The Big Bang Theory Scenes That Upset Fans The Most – Looper

Just about every character on “The Big Bang Theory” has some inherent desire to please their troublesome parents. Leonard’s obsequious tendencies come from his strange upbringing, Raj struggles with his parents’ expectations, and Howard, well, for most of the series, he’s still at his mother’s beck and call. Penny, who left Nebraska behind for sunny Los Angeles, is no stranger to parental expectations, either. Although she and Leonard broke up the previous season, the Season 4 episode “The Boyfriend Complexity” sees her rope the young scientist into a fake dating scandal to appease her dad.

When asked to name their most cringeworthy episode, Reddit user u/1000furiousbunnies mentioned “The Boyfriend Complexity,” elaborating, “I hate how [Leonard] treats [Penny] in the episode, it’s so gross.” While there’s no denying that the whole operation is Penny’s idea, Leonard leans a bit too heavily into them being a couple again, pushing just about every boundary along the way. Of course, Sheldon is also roped into the lie (though he doesn’t know they’re still broken up), which compels him to amend the Roommate Agreement for nothing.

On YouTube, user Suburban Timewaster criticized the episode for failing to explore the strained relationship between Penny and her father, “…instead an episode that could’ve been about Penny became about Leonard and this isn’t the first episode where Penny should’ve been the center focus…” No doubt, this episode wasted an opportunity for some real character growth.