One Frankly Repulsive TBBT Episode Kaley Cuoco Absolutely Hated
The Big Bang Theory aired its final episode in May of 2019, but it’s likely to live on in syndication for a long, long time. At 279 episodes, the show holds the record for longest-running multi-camera sitcom in TV history. Of course, not all of those episodes can be comedy gold.
In Jessica Radloff's new book, The Big Bang Theory: The Definitive, Inside Story of the Epic Hit Series, the creatives and cast behind TBBT gave us the inside scoop on their favorite moments from the show… along with their least favorite. Kaley Cuoco, who played literal girl-next-door Penny, had some strong words about a season 7 episode titled The Friendship Turbulence. In the episode, Penny has to don an embarrassing costume on the set of a low-budget horror. But Cuoco didn't enjoy the experience any more than her character did.
Let's back up a bit for some context. In the season 7 opener, The Hofstadter Insufficiency, Penny confesses to Sheldon that shortly after moving to Los Angeles, she had shot a low-budget horror movie titled Serial Ape-ist. In the movie, Penny played a sorority girl who was killed in the shower by a murderous, horny gorilla. Penny confesses this to Sheldon only because the movie was terrible and never released… but of course, she underestimates what the guys are able to find on the internet.
Later in season 7, Penny agrees to film a Serial Ape-ist sequel, called, Serial Ape-ist 2: Monkey See, Monkey Kill. Penny is struggling financially, so she takes the part against her better judgement. In the sequel, a mad scientist (Wil Wheaton) tries to revive Penny's sorority girl character by cloning her DNA. Somehow, the DNA is mixed with that of the killer gorilla, so the girl is revived as a human-gorilla hybrid that goes on a murder spree.
Cuoco hated the storyline, particularly because she had to wear repulsive, long gorilla hair all over her body. In the book, she says,
"The worst experience was filming Serial Apeist and getting covered in f–king hair from head to toe," she says. "I was like, 'Really, you guys? This is what's happening?' And Chuck just thought it was so funny. He loved it. I never understood why."
"Chuck" is Chuck Lorre, the creator and Executive Producer of TBBT. Lorre contradicts Cuoco's story of him "loving" the episode, saying:
"I actually don't recall loving it… We wanted Penny to have some small success in her dream of being a successful actor, but it's not my favorite episode."
Cuoco was also disappointed by the show's choice to make Penny happily pregnant at the end of the final season, after she had been firmly established as someone who never wanted kids. But in terms of least favorite TBBT moments, filming Serial Apeist tops her list.