The Big Bang Theory

(like having a best friend or going to a prom).
• Dynamics: She is incredibly patient, loyal, and the brains behind the "humanization" of Sheldon, managing to break down his emotional barriers without losing her own identity as a brilliant scientist.

The Inseparable Friends
Howard Wolowitz: From Failed "Don Juan" to Family Man
Howard's personality takes one of the biggest turns in the series.
• At first: He's arrogant, dresses in a very flashy retro style, and thinks he's a heartbreaker, although his flirting tactics are usually inappropriate and desperate. He lives under the control of his loud and invisible mother.
• After meeting Bernadette: He becomes a devoted husband and a loving father. Although he retains his sharp wit and pride in being the only engineer in the group (without a PhD), he matures considerably, especially after traveling to space.
Raj Koothrappali: The Desperate Romantic
Raj brings a unique sensitivity to the group, although his own fears often work against him.
• Key traits: Extremely tender, a lover of female pop culture and cooking, but with a deep loneliness.
• Selective mutism: During the first few seasons, he is unable to speak to women unless he is under the influence of alcohol. When he overcomes this trauma, he reveals himself as a man desperately seeking fairytale love, which sometimes makes him a bit suffocating in his relationships.
The Scientists
​Bernadette Rostenkowski-Wolowitz: The Fierce Sweetness
Bernadette looks like a petite, sweet young woman with a squeaky voice, but she hides a dominant and competitive personality.
• Key traits: Ambitious, hardworking, and, when angry, terrifying (she instills legitimate fear in Howard and her own coworkers). She has a very strong protective instinct and becomes the economic and organizational pillar of her household.
Amy Farrah Fowler: The Brilliant Mind That Seeks to Belong
Amy enters the series as a female, rigid, and analytical version of Sheldon, but her evolution is fascinating.
• Key traits: Initially cold and purely logical, she soon reveals a huge desire to live the teenage experiences she missed out on (like having a best friend or going to a dance).

Sheldon Cooper: The Eccentric Genius
Sheldon is the comic relief of the series. He has a brilliant IQ but virtually no emotional intelligence.
Key traits: Obsessive-compulsive, extremely literal, egocentric, and lacking social empathy (does not understand sarcasm or hints).
Obsessions: His place on the sofa (his "spot"), cleanliness, strict schedules, trains, and cohabitation contracts.
Evolution: Although he starts out almost incapable of maintaining physical contact, Penny's influence and his relationship with Amy transform him into someone capable of loving, apologizing, and recognizing the value of his friends.
Leonard Hofstadter: The Mediator in Need of Approval
Leonard is the most "normal" and socially adaptable of the group of scientists, which often makes him the bridge between his world and Penny's.
Key traits: Insecure, people-pleaser, and a hopeless romantic. He often takes on the responsibility of caring for Sheldon due to his inability to say "no."
Conflicts: Her low self-esteem, caused largely by a cold and ultra-analytical mother (Beverly), and her constant search for Penny's approval.
Penny: The Spark of Reality
Penny is a waitress and aspiring actress who represents the perspective of the average viewer within this group of brilliant minds.
Key traits: Extroverted, streetwise, empathetic, and with a very sharp common sense.
Dynamics: She has the patience of a saint with Sheldon (developing an almost sibling-like relationship) and provides the social balance Leonard needs. Over time, she matures, leaves acting, and becomes a successful pharmaceutical representative.
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