Why did the writers have to pull the plug on such a perfect match?
The Big Bang Theory is a comfort show for many and this was made possible largely due to the relationships the characters had with each other. Whether it was platonic like Kunal Nayyar and Simon Helberg’s Raj and Howard or romantic like Kaley Cuoco and Johnny Galecki’s Penny and Leonard, TBBT sure has given us some iconic duos and even trios in television history.
The one thing that’s missing in the show is Raj’s one true love. While the rest of his friends find love in one another, Kunal Nayyar’s Raj is partner-less at the end of The Big Bang Theory. Sure, he has had a few love interests throughout the show but things didn’t work out for one reason or the other. However, there was one relationship that could’ve worked out perfectly if the writers hadn’t messed it up – Raj and Issabella.
Kunal Nayyar’s Raj Had a Chance at Love in The Big Bang Theory
Played by Kunal Nayyar, Raj was one of the most relatable characters in The Big Bang Theory, especially to people who were extreme introverts when it came to having any kind of game. He would have to drown himself in alcohol just to speak to a woman. Thanks to this, Raj was able to go on dates and somehow fall into relationships that were usually short-lived.
Eventually, Raj got over his phobia of women and was as charming as ever. Despite this, he ended up single in the last episode of TBBT. While he had a few romantic interests here and there in the show, no one stuck with him until the end.
However, there was one character in the show that we believe would have been the perfect woman for Raj, if only he didn’t throw it all away.
Played by Maria Canals-Barrera, Issabella was a janitor who worked at the university where Raj worked. The two met each other when Issabella walked into the telescope lab to clean up. They instantly hit it off and viewers could actually see some positive changes in Raj.
Later, when Leonard assumes that Raj’s mystery woman is an astronomer, he doesn’t correct his friend, feeling embarrassed about Issabella’s profession. Ouch.
Despite his heartbreaking lie, Raj sets up a little date for him and Issabella in his office but things go South when Howard walks in and asks if she is the astronomer he is seeing. Needless to say, Issabella was furious and walked out of the date, ending things with him as she didn’t want to be with a man who was ashamed of her.
Perhaps Issabella could have been the one for Raj if the writers hadn’t decided to sacrifice their relationship for a few laughs.
Fans Are Team Issabella All the Way
It has been years since The Brain Bowl Incubation (season 10 episode 8) was released but fans have still not gotten over how things ended with Issabella and Raj.
On a Reddit post talking about their breakup, fans voiced their honest opinions about how Raj messed things up by being ashamed of Issabella’s job as a janitor.
In the discussion, a fan wrote how she could have been one of the best partners Raj would have had on the show and it’s true. Raj and Issabella had the potential to go long-term if only the writers hadn’t intervened in their relationship.
Take a look at some of the things fans have to say about it all:
After the eighth episode, Canals-Barrera doesn’t return to play Issabella ever again and the last we see of Issabella is her walking away from Raj, leaving him single once again.
