Top 20 Underrated Friendship Moments on The Big Bang Theory

Top 20 Underrated Friendship Moments on The Big Bang Theory

Welcome to MsMojo, and today were counting down our picks for the most underrated friendship moments on The Big Bang Theory that deserve way more fan love.

#20: Bernadette Takes Sheldon Christmas Shopping

The Clean Room Infiltration

Lets be honest: if any of the gang is going to match Sheldons diabolical energy, its going to be Bernadette. So when Sheldon thinks that buying Amy a present is the perfect revenge to make her regret forcing him to celebrate the holidays, Bernadette goes along with it. While the others mightve tried to talk him out of it, she knows better. Shes smart enough to play along and still steer him toward something meaningful. In the end, Sheldon thinks hes making a point, but Amy ends up with a thoughtful gift she actually deserves. Perhaps next Christmas, she could even fool him into joining in with a round of Christmas songs.

#19: A Friendship Clause

The Application Deterioration

To say Sheldon and Howard have a complicated friendship would be a colossal understatement. So yeah, it totally makes sense that Bernadettes a little nervous about them teaming up. Things already take a surprising turn when Sheldon and Leonard agree to split their shares of the gyroscope patent with Howard, even though hes not technically entitled to anything. But after a chat with Bernadette, Howard realizes he probably needs to set a few ground rules before legally tying himself to Sheldon. Not only does Sheldon agree, he goes one better. The scholarship fund he offers is surprisingly generouswho knew he had it in him? Of course, this is Sheldon. Even selflessness comes with a sting.

#18: Sheldon Loans Penny Money

The Financial Permeability

What makes this moment so surprising is how early it happens in the series. At this point, Penny and Sheldon havent quite figured each other out, and that tight Shenny bond still feels miles away. But when Penny ends up in a financial bind, Sheldon steps in to help. Its often said that friendship and money dont mix, but this is one of those rare exceptions. Sheldon approaches it like an equation: Pennys broke, hes notproblem solved. And thanks to Leonard, we later find out he truly meant itno strings attached. Say what you want about his emotional intelligence, but its rare to see someone give without genuinely expecting anything in return.

#17: Raj Organizes Halleys Birthday Party

The Celebration Reverberation

In Season 11, Raj finally starts seeing his friendship with Howard for what it really is. A good friend mightve taken that on board and tried to make amends. Instead, Howard gets all petty and retaliates by not inviting Raj to Halleys first birthday party. That changes fast when he realizes he has no clue how to throw a party for a one-year-old. With Bernadette on bed rest, who else can he call? Despite where things stand between them, Raj graciously steps in to save the day. After all, why should Halley miss out just because her dad can be a jerk? Turns out, that was exactly what their friendship needed to bounce back.

#16: Sheldon & Stuart Drink Together

The Fetal Kick Catalyst

Admittedly, Raj and Stuart became the unexpected duo we didnt know the show needed. So, given how often Sheldon enjoys reminding Stuart hes not part of the core group, its actually surprising to see them bondgranted, with the help of a few brunch mimosas. Sure, it comes right after Stuart finds out hes once again a backup friend, but the drinks seem to be the magic key that finally gets these two on the same wavelength. If this was meant to be the test run on this Sheldon-Stuart dynamic, then honestly, the showrunners missed a trick. This was pure gold, and we absolutely couldve used a few more of these sweet, weird little love fests.

#15: Prepping Amy for Her First Time

The Opening Night Excitation

When Sheldon announces his plans for a birthday gift for Amy, Penny, and Bernadette are initially stunned. Its not that they want to spoil the surprise, but Amy, whos always been a little socially awkward and emotionally reserved, is about to take a huge step. Instead of teasing or making it weird, Penny and Bernadette show up with exactly what she needs: honesty, warmth, and little judgment. They offer advice to both parties, boosting their confidence and making sure they feel supported. The truth is, most peoples first time isnt some magical, cinematic moment. But when you have friends who help you feel empowered, respected, and ready, you just might get something close to fireworks.

#14: Raj Asks His Dad to Reassure Bernadette

The Dependence Transcendence

Long before she and Howard were expecting, Bernadette admitted that motherhood was never part of her plan. But life had other ideas. Its refreshing to see a character openly question something so often treated as inevitable. Bernadette finds herself in a tug of war between how she actually feels about becoming a parent and how shes been told she should feel. Raj tries to help, but despite his best efforts, he cant quite reassure her or get her excited. Eventually, she opens up, confessing all the fears shes been carrying. And when Raj realizes hes out of his depth, he does the next best thing: he calls someone who really knows what theyre talking about.

#13: The Ladies Hideout Together

The Grant Allocation Derivation

This moment is such a great snapshot of friendshipit shows how close friends create space for each other to breathe, laugh, and recharge, even if that space is a literal kids playhouse. When Bernadette and Penny sneak away from the pressures of family and daily life, they find comfort in each others company. Theres no need to justify the break; its silently understood. Amy joins in too, mostly out of FOMO, but the sentiment still sticks: showing up matters. These tiny acts of escape, support, and much-needed venting are what keep friendships alive, especially when adulthood gets overwhelming. Sometimes, the best kind of self-care is just hiding in a toy house with your people.

#12: Sheldon Hugs Leonard

The Proton Transmogrification

We all know Sheldon doesnt process emotions in a way many of us would recognize. So when his childhood hero, Arthur Jeffries, a.k.a. Professor Proton, passes away, he buries his feelings under Star Wars Day. As he later explains, this isnt the first time hes lost a male role modeland of course, it never gets any easier. Professor Protons dream visit helps Sheldon confront his grief and recognize the importance of appreciating people before its too late. He takes this lesson to heart when Leonard comes to check on him later. Leonard might not know what sparked this unexpected change, but we doand thats what makes this moment so touching.

#11: Sheldon Calls Howard an Astronaut

The Stockholm Syndrome

We know Sheldon loves giving Howard stick over his education and career, and he definitely struggles with the fact that Howard got to live out his dream of going into space. Their quite literal turbulence plays out during a bumpy flight, when their argument turns into Sheldon admitting how much he values Howard. Maybe he only meant it in the momenttruth has a way of slipping out when doom feels nearbut he soon goes back to his usual self. Thats what makes his Nobel Prize speech so special. He praises everyone, but one small detail often gets overlooked: Sheldon finally sincerely acknowledges Howards achievement. From Sheldon, thats basically his version of I love you, man.

#10: Raj Gives Amy a Makeover

The Stockholm Syndrome

Raj is no stranger to a girls night, but his friendship with each lady is pretty special, too. He grows close with Penny, who lets him unapologetically be his true self, and as we saw earlier, supports Bernadette when she worries her maternal instincts havent kicked in yet. However, perhaps the most overshadowed friendship moment occurs between him and Amy in the final episodes. He comforts her after finding her crying in a bathroom over some unflattering photos. He reminds her shes perfect as she is, but also, if she wants to make some changes, shes the boss of her own life. With Rajs guidance, Amy flaunts her new look, and its fabulous.

#9: Penny Insists on Being Amys Maid of Honor

The Matrimonial Metric

Since Amy entered the scene, shes pretty much claimed that she and Penny are BFFs, although the feeling doesnt often seem mutual. In season 11, the gang flips out when they realize that Sheldon and Amy have been testing them to see whos best suited to be in their wedding party. Penny realizes she has some personal gripes with their decision-making, too. To say that Amy had been waiting for this moment would be a huge understatement. Penny turns out to be an excellent maid of honor, too. She gives Amy the bachelorette party of her imagination quite literally, and makes sure that the couple gets hitched without too many, well, hitches.

#8: Secret Language Showdown

The Veracity Elasticity

In this episode, Sheldon uncovers Amy's secret, sparking a chain reaction as Leonard realizes Pennys been deceiving him, too. So, while Penny gets Amy to fess up over her apartment renovations, Sheldon morphs into Leonards bedroom detective. This sparks a verbal duel between the guys and ladies, especially when Penny backs Amys lie, throwing Leonard and Sheldon for a loop. They switch to Klingon to unravel this mystery, but it turns out theyre not the only ones with a secret language. This face-off is hilarious and showcases the tight bonds between the two pairings. Who hasnt dreamed of a friendship so strong it speaks its own language?

#7: Sheldon Tailors D&D for Bernadette

The Fermentation Bifurcation

When Penny scores a night of wine tasting, everyones up for joining except Sheldon, of course, and Bernadette, whos pregnant. So, Sheldon crafts an alternative evening with more fitting activities for the two of them. Kicking things off with lectures about trains and toast, it looks like she's in for a long and tedious evening. But then Sheldon switches gears with a game of Dungeons and Dragons designed especially for his guest. Its a surprisingly thoughtful gesture on Sheldons part, and Bernadette ends up having more fun than she thought. Its just too bad that the writers didnt take another opportunity to really develop this budding friendship.

#6: Sheldon Keeps a Secret

Various

Sheldon Cooper hates keeping secrets. But hell go above and way past beyond to safeguard his friends confidences. Hes no stranger to inventing fictional personas like his cousin Leo and Ms. Maggie McGarry to avoid spilling Leonards secrets. He even moves out of the apartment to make sure he doesnt accidentally break Pennys trust (though some funny-tasting milk throws a wrench in that plan). Say what you want about Sheldon, but in his own quirky way, he truly cares about his friends, even if he doesnt always show it. Despite his awkwardness, when he learns Penny has doubts about her relationship with Leonard, Sheldon steps up to protect his friend from heartache.

#5: Amy & Bernadette Hang Out at a Convention

The Hofstadter Insufficiency

Penny is usually the glue that keeps this posse together, but while away at a conference, the dynamic trio becomes a duo, and the difference is palpable. Initially excited for some science talk, the chat turns to men after guys at the bar send over drinks. Sure, things get a little rocky, but tapping into this rarely-explored dynamic is still a lot of fun. Plus, who among us doesnt have fond memories of those late-night gossip fests with good friends? Amy and Bernadette even learn they share more in common than they realize. A few seasons later, after breaking up with Sheldon, Amy even turns to Bernadette for comfort.

#4: Amy & Leonard Bond over Childhood Science Experiments

The Solo Oscillation

Another friendship we wish wed seen more of is Leonard and Amys. We first suspected they could be BFF material when they attended a wedding together friends who Chicken Dance together stay tight, right? But their friendship truly peaks in season 11 when they hang out after Sheldon kicks Amy out of the apartment for some focus time. We learn they had a blast together, making us believe that if theyd met as kids, they wouldve clicked for sure. In fact, we glimpse how that might've looked when they spend another evening together revisiting old science fair experiments. Dare we say it: with a bit more TLC, their friendship couldve even rivaled Sheldon and Pennys.

#3: Leonard & Sheldons Adventures on Skywalker Ranch

The Skywalker Incursion

Sheldon and Leonard's escapades are always entertaining, and this one takes us to a galaxy far, far away. Okay, maybe not quite that far, but Skywalker Ranch is a cool second, right? On their way to a lecture with some time to spare, they take a slight detour. Obviously, theyre denied entry, but a friendly security guard offers them a sweet memento instead. That doesn't satisfy Sheldon, and his antics get them both detained. Leonards understandably annoyed until Sheldons positive spin puts a new perspective on their adventure. The guys also share a sweet moment before Shamys wedding. They might not voice their feelings outright, but we could read the subtext.

#2: Sheldon & Howard Launch a Model Rocket

The Explosion Implosion

Weve said it before, and well say it again, Howard and Sheldons friendship is mostly sparring. So, those occasional moments of genuine camaraderie are always a welcome surprise. Lets not forget who pulled in a favor to have Mark Hamill officiate Sheldon and Amys wedding. Earlier that season, the friends unite for the father-son bonding experience they wish theyd had growing up. While their rocket launch fails, their friendship takes off into new territory. Sheldon tries to ease Howards anxieties about having a son and, when that fails, opts for some tough love. Meanwhile, Howard helps Sheldon get past his fear of driving. Its a real heartwarming moment, but it lasts about as long as that rocket launch.

Before we unveil our top pick, here are a few honorable mentions.

Sheldon Gives Raj a Job, The Pirate Solution

Sheldon Is a Horrible Boss/ Colleague, but We Didnt See Anyone Else Offering Raj a Job in His Time of Need!

Howard Defends Raj from His Exes, The Emotion Detection Automation

Howard Might Think This Whole Idea Is Nuts, but He Wont Tolerate Any Disparagement of Rajs Efforts

Sheldon Supports Pennys Dreams, The Occupation Recalibration

Friends Boost Their Friends When They Need It the Most (Even Sheldon!)

Howard & Bernadette Give Raj a Paw-Fect Present, The Transporter Malfunction

The Couple Unleash Some Joy in Rajs Life with a Fur-Ever Companion

#1: Howard & Amys Dynamic

The Scavenger Vortex & The Collaboration Contamination

This Big Bang friendship is a hidden gem that unjustly flies under the radar. We first glimpse Howard and Amys bond when theyre paired up for Rajs scavenger hunt. Its awkward at first, but they quickly connect after learning theyre both Diamondheads. After that, the competition takes a backseat while they embark on a musical adventure. They might not even make it to the finish line, but they won us over instead. In a later season, their chemistry shines again as co-workers, bonding over magic tricks and another Neil. These two had all the elements for a brilliant and entertaining friendship; we only wish it had been explored further.

Which TBBT friendship do you wish had been explored more deeply on the series? Let us know in the comments