The Big Bang Theory of Love: A Penny for my thoughts!

          “…and it all started with a Big Bang!” Thus The Big Bang Theory heralds an unusual comic blend of unexciting physics and engineering with a street-smart woman’s passion for men, wine and shopping. Nerdy has long been funny, but nothing beats the eccentric characters of Sheldon, Howard or Raj. Compared with them Leonard seems a more realistic personality! Penny is our typical girl-next-door-from-small-town-but-in-big-city-with-bigger-hopes!

          Everyone who has followed the series will know these and maybe some more details about these characters. Probably some can even recount every dialogue! But if someone were asked “What did you learn from The Big Bang Theory?” what do you think would be the most likely answer?
I can safely hazard a guess that “love” is definitely not at the top of anyone’s mind while answering that question! Most would recall the sexual frivolity and adultery that is replete across the seasons, but few would have thought about the undercurrent of the nascent love in the series. The on-screen pairs Leonard-Penny, Sheldon-Amy and Howard-Bernadette evoke hilarity even while advocating the essence of love and people in love.

          Let’s study the relationship of the lead couple, Leonard-Penny. Penny begins her journey in TBBT as the playgirl who beds any man who she meets on a date. Obviously she has been having some trouble getting into a meaningful relationship as she always ends up falling for the dumb jocks. In one episode Sheldon even calculates the insane number of men that Penny must have slept with since she started dating at the age of 14. But... all that changes after she falls for the geeky Leonard. She becomes a one-man girl who, in-fact, throbs for his return from the Monopolar Expedition to the Arctic Circle. If this kind of a drastic turn-around is not love, then what is? This is not a one-off instance. Even later when Penny and Leonard decide to “remain as friends” we see that she does not date any other man; well, at least she doesn’t bed the men she dates. Though there were some episodes where she transgresses, they actually do not result in the “act” itself. For instance, when she discovers herself naked in bed with Raj she is horrified and deeply regrets the situation; she cringes. She immediately sets about righting the wrong. As we discover later, nothing actually happened between her and Raj. Was this an attempt by the TBBT team to maintain the image of Penny as a pining girl-in-love? I would like to think so!

          Leonard is the quintessential geek who is totally infatuated with Penny from the beginning of the series. His strong feelings for Penny are seen in his frequent outbursts of jealousy and in his frequent compromises to her. Though Penny’s beauty can be attributed to his strong desire for her, we also see in the later episodes that Leonard actually develops the talent of picking up girls naturally. Was this the Penny magic? Though he has physical relationships with a variety of beautiful women like Raj’s sister Priya, Dr. Elizabeth Plimpton, the comic nerd Alicia, etc. still he has a soft corner for Penny. Despite Penny’s initial rejection of his love, he realizes that she still loves him but is not yet ready to accept such a responsibility currently. One incident worth noting here is the scene where Priya, who Leonard was seeing then, asks him to distance himself from Penny as Priya feels threatened by Penny’s beauty. Despite Priya’s repeated requests Leonard is not able to say those words to Penny. These and many such incidents show the strong bonding of love between Leonard and Penny.

The love of The Big Bang Theory’s lead couple is not the kind that is heralded in the usual romantic movies. It is a subtle and constant undercurrent that underscores their every interaction. The hallmark of their relationship is the tolerance and acceptance of their partner for what they really are. Is this not what they call "true love"?