Reddit Crowns The Big Bang Theory's Best Mom
Some of the best moments in The Big Bang Theory often occurred when meeting the character's extended family.
Their parents became so prominent in the lives of the group, they practically became main characters themselves at times. For fans of the series, this led to the important question of who is the overall 'favorite mother' of the show.
A Reddit thread has now answered that very question with a poll ranking all of the main TBBT mothers from best to worst. And it seems, Sheldon's mother Mary Cooper is the user's favorite by far.
Redditors in the r/bigbangcommunity were the first to respond to the poll, listing the mothers of Sheldon (Mary Cooper), Leonard (Dr Beverly Hofstader), Raj (Mrs Koothrappali), and Howard (Mrs Wolowitz).
Mary Cooper ranked highly in the lead with 136 votes, followed by Mrs Wolowitz with 67 and then closely by Dr Hofstader with 43 votes, leaving Mrs Koothrappali trailing far behind in last place with only 10 votes. Users continue to show more support for the TV moms in the thread's comments. Especially for Mary Cooper and Laurie Metcalf who portrays her in the show.
It's not overly surprising why fans have ranked the show's favorite mothers in such an order. Starting from the bottom, Mrs Koothrappali was often only depicted on a webcam and never appeared again after her divorce from Raj's father in the show. Little else is known about her, she is often shows a disinterest in Raj's life and achievements. Her only wish for Raj is for him to marry someone she approves of and frequently pesters him about providing her with grandchildren. It's not difficult to understand why she scored so low with fans of the show.
Some comments in the Reddit thread show a strong dislike of Leonard's mother Beverly also. However, she appeared most consistently on the show of the four, and although her relationship with Leonard was often strained, she connected with Sheldon very well (to Leonard's dismay). Redditors expressed their disapproval of Beverly's parenting approach as a mother and psychiatrist who often studied her son for research. Fortunately, by the end of the series run, the mother and son took the first step in repairing their relationship together.
Conversely, Howard's mom Mrs Wolowitz was very close to her son. Although never seen physically on screen, she was a prominent part of the early seasons of the show. Howard was very much a 'mama's boy' until her character's death and exit from the series. Carol Ann Susi who voiced Mrs Wolowitz unfortunately also passed away in 2014.
Sheldon may have found his mother Mary insufferable at times (as she also felt about him), but their connection was clearly a strong one. Although they didn't always see eye to eye (being a devout Christian), she always had his best interests at heart, while giving him the space he needed and encouragement to live his own life. Clearly according to Reddit, Sheldon's mom is the very best.