The Best Friendship On The Big Bang Theory According To Fans

In the CBS series "The Big Bang Theory," the romantic relationship between Penny (Kaley Cuoco) and Leonard (Johnny Galecki) is the focus of a substantial amount of screen time. Interestingly, however, quite a few fans appear to have enjoyed the unlikely friendships that developed between other characters. A typical episode of the series may see Leonard, Raj (Kunal Nayyar), Sheldon (Jim Parsons), and Howard (Simon Helberg) interacting at work, playing a game, or just hanging out at Leonard and Sheldon's apartment. 

However, other friendships took each respective party decidedly outside of their comfort zone. For example, one Reddit user on the r/BigBangTheory subreddit admitted to loving the friendship between Raj and Penny. This user, u/LordCoke, wrote, "I personally love the Penny-Raj bond. I feel like their moments they have together are underrated. Penny being the first person to find out that Raj can talk to women without being drunk as well as calling out Lucy on her mess for dumping Raj. And them bonding with mutual interests in a Season 10 episode." 

But for many fans of "The Big Bang Theory," one particular friendship was better than all the rest.

By the time "The Big Bang Theory" concluded its 12-season run in 2019, it was hard to imagine a time when Penny and Sheldon weren't friends. "This was the best friendship in the series and really represents how true friendships should be," u/jennyvere wrote on Reddit. "They are both so different, and yet I think they have a bond that goes beyond friendships they have with the others." Of course, who can forget the endearing Season 1, Episode 11 ("The Pancake Batter Anomaly"), when Sheldon is sick and Penny comforts him by singing "Soft Kitty" to him?

When listing her favorite episodes of "The Big Bang Theory," Kaley Cuoco talked about how much she loves Season 2, Episode 11 ("The Bath Item Hypothesis"), which is the first time Sheldon hugs her. "That hug was one of the highlights of this show for me,” she told TBS. Evidently, many fans agree with her. In fact, the episode was rated a favorite among fans in a Reddit poll created by u/Nostalgia2003. According to many respondents of this poll, part of what makes these characters' friendship so great is that they're truly platonic, almost like a brother and sister.

For Jim Parsons, who won four Emmy Awards for his portrayal of Sheldon Cooper, working with Kaley Cuoco made for some of his favorite memories. "I love the relationship she and I have fumbled upon just as actors working together," he told Closer Weekly in 2018. "And that the writers have injected life into it and embraced what they've seen in us." Indeed, the chemistry between the two actors is surely part of what made the connection between Sheldon and Penny so believable. As Redditor u/KyrieAlaina put it, "She [Penny] had a knack of approaching Sheldon in a very real and genuine way that really speaks to what good actors they both are."

During another interview, Parsons remembered one Penny-Sheldon-centric episode in particular quite fondly. In Season 3, Episode 8 ("The Adhesive Duck Deficiency"), Leonard, Howard, and Raj go to the desert to watch the Leonid meteor shower, which means Sheldon is the only one around to help when Penny dislocates her shoulder after falling in the shower. "Kaley and I had some of our very best times on this show doing Sheldon and Penny scenes and this episode was full of them," he told TBS. "From the awkwardness of Sheldon helping Penny get dressed, to the inappropriate way Sheldon helps Penny fill out her hospital forms, I can still vividly remember working on these scenes, even nine years later."

In the years since "The Big Bang Theory" ended, many of the former co-stars are apparently still keeping in touch. In fact, Cuoco even noted that Parsons texted her after she was nominated for her first Golden Globe for her role in "The Flight Attendant" (via Metro). Although Penny and Sheldon might be done, it's nice to know that Cuoco and Parsons are still connected.