5 The Big Bang Theory Characters Who Deserved Way More Screen Time – SlashFilm

We could obtain a fee on purchases constructed from hyperlinks.

“The Big Bang Theory” led to 2019, and one of many many legacies that the lengthy-working and beloved CBS sitcom created by Chuck Lorre and Invoice Prady left behind is that the sequence was stuffed with extraordinary visitor stars and supporting gamers. A few of them, in actual fact, are set to star in their very own spin-off. The second main “Big Bang Theory” spin-off after the success of “Younger Sheldon” (which forged Iain Armitage as, effectively, a younger model of Jim Parsons’ Sheldon Cooper from the unique sequence), titled “Stuart Fails to Save the Universe,” will function Kevin Sussman, Lauren Lapkus, Brian Posehn, and John Ross Bowie, all of whom performed nice recurring roles on the primary sequence. 

It is nice that these actors — who performed Stuart Bloom, Denise, Bert Kibbler, and Barry Kripke on the unique present, respectively — are returning for extra display screen time. Although we do not know if Parsons, Kaley Cuoco, Johnny Galecki, Kunal Nayyar, Simon Helberg, Melissa Rauch, or Mayim Bialik will make cameos in “Stuart Fails to Save the Universe” as Sheldon, Penny, Leonard Hofstadter, Raj Koothrappali, Howard Wolowitz, Bernadette Rostenkowski-Wolowitz, and Amy Farrah Fowler, it will truly be fairly cool if different supporting characters from “The Big Bang Theory” confirmed up and received to mess around a bit extra on this universe. The 5 characters listed right here have been highlights on “The Big Bang Theory” every time they have been on-display screen, and whether or not they have been written off or just appeared sometimes, they only did not get sufficient play. Listed here are 5 of the perfect “Big Bang Theory” characters who ought to have gotten far more display screen time.

All through “The Big Bang Theory,” Sheldon, Raj, Howard, and Leonard all work collectively as excessive-stage scientists on the California Institute of Expertise in Pasadena — and as physicists and engineers, they beautiful a lot at all times want vital funding for his or her initiatives. That is the place Joshua Malina’s President Siebert is available in; as the distinguished scientific middle’s president, he seems to be accountable for how funding is unfold out amongst the gifted scientists working there. That additionally explains why, relating to cash, Siebert is fairly craven. 

At one level, he drags the blokes to a fundraising occasion solely to find that Sheldon ought to by no means be let unfastened round potential donors (and likewise encourages Leonard to seduce a feminine patron, which is not nice!). Finally, although, Siebert is only a peripheral presence who does stuff like “pressure Sheldon to lastly take a trip so Siebert can have some peace and quiet at work,” although he does acknowledge that Sheldon is an excellent scientist who will help Caltech succeed.

Malina, recognized for “The West Wing” and “Scandal,” is at all times a pleasant presence on-display screen, and although Siebert reveals up with some regularity in “The Big Bang Theory,” it positively would have been good to see extra of him. Together with his dry wit and never-so-secret disdain for Sheldon’s antics, Siebert was a terrific grounding presence, and he deserved some extra fleshed-out plotlines.

Clearly, relating to Penny’s romantic endgame, Leonard is the man for her, and after years of an on-once more, off-once more relationship, the 2 lastly get married in season 9, have one other marriage ceremony in season 10, and expect a child collectively within the sequence finale. So far as Penny’s different boyfriends go, although, probably the most outstanding is Zack Johnson, an affable if dim man performed by Brian Thomas Smith. Penny largely makes use of Zack to make Leonard jealous, however here is the factor about Zack — although he is tall, historically good-looking and masculine, and looks as if the type of man who would have bullied Leonard in highschool, he is truly very nice! Within the fourth season of the present, the gang clothes up because the Justice League for Halloween and enlists Zack to be Superman, since he is the one one with the right physique; not solely does Zack say sure, however he is fairly keen about the entire thing! Once more, he isn’t a genius, however who cares? Zack takes a real curiosity within the guys’ “nerdy” pursuits and is at all times making an attempt to be pleasant and type, whether or not or not he is even with Penny.

Sadly, the writers introduced Zack again late throughout the run of “The Big Bang Theory” for a plotline the place he and his spouse, who’re having bother beginning a household, ask Penny to donate her eggs to them (which incenses Leonard, so Penny finally ends up declining). Not solely is that this plot bizarre, but it surely’s a disservice to Zack, a great character who deserved extra play. Zack ought to have been a semi-common a part of the gang — he was nice!

“The Big Bang Theory” introduced on some phenomenal actors to play the mother and father of the primary forged — Laurie Metcalf, Keith Carradine, and Judd Hirsch all confirmed up at varied factors as Sheldon’s mother, Penny’s dad, and Leonard’s dad, respectively — however with all due respect to these superb of us, getting Christine Baranski to play Leonard’s mother was a big win. Because the imperious and good Dr. Beverly Hofstadter, Baranski brings her appreciable display screen presence to the character, who’s a neuroscientist and psychiatrist who, in a reasonably unethical transfer, spent her son’s childhood mining his experiences for content material. We be taught that Leonard is completely humiliated by his fixed presence in his mom’s books, and sadly for Leonard, Beverly would not actually see the issue with utilizing her son’s precise life to promote books at first; nonetheless, although she has a tough relationship together with her son, she enjoys Sheldon’s firm and even kinds a unusually shut friendship with Penny.

Beverly and Leonard have a touching scene within the twelfth and remaining season of “The Big Bang Theory” the place Leonard lastly explains to his mom why he is damage, and she or he tries to know his perspective. However had that occurred sooner, we may have seen Baranski and Johnny Galecki share the display screen far more and maybe forge forward with their repaired relationship. Baranski was, I can think about, too busy to be on “The Big Bang Theory” too typically, however nonetheless: We wanted extra Beverly!

Leonard by no means dated as a lot as Penny did earlier than the 2 settled down collectively, however one in every of his earliest love pursuits, Leslie Winkle, performed by Sara Gilbert, was a reasonably outstanding supporting character within the present’s early seasons. Leslie, who additionally hooks up with Howard, is a bit on the manipulative facet, however she’s additionally a superb scientist and shrewd lady who’s in all probability Leonard’s equal or, extra realistically, smarter than and superior to Leonard. Sadly, each Leslie and Gilbert left the sequence after season 3 of “The Big Bang Theory,” and in Jessica Radloff’s 2022 ebook “The Big Bang Theory: The Definitive, Inside Story of the Epic Hit Series,” we realized why.

“We needed love pursuits for Leonard and have been simply in search of tales,” govt producer and author Steve Molaro instructed Radloff earlier than acknowledging that it additionally helped to have a feminine scientist within the room — and noting that each Chuck Lorre and Johnny Galecki had beforehand labored with Gilbert on “Roseanne.” Nonetheless, as Molaro acknowledged, Leslie’s days have been numbered proper from the start. “However we have been by no means in search of a everlasting, eternal relationship for Leonard as a result of we at all times thought he would date Penny on and off,” he defined. “We weren’t seeking to discover a everlasting girlfriend for him. We have been including characters and seeing what labored and what was resulting in enjoyable tales.”

This is smart, however I nonetheless can not help however really feel like Gilbert and Leslie received shafted just a little bit right here; simply because she and Leonard aren’t courting does not imply Leslie wants to fade from CalTech fully! When Amy Farrah Fowler joins the sequence on the finish of season 3, she fills the void Leslie leaves behind of a whip-sensible feminine scientist, however Leslie ought to have caught round … as a result of she was actually imply to Leonard numerous the time, and I type of liked that.

Poor Janine Davis. The human sources supervisor at CalTech, performed by Regina King, has her work reduce out for her, particularly the place Sheldon Cooper is anxious; although Sheldon would not essentially imply to be offensive to ladies and different staff, he results in scorching water for a wide range of offensives, together with telling a feminine subordinate that ladies are like egg salad unnoticed on a scorching Texas day (“filled with eggs and solely interesting for a short while”). Janine is consistently compelled to step in and attempt to clarify to Sheldon why saying one thing like that’s completely unacceptable, however just about each time she tries, Sheldon finally ends up digging his grave even deeper. (Whereas being requested to apologize for telling a lady that she’s a “slave” to her sexual needs, Sheldon makes a slave joke about Janine, a Black lady, and it doesn’t go effectively.)

Like Christine Baranski, I have to think about that King, an Oscar and Emmy-successful actress, producer, and director, merely did not have time to play Janine Davis all that always, however that is a disgrace — as a result of she was, on the finish of the day, an exceptional foil for Sheldon and a welcome presence on “The Big Bang Theory” each time she deigned to indicate up. Once more, I am certain the producers would have liked to function King far more, and it was a matter of scheduling, however in any case, Janine positively ought to have gotten extra display screen time by some means.

“The Big Bang Theory” is streaming on HBO Max now.