While The Big Bang Theory is arguably one of the biggest sitcoms of the 21st century, certain aspects of the show haven’t aged gracefully, especially the character of Bernadette. Played by Melissa Rauch, at first glance, her TBBT counterpart seems kind and mild-mannered, which ends up bringing a sense of visual irony to the picture.
On numerous occasions, she has proven to be ruthless, aggressive, domineering, and mean-spirited, and even though she has her funny moments, in hindsight, fans weren’t too keen on her.
Fans Felt the Writers Made Bernadette Way Too Mean Than She Needed To Be
A sentiment that has often floated around the fandom when it comes to Bernadette is that she is way too mean to her loved ones. Following her highly competitive nature, Rauch’s character never shied away from resorting to some of the shadiest burns in the series, and things only aggravated as the series continued. Despite starting off as a fairly likable character, fans shared the writers went too, which contributed to making her toxic.
One such incident, which still irks fans, is Bernadette’s response to Penny when the latter tried telling her that she might not want kids, to which Bernadette told Penny to suck it up. Taking to Reddit, users vented their frustration regarding the character’s slip into being more deplorable as the show continued.
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It’s also important to note that many of her cruel moments didn’t add to the comedy of the sitcom, which further made her unpopular among fans.
One Heartfelt Scene Between Howard and Bernadette Made Melissa Rauch Cry
Amidst her fiery moments, which can be overwhelming at times, there were also a plethora of heartfelt moments involving Bernadette, and one such scene from the show brought Rauch to tears. In The Closet Reconfiguration, when Simon Helberg‘s Howard receives a gut-wrenching letter from his father, she doesn’t back down from being a supporting partner at his most vulnerable. Melissa Rauch recalled crying while reading this scene, as it beautifully depicted the duo’s bond.
Something that also I find that’s so great about their relationship, and how the writers write them, is that you see the love between them, and I mean the episode where Howard finds the letter from his father, I read that episode and was crying on my couch. I just thought that was so beautifully written.
Considering how beautiful the scene was, fans wish they got to see that side of Bernadette more often than her ruthless one.
You can stream all seasons of The Big Bang Theory on Max.
