A Wild TBBT Theory: Bernadette Wasn't Poorly Written, She Was a Liar!
She manipulated the gang into thinking she was all sweetness and light.
Summary
- Bernadette seems to be the most oddly developed TBBT character.
- She went from a seemingly nice lady to a grumpy shrew.
- There are several instances where Bernadette lies to get others to like her.
When it comes to character development, The Big Bang Theory isn't the best example. A typical multicam sitcom filmed in front of a live audience, CBS's former flagship comedy was a massive hit during its twelve-season run thanks to the tremendous amount of comic relief it provided to viewers around the world. And much of that hilarity came from the cartoonish ridiculousness of the show's main characters.
In other words, The Big Bang Theory's characters were written to make people laugh rather than to appeal to the audience and resemble real, nuanced human beings. Therefore, it would not be an exaggeration to say that every member of the gang was not well written. And Bernadette seems to be the least developed character on the show.
But if you look at her arc as a whole, it makes a lot of sense, provided that she wasn't what she led us and the other characters to believe.
Don't Judge a Book by Its Cover
When Bernadette first appeared on The Big Bang Theory in Season 3, she was this petite vanilla princess with a cartoonishly high-pitched voice who charmed everyone around her. She seemed sweet and innocent, fitting the classic Disney trope to the point that if she had sung, birds would have flown around her chirping along to her song. She was also incredibly attractive, so it's no surprise that both Howard and Raj fell for her.
But as time went on, Bernadette showed her ugly side. She turned out to be extremely bossy, short-tempered and sharp-tongued. So much so that her own boss at the pharmaceutical company was afraid of her. Ironically, she began to resemble Howard's overbearing mother, which is definitely a change for the worse. But there's a good explanation for it.
Bernadette Was Never Nice to Begin With
It may sound far-fetched, but Bernadette was always this obnoxious, controlling, manipulative woman who ruled everyone around her with fear. She just pretended to be nice and innocent to get people to like and trust her so she could get them under her thumb. And there are several instances on TBBT where she lies to make herself seem more likable.
For example, Bernadette and Howard bond over his problems with his mother, who wouldn't let him live a normal life, because Bernie said her mother was also very overbearing. However, when we met Mrs. Rostenkowski, she seemed like a very nice lady who didn't talk much and didn't get on anyone's nerves. Then, Bernadette also said that her mother made her raise her own siblings, which would mean that Bernie had a special bond with her brothers and sisters, but strangely enough, they didn't come to her and Howard's wedding.
Perhaps Bernadette exaggerated certain details about her childhood. Or maybe she made them up to get sympathy from the gang and make them like her more, which just shows how manipulative she was. And once she no longer had to pretend, Bernie showed her true self and became the grumpy and intimidating woman of later seasons.