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In the 2010s, the dominance of sitcoms on network televisionbegan to fade. A few, however, continued to keep the genre alive, and none were bigger than CBS' The Big Bang Theory. Chuck Lorre's series ran for an impressive 12 seasons, lasting from 2007-2019. During that time, it stayed as popular as ever thanks to its fun premise of four nerds navigating life and love in California. As with all sitcoms, the series finale brought closure to the wild cast of characters. Some find career success, others move, and in the usual trope, two find out that they're going to become parents. But then there's poor Raj Koothrappali (Kunal Nayyar). After growing so much over a dozen years, his trajectory felt like he was going to finally find love in the end. Instead, The Big Bang Theory gave Raj the most unsatisfying final chapter.
Raj Had Grown the Most as a Character on 'The Big Bang Theory'
The Big Bang Theory is built around a well-worn but successful sitcom idea of a group of friends, with some living just across the hall, getting into all sorts of shenanigans because of their personalities. It was a familiar premise that had worked so often before in shows like Seinfeld, Friends, and countless others. The Big Bang Theory shook things up with something new because of who its lead characters were. The comedy series focused on four nerds who were geniuses in their jobs, yet absolutely awkward when it came to social situations. Howard Wolowitz (Simon Helberg) is an aerospace engineer who fancies himself a ladies' man, but is in reality a momma's boy who doesn't have a clue. Leonard Hofstadter (Johnny Galecki) and his roommate Sheldon Cooper (Jim Parsons) are talented physicists, yet Leonard is a mess around his next-door neighbor Penny (Kaley Cuoco), and Sheldon acts as if the world revolves around him.
Rounding out the foursome is astrophysicist Raj Koothrapali. He's absolutely brilliant, and he's also the most emotionally stunted of the friends. Raj is a hopeless romantic. All he wants to do is fall in love. He's held back, though, by a crippling fear of women so life-altering that he can't even speak around attractive members of the opposite sex. The fun and charming Raj completely disappears whenever Penny or another female enters the room. He can only be himself if he gets drunk first, and that's never a good idea.
Part of what holds Raj back is his upbringing. His parents are rich, and he has depended on them all of his life. In many ways, he's still a child who has never believed enough in himself to be completely independent. As the seasons of The Big Bang Theory progress, Raj evolves, becoming able to speak around the opposite sex. It doesn't lead to a long-lasting love though. While he does date and has girlfriends, he often pushes them away. For someone who wants love so badly, he doesn't know how to do it.
Raj Doesn't Find Love When 'The Big Bang Theory' Ends
The Big Bang Theory is about the evolution of Leonard, Sheldon, Howard, and Raj. The first three men grow through finding the loves of their lives. Leonard finally lands Penny. Sheldon meets the equally awkward Amy (Mayim Bialik). And Howard marries and has a family with Bernadette (Melissa Rauch). In the series finale, the two-part "The Change Constant" and "The Stockholm Syndrome," we see further progression of their characters. Sheldon and Bernadette are a solid couple, and together they win a Nobel Prize in Physics. Sheldon gives a touching speech about his friends, showing that he knows life is no longer all about him. As for Penny and Leonard, they learn that they're going to be parents. Howard doesn't have a huge final plot. As a married man with two kids who has gone to space, he already has the world. This leaves Raj.
One of the easiest ways for a sitcom to manipulate an audience is through romance. Several times during The Big Bang Theory, a new female character entered the scene, allowing the audience to think this might finally be the woman Raj will end up with for his happily ever after. Instead, again and again, these women disappear. So Raj will certainly meet her in the series finale, right? The audience will get some scene of him having a great conversation with a new woman; they'll give each other a certain look, and we'll know that, even though we won't be there to see the journey, Raj just found the person he'll end up with.
Instead, The Big Bang Theory does the exact opposite with Raj. He finds no one. The last season has him engaged to Anu (Rati Gupta) in an arranged marriage. He's all set to move away with her, only for Howard to stop him because Raj shouldn't settle. Raj realizes that his friend is right and decides to stay in California. It's great that he won't settle just so he won't be alone, but as the series ends, he is more single than ever, with his friends being enough. His confidence in himself should be celebrated. Still, this wasn't the way to get there. Raj should have come to this realization earlier in the last season, with the final batch of episodes showing him meeting the one he will marry. His growth and desire for love had felt like Chekhov's gun for 12 years. In the end, he was ready for love, but while everyone else is allowed to find it, he's denied. His arc and the audience of The Big Bang Theory deserved a satisfying payoff.
