One Ill-Fated Big Bang Theory Romance Even The Show's Creators Hated
The cast and producers of one of the most epic TV shows of all time – The Big Bang Theory – have recently revealed some facts about their characters and storylines that they weren't entirely happy with.
While the show, which ran for more than a decade and ended in 2019, certainly brought us many unconventional twists and turns, it also presented challenges and cringe-worthy moments for the team.
Actors Jim Parsons, Kaley Cuoco, Mayim Bialik, Simon Helberg, Kunal Nayyar and executive producers Chuck Lorre, Lee Aronsohn, Steve Molaro and Steve Holland shared some of those moments with fans in a newly released oral history, The Big Bang Theory: The Definitive, Inside Story of the Epic Hit Series by Jessica Radloff.
One of the scenes the showrunners would like to forget is when Raj (Kunal Nayyar) and Penny (Kaley Cuoco) almost got laid. If you remember back to Season 4, the Indian Ph.D. suffering from selective mutism and Penny found themselves in bed together.
"I really did not like that season finale ending," Molaro says in the book, adding that it was Lorre who suggested the controversial cliffhanger for the season to give the group of friends some kind of momentum.
"I spent the entire hiatus being upset about it… I went upstairs to [Lorre's] office right when we got back to work [on Season 5] and said something like, 'This is really bothering me. I think I have a way that we can… get out of it and preserve the characters as they are.' He said Lorre didn't love it, but he knew it was important enough to give in.
This is how Raj's premature ejaculation came about, says Molaro. Raj and Penny ended up in bed, but nothing really happened between them. Now, the question many fans have about this is, "Does it count as sex?"
The Big Bang Theory fans argue that it could well be, and they discuss it at length in threads on Reddit. Technically, it looks like it does.
One of the commenters argued that if his wife did that to someone, he would divorce her, adding that he was pretty sure most people would do the same. Others admitted to having bad feelings about the incident, even though Raj ejaculated before he even put the condom on. Either way, it certainly counted for good old Raj, although he has to admit it was sex, but in an unconventional way.
TBBT may be over, but the main cast – Kaley Cuoco, Johnny Galecki and Jim Parsons – who made a fortune starring in the show, are still profiting from reruns. It has been reported that they bring in around $10 million a year for each of the trio.