Every TBBT Character Got a Decent Arc… Except The One Who Needed It The Most
How does it feel to be the only lost one in the group? Let’s ask Raj!
The Big Bang Theory is an ensemble series, so every main character is equally important for the overall narrative. That’s why it was essential for the series that lasted for 12 seasons to show their growth and development.
And almost every character actually got a decent story that helped them become a better version of themselves. But there was one character who failed at almost everything in life and never truly changed for better.
It's not fair to say that Raj Koothrappali's character remained the same throughout the show's run. But in hindsight, all the changes he went through seem like steps back from who he should have become during that time.
When we first meet him, he is unable to be in one room with women, let alone talk to them. After some time, he overcomes his disability, but only to turn into the sleaziest guy who suddenly finds enough confidence to become this cocky macho and even date several girls at the same time. Needless to say, this never made him a better person.
He even had crushes on his best friends' girlfriends! And if the story with Bernadette ended in his dream, the one with Penny got them into bed. Well, nobody should forget the unspoken rule not to hook up with your best friend’s girlfriend, and yet Raj did what he did.
Over the years, Raj never fully stopped being dependent on his father’s money. Despite being an adult, he still used his parents all the way to get things done in life.
We don't know if it was just bad writing and the showrunners not knowing where to go with Raj, or the intention was to make him completely unbearable, but by the end of the show he became this whiny creature who could only blame fate for every failure in his life.
Even Howard, the guy we all hated at the beginning of the show, turned into a really respectable man: he went to space, got married with two kids, got a great job. So when he naturally outgrew their friendship, Raj started accusing him of not caring and putting distance between them.
In fact, we doubt that Raj even loved his friends by the end of the show. Everyone around him was moving on, and only he was standing in the same place, if not bouncing back.