The Big Bang Theory made a star of Kaley Cuoco, but creator Chuck Lorre has admitted that the early seasons of the show did not do her character of Penny justice. Cuoco was brought in as the only main female character to appear in the first three seasons, and as such her character was not seen as anything other than a ditzy blonde who was the subject of some jokes that have since been seen as problematic by current Hollywood standards. Using Penny in such a stereotypical way is something that Lorre now says he regrets.

The Big Bang Theory was a huge hit across its 12 seasons. In a new book about the series, The Big Bang Theory: The Definitive, Inside Story of the Epic Hit Series, Lorre is one of those who shares their thoughts and feelings on the show. Cuoco has already previously talked about how Penny was incredibly sexualized and under-appreciated over the first years of the series, and this is something that Lorre definitely seems to agree with.

“One of the most underwritten characters in the show early on was Penny. It was really obvious immediately that we hadn’t developed the character beyond the pretty girl next door, and Kaley was certainly capable of doing a great deal more than what was asked of her. We had to make the character more fully realized. Not just for an episode, but always. [Over time] Penny had an intelligence about people, about relationships, and about sussing out a situation and understanding the dynamics of what’s going on in a room.”

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Did The Big Bang Theory Completely Fail Penny?

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Although later seasons of The Big Bang Theory saw Kaley Cuoco given a deeper role, there are many who still believe that by the time the series came to and, Penny’s character has been failed by the writers. In the book, Kuoco commented on Penny’s pregnancy in the show, and how she believed it went completely against the character’s decision to not have children. Kuoco commented:

“I actually wished that they did not [make Penny pregnant], because I loved that message [of Penny not wanting kids] so much. It was cute how the writers did it at the end with Penny’s surprise pregnancy, and all in all I’m glad, but I was actually voting for her not to [get pregnant].”

Although the ending of many series come with disappointments and certain things that fans don’t agree with, The Big Bang Theory didn’t completely blow its ending, but when it comes to Penny and Leonard’s story, it was almost as though the series spent too many seasons meandering around their relationship and then didn’t have enough time to fully develop and explore where it could have gone. While the show only ended in 2019, and talk of a revival has already been discussed, it may be that Penny’s pregnancy story arc never gets a conclusion that satisfies everyone.