Penny Deserved Better, and Even Big Bang Theory Boss Admits It
For the only leading female character in the first three seasons of The Big Bang Theory, Penny was way too flat and one-dimensional, Chuck Lorre admits.
While some viewers are crazy about The Big Bang Theory, others criticize the sitcom for its special kind of humor and devaluation of female characters. This is especially evident in the early seasons of the CBS show.
Along with Howard's inappropriate dirty jokes and some out-of-place scenes, one of the main issues of the early seasons is the depiction of Penny as a stereotypical dumb blonde.
Penny was written into the sitcom from season 1 and became one of the fan-favorite characters throughout the 12 seasons of The Big Bang Theory. However, it was hard to sympathize with the character in the early days as she seems too straightforward and uninteresting, just a pretty neighbor who serves as a driving force for Leonard and the gang. Kaley Cuoco, the actress playing Penny, once said that she felt her character was overly sexualized at the beginning.
Co-creator Chuck Lorre acknowledged in the book The Big Bang Theory: The Definitive, Inside Story of the Epic Hit Series that the depiction of Penny in the first few seasons of the show was way off and said he regretted this.
Fortunately, over the years the girl next door became much more complicated and revealed new interesting sides, in part thanks to Kaley Cuoco's growing involvement in the process of character building.
Lorre noted that over time Penny developed into an intuitive, street-smart woman who could read any person or situation in a room. Besides, over the years, Penny showed she was not dumb at all.
Unfortunately, the creators failed Penny not only at the beginning of the show but also at the very end. Though Cuoco was given some freedom in the decision-making for her character, there was one important decision the creators didn't let her make.
In season 12, we see the Hofstafters clashing with each other over the issue of having children. And in the show's finale, Penny, who didn't want to have kids, ends up pregnant anyway. Kaley Cuoco said in the same The Big Bang Theory book that she was not happy about this controversial ending for Penny and would prefer that her wishes were heard.