happens between Penny and Leonard, and mainly sees the two attempt to be friendly and navigate their post-breakup relationship. They are still broken up and seem to have found a happy medium as friends. At various points, they are dating other people. Penny is with Zack and, in a huge twist, sleeps with Raj in The Big Bang Theory season 4, episode 24, “The Roommate Transmogrification.” Additionally, Leonard and Raj’s sister Priya start a serious relationship.
However, the tension between Priya and Penny is palpable. This causes Leonard to spend less time with his friends and more time with Priya. The Big Bang Theory season 4 set its sights more on Howard and Bernadette and Sheldon’s budding romance with Amy. However, for Penny and Leonard fans, there is a brief period where Penny’s father is visiting, and Penny asks Leonard to convince her dad that they are still together in The Big Bang Theory season 4, episode 9, but it’s only an episode-long ruse and the pair are mostly at each other’s throats the whole time.
The Big Bang Theory: Leonard & Penny’s Relationship Timeline, Season By Season (p2)
The Big Bang Theory: Leonard and Penny’s Relationship Timeline, Season By Season (final part)
