Fans of The Big Bang Theory are still upset about one specific and contentious scene in Season 2 Episode 12 — The Killer Robot Instability — involving Penny and Howard. The episode aired back in 2009, 16 calendar years ago, which is a testament to not only the impact of the scene but the show’s staying power. The Big Bang Theory finished in 2019, six years ago, yet many fans continue to watch and talk about it like the other comedy sitcom greats before it such as The Office, Seinfeld, and Friends.
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Up until Season 2 Episode 12, the dynamic between Howard and Penny largely consisted of nothing but Howard sexually harassing Penny and she progressively getting tired of it. All of this builds up to a scene called “Penny Breaks Howard.” In it, Penny snaps after another unwelcome smooth-talking advance from Howard, and absolutely tears apart his character in the process. It is one of the few more serious scenes of that season, and is a major turning point in the development of Howard’s character as he’s never the same after that episode.
At the time of the episode’s airing, and in the many years later, some fans have suggested Penny was wrong to snap at Howard in the fashion she did, claiming she went overboard in how personal she got with him. Those that make this argument point to some of the mean-spirited things she said, such as how he will “die alone.” This perspective on the scene is no doubt the minority perspective though, as a new Reddit post about the scene proves.
One of the top posts on The Big Bang Theory Reddit page this week is a post about the scene asking if Penny was right to snap at Howard like she did. And all of the comments agree not only was she in the right, but that she should have never apologized, which she ended up doing after Leonard suggested as much.
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“The comment section is passing the vibe check. I’m glad no one’s justifying Howard’s behavior. Penny was not out of line at all. She shouldn’t’ve had to apologize,” reads one of the top comments. “I’ll judge anyone who thinks Penny was wrong for that,” adds another top comment.
A third fan adds that the episode is the “biggest problem with the whole series” as “Howard deserved much worse than what he got.” Some fans go a step further in criticizing Howard, and suggest scenes like this should have led to him being rewritten more or written off the show entirely. This is a more extreme take, but not an entirely uncommon take as Howard is among the more contentious characters in the show among fans.
This is one of many scenes The Big Bang Theory fans still debate over, and considering its run and remaining cultural relevance, these debates will likely continue for many more years. That said, for more coverage on the TV show — including all of the latest Big Bang Theory news, all of the latest Big Bang Theory rumors, and all of the latest Big Bang Theory discussions — click here.
