Now that the women are firmly in place on CBS's The Big Bang Theory, it's time to take a look at the new chemistry combinations. For years, Penny (Kaley Cuoco) has been the only female among the four lead guys. But last spring, two others were tested, and they were liked so well that by this winter they were added to the main cast. Bernadette (Melissa Rauch) is a smart scientist who happens to be Penny's co-worker, and a love interest for Howard (Simon Helberg). Amy Farrah Fowler (Mayim Bialik) is proving that a female version of Sheldon (Jim Parsons) can be just as good as the original. I'm not saying that the guys have gotten stale, but adding the girls ensures plenty of fresh material to mine for years to come.
The situation reminds me of when Alvin and the Chipmunks added the Chipettes. There were female counterparts for each of the three main characters. Similarly, Bernadette is like Howard, Amy is like Sheldon, and Penny goes with, even though she's not that much like, Leonard (Johnny Galecki). Which leaves only poor Raj (Kunal Nayyar) out in the cold. Though, it could be argued that Raj's sister, Priya (Aarti Mann), who does not star on the series, but is currently doing an arc, is his counterpart. But Priya is here as a love interest for Leonard, shaking things up with Penny, so no matter which way you look at it, Raj is still left out.
Which is all right. It would be hard to add yet another new full-time character so soon. The new women are just getting settled in. Eventually, someone may come along for Raj, but I'm not in a hurry, as I actually like watching Raj play the odd one out. After so long of Leonard being the oddball for actually dating, while the other guys stuck to their boys' club, it's fun to see the dynamics totally shift as three of them move on, and Raj is left behind. Plus, before Raj can even entertain a love interest, he has to get over his phobia of speaking to women. I am hoping that his constant exposure to three females will gradually help him. His shyness has been a fun element for awhile, but it's time to move on from it. Then, once he is mostly cured, the series can bring someone in for him.
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