The Big Bang Theory: 10 Reasons Why Raj Got Worse And Worse
In The Big Bang Theory, the characters experienced some growth. But, it seems like Raj only got worse and worse as the show continued.
The Big Bang Theory is one of those shows that got better with time because we got to know the characters inside and out for 12 seasons. We’ve seen Sheldon, Leonard, Raj, and Howard through the best and worst moments of their lives and how they turned out.
Not every fan, however, was happy with the way the series wrapped up the characters. Raj, in particular, got the short end of the stick. Keep scrolling to see 10 reasons why The Big Bang Theory’s Raj only got worse and worse as the show went on.
He Became Way Too Desperate
If there’s one thing all Big Bang fans and haters can agree on it’s that Raj was desperate. At the beginning of the series, his desperation was kind of endearing because of his selective mutism but once he was able to speak to women without alcohol, we saw how needy he really was. His need for a life partner became even more obvious when Howard got married. With all his buddies in serious relationships and no luck of his own, he had his parents set him up with potential brides a few times throughout the series. There’s nothing wrong with having help from family but Raj was literally willing to marry a lesbian just to say that he was married.
…And Then Too Cocky!
On the flip side of his desperation, Raj can also be cocky. Once he starts dating more and his mutism fades, Raj feels unstoppable. The problem is, he doesn’t treat the women he’s dating with the respect they deserve. We see this when he dates Emily. Emily was Raj’s longest relationship by far and the minute he started feeling differently about their relationship, he dumps her for the possibility of hooking up with Claire.
But when Claire gets back with her ex-boyfriend, Raj juggles Emily’s emotions around because he’s afraid of being alone. For a guy who should be incredibly humble in his adult years, he sure does need more slices of humble pie.
He Resorted To Crushing On His Friends’ Wives
It’s an unspoken rule not to crush on or hook up with your best friend’s girlfriend and yet Raj does this twice.
It was comical at first when Raj had a crush on Bernadette when she was dating Howard. Bernadette was beautiful, smart, sweet, and treated Raj with the respect he deserves. But once he started having daydreams and writing poems about her, it got weird. Things got even weirder when Raj hooks up with Penny. The two didn’t end up sleeping together but they did get pretty far. That was a low blow for any person, especially Raj.
He Became Too Whiny
Raj’s constant complaining and whining were kind of cute at the start of the series but after 12 seasons of it, it got old fast. If he’s not whining about being single, he’s whining about work, friends, or money.
He rarely takes initiative and sits in the backseat for most things. When Raj has those glimmering moments of strength and decisiveness, he’s the perfect guy. But those times of constant whining ruin him.
And Never Outgrew Being A Daddy’s Boy
Raj and his family have a unique dynamic. Born and raised in India, Raj moved to the US for school and work while his parents remained in India. Raj brings up his family’s wealth often and eventually explained that his parents pay for most of his bills. The only thing he really spent his own money on was food and entertainment.
It wasn’t until Raj was called out for being a daddy’s boy that Raj decided to become financially independent and not rely on his family’s wealth to survive but it was hard for him and he still looked to his parents for him here and there.
Did His Success Go To His Head?
Raj was quiet about his successes but he was one of the most successful men in their group. Before Sheldon became a Nobel Prize winner and after Howard went to space, Raj was incredibly brilliant. He’s an astrophysicist with a handful of discoveries and worked part-time at the local planetarium.
Over time, however, Raj’s success went to his head. He was incredibly pompous after winning the People Magazine award in early seasons, he took credit for a comet that Penny found, and he loved how many women he could allure from working at the planetarium. Raj never seemed to learn when enough was enough and to remain humble.
Did He Ever Really Transform Into An Independent Man?
As the series went on, Raj tried his hardest to transform into an independent man that a woman could rely on, but did he ever really do it? He said he didn’t want to rely on his parents for money anymore but he ended up mooching off his friends instead.
To make matters worse, his friends felt bad that Raj was down on his luck so they kept giving him things to help, which only made him dependent on yet another person! He lived above Bert’s garage for a while and mooched off Howard and Bernadette for housing, food, WiFi, you name it. Raj may have distanced himself from his parents but he never fully became independent.
He Acted Like A Kid When Leonard Started Dating Priya
Was it okay that Leonard started dating Piya without talking over with Raj? Absolutely not. But as adults who are also colleagues and best friends, the situation could have been handled classier. Raj was so annoyed that his friend and sister were dating that he did everything he could to make them uncomfortable. The show only showed Raj and Leonard’s side of it all, we never saw Priya and Raj have a heart-to-heart about the situation. It could have been handled nicely between Raj and Priya but instead, Raj went after Leonard anytime they were together.
Was He Really As Good Of A Friend As He Thought He Was?
The friendship between Sheldon, Leonard, Raj, and Howard is a special one. They all work at Caltech and practically live with each other and see each other all the time. They’re close and push each other to be better in their own way. But when we think about the friendship between Raj and Penny, it makes you wonder if they were ever really friends. He took her comet from her and he wanted to date her throughout their friendship. But when Penny was down on her luck, did he ever once try to relieve her financial issues? No! He never once tried to pay off her debt or loan her some money until she got on her feet. It makes you wonder if he would have done so if they were hooking up casually…
He And Howard Outgrew Their Friendship
Howard and Raj were two of the best pairs on The Big Bang Theory. Some may say they were closer than Leonard and Sheldon. It was due to their closeness that made Raj and Howard tolerable, quite frankly. Sadly, by the 11th and 12th seasons, Howard and Raj’s relationship began to unravel. They got into arguments over small things because Raj couldn’t handle the fact that Howard moved on. He went to space, got married, and had two kids. Meanwhile, Raj felt like he lost his best friend and the two became distant. Once again, this made Raj whiny and upset that everyone else was moving on but him.
