A sitcom with an ensemble cast can seem like one big party where everyone gets to have a good time. However, it’s not as simple as that. When there are so many mouths to feed, the creative team behind the show has to find a way to keep everyone happy. That means creating storylines for each character that let them shine and grow. But that process gets extra complicated when new faces join the fray and receive such a positive reception that they need screen time, too. Community knows what that feels like because, despite not being part of the main study group, Ben Chang and Craig Pelton always find a way into the action.
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Not every show has the flexibility that Community does, though. In the case of The Big Bang Theory, characters who don’t make the cut for the main friend group are usually relegated to the background after a while or disappear altogether. Here are three Big Bang Theory characters who didn’t appear enough during the show’s 12-season run.
3) Leslie Winkle
Leonard Hofstadter dates quite a few people before he gets things right with Penny, but none of his girlfriends make as big an impact as Leslie Winkle. Their chemistry stems from their work together at Caltech and from their mutual respect. Leslie is fighting an uphill battle during her run on The Big Bang Theory, though, as it’s clear that her relationship with Leonard won’t last.
The show tries to put Leslie and Howard Wolowitz together to see if similar sparks will fly. Unfortunately, that move doesn’t work, and Leslie fades into obscurity after she breaks up with Howard. It’s a shame that she doesn’t stick around for the long haul because she’s one of the few characters that can keep Sheldon Cooper in check.
2) Missy Cooper
Speaking of Sheldon, his sister, Missy Cooper, appears in Season 1, Episode 15, “The Porkchop Indeterminacy,” and becomes the apple of Howard and Raj Koothrappali’s eyes. Sheldon throws a wrench in his friends’ plans to ask his sibling out, but she doesn’t shoot anyone down, potentially setting the stage for something in the future. But Missy takes a decade-long break from the show, returning briefly in Season 11 during Sheldon’s wedding.
Obviously, The Big Bang Theory can’t predict how important Missy will become to Young Sheldon. However, it shouldn’t take another show fleshing her out for it to realize that it has something special with Missy. She’s one of the few characters that can relate to Penny and give the group ammunition to knock Sheldon down a peg. Missy should’ve stuck around in California for a bit, or at least come to visit more often.
1) Wyatt
When it comes to The Big Bang Theory family members, Penny’s dad, Wyatt, has a leg up on his colleagues. He appears in five episodes of the show, usually to celebrate a significant event in his daughter’s life. Wyatt is so much more than an extension of Penny, though; he’s a fully fleshed-out character that has a solid rapport with Leonard.
Leonard is at his best when he’s hanging out with Wyatt because his father-in-law sees the best in him. Since Leonard is constantly struggling with his parents, who can never keep it together, it would’ve been nice to see more of Wyatt. He easily could’ve headlined his own episode where he took the group fishing or on some other rugged adventure.
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