10 Times Penny Was the Best Character on The Big Bang Theory
#10: Penny Takes the Elevator "The Change Constant"
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For 12 seasons, we watched as Penny and the guys - and anyone else who entered the building - used the stairs because the elevator was broken. But in episode 278 - right before the series finale - as Sheldon stood in the hallway complaining to Leonard about how stressed he was about all of the change happening around him… the elevator doors opened, and there was Penny. The significance of this moment cannot be overstated. It took a while for Sheldon to accept the change Penny brought to his world when she moved into the building, and here she was so close to the end of the series with another big change in Sheldon’s universe. As actress, Kelly Cuoco, later said, “The fact that I got that moment... I will cherish that for the rest of my life.”
#9: Penny Teaches the Guys How to Fish “The Fish Guts Displacement”
When Bernadette volunteers Howard to go on a fishing trip with her father, he needs a quick fishing lesson so as not to embarrass himself in front of his tough, ex-cop father-in-law. Who else do he and the guys turn to for help, but the same person whom they call when they need someone to kill a spider for them? Penny, of course. The scene that follows highlights just how different the guy’s childhoods were compared to Penny’s, who grew up on a farm in Nebraska. While Howard is squeamish picking up a worm, Penny is right at home grabbing a knife and slicing the fish open. Needless to say the guys almost puke at the sight of it all.
#8: The Snuggie & the Long Hug “The Monopolar Expedition”
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As the guys prepare for a three- month scientific expedition in the North Pole, Penny gives Leonard a going away present of an oversized blanket with sleeves, followed by an extra long hug. We have known since episode one how Leonard feels about Penny, but Penny has always been more reserved about her feelings, even scared to reveal too much. And when Leonard questions her about the meaning behind the gift and the multiple-mississippi length hug, she again acts like it didn’t mean anything. But then, in the first moment of true emotional vulnerability we have seen from her all series, she closes the door. And in the privacy of her apartment, she whispers, [“It means I wish you weren’t going.”]
#7: Penny Stands Up for Herself “The Killer Robot Instability”
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For a season and a half, Howard has been relentlessly hitting on Penny - often inappropriately - under the false notion that her constant rejections have been part of the flirting process. But when Penny tells him she isn’t flirting and that he will end up alone, he goes home to sulk. Even though Howard deserved it, Penny feels bad for being so rough on him and goes to apologize. But when Howard takes this as flirting again and goes in for a kiss, Penny punches him in the face. Though we don’t condone violence and Howard doesn’t change completely after this, the punch can still be seen as a moment of understanding and the beginning of these two becoming actual friends.
#6: The Box of Memories “The Romance Resonance”
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In Penny and Leonard’s relationship, Leonard has always been the romantic one. But in the sixth episode of season seven, Penny tries to prove that she can be romantic too. She ends up getting Leonard a first edition of “The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy,” which was his favorite book while growing up. A really thoughtful gift - but she forgot that Leonard already had it. However, this “romantic failure” leads to her showing Leonard a box full of items he has given her over the years. He can’t believe she saved all of that stuff, but Penny replies, [“of course I did. It’s you.”] We’ve seen this “box of saved items” work before on “Friends,” and it works here as one of the truly most romantic and heartfelt Penny moments of the entire series.
#5: Penny’s Wedding Vows in Vegas “The Matrimonial Momentum”
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Season eight ended with Leonard and Penny running off to elope in Las Vegas, and in the season nine premiere the couple are finally tying the knot. When it comes time to say their vows, of course Leonard has written something super romantic - and of course Penny hasn’t. But, the soon-to-be Mrs. Hofstadter ends up killing it by reciting the lyrics from the song, “You’ve Got a Friend in Me” from “Toy Story.” The show often portrays their relationship in comedic terms, with Penny being too hot for him and Leonard having to try extra hard to win her and keep her. Yet this tear-inducing moment is yet another example of how well she actually does know, and care about, her husband to be.
#4: Pictionary “The Re-Entry Minimization”
The entire game night in the fourth episode of season six produced some of the funniest moments of the series, but the highlight is Pictionary. There are many times when Penny feels inferior around all of these geniuses, but this is not one of those times. Sheldon’s IQ might be a whole lot higher than Penny’s, but when it comes to Pictionary, the pretty blonde has the upper hand. And she revels in it. So much so that during one round she just sits back and watches Sheldon draw. And when Amy asks her if she’s going to draw anything, she confidently replies, [“Relax, we got time. This is so fun.”]
#3: The Kick “The Zarnecki Incursion”
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When Sheldon’s World of Warcraft account is hacked, the guys set out on a quest to recover his stolen, digital loot. But when the thief turns out to be a big, mean-spirited nerd, the guys leave empty handed. The guys love superheroes, and in this episode, the person that comes to their rescue is Penny - who’s a struggling actress/Cheesecake Factory waitress by day and hacker basher by night. She can’t leap over tall buildings in a single bound, but with one swift bazinga to Todd’s soft kitties, she got Sheldon’s stuff back.
#2: The Leonard Nimoy Napkin “The Bath Item Gift Hypothesis”
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Sheldon Cooper is not prone to acts of physical affection. It took months of dating before he even agreed to hold his girlfriend Amy’s hand. But about half way through the second season, Sheldon handed out one of his very rare hugs to Penny after she gave him the greatest Christmas gift he had ever received. Oh, and he normally hates the act of gift giving as well. The gift that led to this “Saturnalia miracle” was a napkin signed by Leonard Nimoy - and even more knock-him-off-his-feet amazing, used by Nimoy to wipe his mouth. There is no arguing who was “the best” on this day! Before we unveil our top pick, here are a few honorable mentions. Penny Stands Up for Her Friends, “The Dead Hooker Juxtaposition” Penny Doesn’t Like Seeing the Guys Being Taken Advantage of by a New Girl in the Building “A Streetcar Named Desire,” “The Monster Isolation” Penny Shines on Stage & Even Sheldon Is Impressed Penny Rocks “Halo,” “The Dumpling Paradox” Penny Doesn’t Care About the Video Game, but It Turns Out This Noob Is Really Good at It Penny & Leonard’s First Kiss, “The Middle-Earth Paradigm” Penny Recognizes That She Deserves Better Than the Losers She Normally Dates Penny Tells Leonard She Loves Him, “The 43 Peculiarity” Finally, the Words Leonard Has Been Waiting to Hear Since She Moved in Next Door
#1: First “Soft Kitty” “The Pancake Batter Anomaly”
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From Zazzles to Schrodinger's Cat, the show had a number of feline-focused gags throughout its 12 year run. But maybe none were more important and sweet than the “Soft Kitty” song. We are introduced to it in season one, when Sheldon gets sick. Having experienced the horror that is a sick Sheldon before, the guys escape to a movie marathon to ride it out, leaving Penny stuck to care for the green-phlegm horking future Nobel Prize winner. Penny puts him to bed, rubs vaporub on his chest and sings him Soft Kitty. It could be argued that one of the most significant and central relationships on the show is the loving friendship that develops between Penny and Sheldon. And looking back, this moment was when the seed of that friendship was planted.
