The Ultimate TBBT What-If: This Would've Been the Best Relationship on the Show

Summary

• TBBT's characters were exaggeratedly archetypal for comedic effect.
• Raj wasn't very lucky when it came to romantic relationships.
• He had a potential partner who would have been perfect for him.

Over the course of its twelve-season run, The Big Bang Theory used many tropes to make a huge international audience roll on the floor with laughter. The hit CBS sitcom poked fun at its characters, four nerdy scientists from CalTech who, despite their combined intelligence, couldn't figure out the intricacies of life. But there were other archetypes used in the show's plot.

For example, Penny was originally portrayed as a stereotypical dumb blonde. Sheldon's mother was a small-minded religious zealot. And Amy was an unattractive bore. But the funniest trope on TBBT was used in Howard and Raj's friendship, which was often mocked for being too close. In fact, Leonard's mother, psychiatrist Beverly Hofstadter, said that the two characters harbored homosexual attraction to each other.

This was never proven on the show. Howard married Bernadette, with whom he had two children. And while Raj never met the woman with whom he started a family, he never changed teams. But there was a moment when Howard and Raj considered getting married, and as comical as it was, it would have been the best relationship on TBBT.

Hypothetically Speaking

In the fourteenth episode of Season 10 of TBBT, Raj decided to take a scientific approach to his battle with women and invited all of his exes to participate in a survey. Howard, whose idea it was in the first place, was there to accompany his best friend. And while he and Raj waited for the ladies to arrive, Howard came up with the following suggestion.

If things didn't work out between him and Bernadette in the long run, he and Raj could give it a try. At first Rajesh took it as a joke, but then he wondered what they would be like as a couple. And the whole scene of them arguing like longtime spouses answered that question for him and provided a lot of comic relief for the audience.

A One-in-a-Million Bond

All jokes aside, Howard and Raj would have made a fantastic couple for one simple reason. They have a unique bond that no other characters on the show have. Howard and Raj have an emotional closeness. They understand each other. And they know each other's strengths and weaknesses.

They also share similar interests, such as science, comic books and, ironically, hot women. More importantly, Howard and Raj complement each other, with the former adding fun and levity and the latter adding substance to the relationship.