Even TBBT Creators Regretted S4 Problematic Cliffhanger. Thankfully, They Fixed It
The original plan had to be changed.
Summary
- The Big Bang Theory has at least one storyline that didn't sit well with the majority of viewers.
- This arc served as the anticlimactic cliffhanger of Season 4, driving fans mad for months.
- Luckily, the creators eventually acknowledged their misstep and devised a solution to untangle the narrative web.
The Big Bang Theory has always been a comedy first, filled with unparalleled nerd-centric humor and sight gags. But during its 12-season run, the Pasadena gang experienced many sentimental, touching and even heartbreaking moments. There were even some shocking plot twists that sent the show's massive fan base into a frenzy.
One of those mind-boggling scenes came in the final minutes of the Season 4 finale, The Roommate Transmogrification, and became the reason for thousands of viewers to take to social media with cries of disagreement.
Controversial Cliffhanger
If you're wondering what exactly upset so many fans, let us remind you. In Season 4, Leonard and Penny are broken up and Leonard starts dating Priya, who turns out to be a pretty toxic partner. Leonard momentarily moves in with Priya, and Raj becomes Sheldon's roommate.
After a neighborly dinner, Penny and Raj get drunk and, with Raj's selective mutism cured, start talking. The heart-to-heart, during which Penny confesses that she misses Leonard, turns into perhaps the most questionable scene in the entire series.
The next morning, Penny and Raj wake up in the same bed, completely naked. Caught by others in a compromising situation, Penny mumbles, 'It's not what it looks like,' and exits the apartment, leaving both characters and viewers in a state of confusion and frustration for several long months.
Fixing the Mistake
According to Jessica Radloff's book The Big Bang Theory: The Definitive, Inside Story of the Epic Hit Series, the idea for the cliffhanger came from Chuck Lorre himself. The goal was to shake things up for the Pasadena gang, but it left a sour taste for both fans and the show's writers.
Putting Penny and Raj in the same bed felt like a stretch for both characters, straying too far from their established personas and damaging the potential for Penny and Leonard's relationship. Head writer Steven Molaro echoed the fans' sentiments, admitting that he went on hiatus with a heavy heart and wasted no time in addressing the issue with Lorre as soon as the opportunity arose.
'I really did not like that season finale ending,' Molaro said (via TVLine). '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."'
Initially, Lorre was reluctant to shift his original plan, which apparently was to further explore the unlikely pairing. However, he eventually realized how important it was for Molaro and relented. In fact, it was Lorre himself who devised a clever resolution to the uncomfortable situation.
In the Season 5 premiere, it is unveiled that the actual intimacy between Raj and Penny never happened due to Raj experiencing premature ejaculation. This heaven-sent revelation saved Penny from too much embarrassment and ensured minimal disruption to the core group dynamic.
What a welcome relief for the Pasadena crew, Molaro, and avid fans of The Big Bang Theory!
Source: TVLine.