Howard & Bernadette’s The Big Bang Theory relationship broke sitcom rules and was better for it

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Howard & Bernadette’s The Big Bang Theory relationship broke sitcom rules and was better for it

While The Big Bang Theory Often following the sitcom playbook, the show’s Howard and Bernadette relationship offered a clever subversion of one tired trope. in many ways, The Big Bang TheoryThe cast of characters is not that different from most sitcom lineups. They may have shared nerdy interests, but Leonard, Penny, Sheldon, Amy, Bernadette, Howard and Raj have a lot in common with the main characters of How I Met Your Mother, FriendsAnd New girl. There was always one male character, the happily married couple with children, and the main couple who constantly got together and broke up repeatedly.

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by The Big Bang Theorys finale, the show followed many of the same formulas that made the spin-off shows successful. The popular but blatantly flawed breakout character, Sheldon, became a hamlier, more palatable version of himself, much like Schmidt and Barney Stinson. However, not all The Big Bang Theorys relationships were so predictable. One couple managed to bake a sitcom set with their frank conversations about kids. Surprisingly, it was The Big Bang Theorys most different stable pairing that starred in this storyline. Howard and Bernadette’s courtship was traditional, but their marriage strayed far from sitcom norms.

Howard admitted his love interest is eager for children

In most sitcoms, the male partner continued to work after the couple had children, while the female partner became a homemaker. Some more progressive shows depicted both parents working, but the female partner almost always wanted children and was happy to do the lion’s share of domestic work. As surprising as it sounds, The Big Bang Theory The sitcom subverted gender norms when Bernadette and Howard discussed children And Howard learned that Bernadette didn’t fit the bill. In their first serious talk about kids in season 5, episode 12, “The Shiny Trinket Maneuver,” Bernadette reveals that she can’t stand children.

Howard’s love interest softened on the idea of ​​children as time passed, and the couple eventually became parents. But, where The Big Bang TheoryAs Sheldon fixed his self-centered character flaws as the show went on, Bernadette’s investment in herself was not portrayed as a fault. She remained adamant that she did not want to have children unless Howard intended to quit his job and become a homemaker, as she refused to give up career opportunities that he did not have to sacrifice. It was an atypical bold stance for the sitcom character and one that was a welcome change from sitcom norms.

Bernadette told Howard he could be a stay at home parent

Bernadette goes against the standard setup seen in traditional family sitcoms When she told Howard he could quit his job and become a stay at home dad if he wanted kids that bad. Since Howard was primarily motivated by a vague fantasy of family life and his mother’s desire for grandchildren, he never considered the prospect. While The Big Bang Theory Aside from some supporting characters, Bernadette’s defiant mind proves the show’s character writing can be sharp and perceptive. Bernadette was not a character who would give up her ambitions for others.

This forced Howard to question why he wanted children, resulting in the couple’s eventual pregnancy feeling justified in narrative terms. The Big Bang Theory was more thoughtful than many sitcoms when it came to the subject of children, portraying the decision to have kids as one that required time, consideration and emotional legwork. Howard and Bernadette’s journey to parenthood was more involved than many sitcom romances, where children are viewed as an inevitable after-marriage. admit, The Big Bang Theory Wasted Penny’s potentially daring decision not to have children when the finale found her unexpectedly pregnant.

The Big Bang Theory’s Howard and Bernadette arc highlighted real issues

The couple struggled to manage childcare and work demands

However, Howard and Bernadette’s relationship made up for the show’s shortcomings when it came to Penny and Leonard’s sudden about-face. In season 11, episode 17, “The Athenaeum Allocation,” neither Howard nor Bernadette are happy to give up work or to give up staying at home with their children. Howard and Bernadette’s parents highlighted the very real problem of parents balancing time with their children and their earning potentialSomething that has become more prevalent in recent decades. As social norms have shifted, the prospect of stay-at-home fathers, breadwinning mothers and split domestic work has become more common and accepted.

Howard and Bernadette shared an atypically religious setup.

While Young Sheldon‘s Georgie and Mandy spinoff is set to focus on a couple from the more traditional cultural landscape of the ’90s, The Big Bang Theory Reflects more recent social changes in Howard and Bernadette’s parents. The couple ended “The Athenaeum Allocation” in an impasse, accepting that they both wanted more time with their children but also wished they could keep their careers afloat. In a television sub-genre where single-income households remain strikingly common, this was a relatable, realistic story that pushed back against sitcom norms. For many real-life parents, Howard and Bernadette shared an atypically religious setup.

Howard and Bernadette’s relationship made the Big Bang Theory finale worse

Leonard and Penny’s parenting journey remains a mystery

Unfortunately, not all of the show’s relationship choices are as cannily handled as this underrated one The Big Bang Theory Moment. Although Leonard and Penny’s relationship was the original focus of the show, the couple’s choices around parenting were poorly handled. By revealing that Penny was pregnant in the finale, The Big Bang Theory Left viewers without the chance to see how Leonard and Penny handled the same issues that Bernadette and Howard faced seasons before. To make matters worse, this twist also undermined a major element of Penny’s characterization. Until the finale, Penny was clear about not wanting children.

It’s rare to see a happily married sitcom couple actively choose not to have children.

As mentioned by Vultureby Kathryn VanArendonk, The Big Bang TheoryPenny was benevolent in her choice not to become a mother. She endured teasing from Leonard, confusion from her parents, and hurtful jokes from Amy and Bernadette but remained steadfast in her convictions. It’s rare to see a happily married sitcom couple actively choose not to have children, so this was a welcome subversion of expectations. However, the show’s finale derailed this intriguing story with a twist that was predictable and simultaneously lacked foreshadowing. The Big Bang Theory Revealing Penny’s pregnancy felt inevitable, but wasn’t too rooted in an on-screen change of heart.

Source: Vulture

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