Looking for deeper meaning in The Big Bang Theory is difficult because it doesn’t tackle sensitive material. Sure, there are emotional episodes that feature plenty of difficult choices for characters, but at its core, the show is about a group of friends having fun. There’s no reason to look at the series through the same lens as something like Severance or The Last of Us. However, that doesn’t mean The Big Bang Theory doesn’t have controversial moments. In fact, there are whole episodes that are still the subject of debate online despite the show airing its last episode in 2019.
Rather than being offensive, The Big Bang Theory‘s most controversial episodes usually feature one of the main cast doing something out of character or the show dropping the ball on something major. In any case, these episodes are likely to be skipped on a rewatch.
1) Season 5, Episode 7, “The Good Guy Fluctuation“
It takes Leonard a few years to work things out with Penny, so he has a number of girlfriends early in the show. One of the most notable is Priya, Raj’s sister, who always comes to see Leonard when she’s in town. In Season 5, Priya and Leonard are dating, but that doesn’t stop the latter from looking for companionship elsewhere.
Leonard meets a comic book artist named Alice at the comic book store. They hit it off, and Leonard decides to keep the fact that he has a girlfriend to himself. He only comes clean after talking to Penny, which makes Leonard out to be a bit of a jerk.
2) Season 7, Episode 8, “The Itchy Brain Simulation”
Leonard always puts up with Sheldon’s nonsense, so whenever he has an opportunity to get one over on him, he does. However, Leonard bites off more than he can chew in Season 7 when he discovers he never returned a DVD Sheldon rented years earlier. Hurt by the betrayal, Sheldon makes Leonard wear a sweater that makes him itchy, hoping it makes him understand how his brain works.
Throughout the episode, Leonard is slowly losing his mind because he can’t stop scratching himself. Eventually, he confronts Sheldon about why the DVD situation isn’t bothering him more, which is when Sheldon reveals that he paid for the rental years ago. Leonard flips out because he got taken advantage of as part of Sheldon’s most diabolical prank in the show.
3) Season 9, Episode 1, “The Matrimonial Momentum”
After years of never being on the same page, Leonard and Penny finally agree to tie the knot in Season 9’s premiere. They go to Las Vegas and tell all their friends they can watch the ceremony via a livestream. However, things take a turn because Penny can’t get over something Leonard did.
While on a research trip, Leonard kissed a girl on the boat while they were both drunk. The betrayal eats at Penny throughout the event, but they still go through with it. The episode is hard to watch because it turns what should be a happy moment into something negative.
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4) Season 12, Episode 22, “The Maternal Conclusion”
It’s no secret that Raj has trouble connecting with women. At the start of the series, he can’t even talk to them without getting drunk. By the end of the show, though, he’s more confident and ready to take a major step in his life.
During Season 12, Raj is dating Anu, whom he eventually plans to marry. She has to go to London for work, and Raj decides to go there and propose. But Howard doesn’t think his friend is doing the right thing, so he goes to the airport and stops him. While a cute moment between friends, Howard’s actions are pretty selfish at the end of the day.
5) Season 12, Episode 24, “The Stockholm Syndrome”
What makes Howard’s big moment in Season 12, Episode 24 sting even more is that The Big Bang Theory‘s final episode sees Raj end up alone. His friends all have partners, and despite trying to find love for years, he doesn’t get a happy ending.
The finale also gets plenty of flak because it drops the bomb that Penny is pregnant. She and Leonard argue about kids for years, with her being adamant about not wanting to have them. However, the last episode pulls the rug out and reveals that a Hofstadter baby is on the way.
The Big Bang Theory is streaming on HBO Max.
Which The Big Bang Theory episode on this list bothers you the most? Are there any others you think should get a spot? Let us know in the comments below!
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