Summary
‘s final season had some issues, including a poorly executed pregnancy plot for Leonard and Penny, and Raj being left with barely any personal narrative.
Raj’s Indian wedding, which was ultimately scrapped, could have addressed criticisms about how Raj was treated on the show and would have balanced out the storytelling of season 12.
Raj, being the only single member of his friend group, deserved a happy ending and the planned Indian wedding could have given the show a collective arc, bringing the main cast together again.
The Big Bang Theory final year almost featured Raj’s Indian wedding — a plot that could have fixed several season 12 issues. In 2019, CBS wrapped up one of the most popular sitcoms of all time with a special send-off to the Pasadena gang. Despite an uneven last season, plagued with plot inconsistencies and pacing issues, The Big Bang Theory was still able to stage a generally satisfying swan song that saw Sheldon and Amy winning the Nobel Prize in Physics, while Penny and Leonard learn that they were pregnant with their first child. That being said, with just some minor tweaks, CBS could have crafted a much better season 12.
Sheldon and Amy’s ending was perfect, and Howard and Bernadette’s fate was also satisfactory, The Big Bang Theory left some Pasadena gang members in less-ideal states. Leonard and Penny’s pregnancy arc was so badly executed, that it became one of the biggest disappointments of the show. At least, however, the couple had a real arc. Raj, on the other hand, was left with barely any personal narrative in season 12. CBS attempted to give him a romantic plot, but nothing came out of it. As it turns out, early The Big Bang Theory season 12 plans included Raj’s Indian wedding, which was ultimately scrapped, as revealed by writer Steve Molaro.
When The Big Bang Theory started, it was a traditional ensemble. Each member of the original cast was given their respective arcs. As the show progressed and Sheldon gained prominence, he slowly became the show’s default lead. The Big Bang Theory season 12’s overall arc proved this, with the year mostly devoted to his bid to win the Nobel Prize. This effectively left the characters becoming supporting players. For Raj, The Big Bang Theory attempted to give him a personal arc with the introduction of Anu, his new love interest. They were set up by their parents and were supposed to get married in the show.
Their arc fizzled out until they decided to call off their wedding. According to Molaro, they broke them apart because they weren’t seeing the connection between them. While they may not have instant chemistry like Penny and Leonard, and Sheldon and Amy had, there was potential for Raj and Anu. Had The Big Bang Theory stuck with them, they could have been a great couple. Seeing them marry in an Indian ceremony would have addressed criticisms about how Raj was treated on the show. At the end of TBBT, not only did he not have a clear professional path after just starting a new job, but he was also single.
Related: Big Bang Theory Already Had Its Young Sheldon Paige Replacement (But It Wasted Her)
4 Raj’s Wedding Would Have Balanced Out TBBT Final Season’s Storytelling
The Big Bang Theory finale was largely great, but season 12 as a whole was a different story. CBS’ storytelling was so unbalanced that it primarily became just about Sheldon and Amy’s Nobel Prize bid. The sitcom spent way too much on the arc, bringing in guest stars for extra complication and even staging a Young Sheldon crossover. This pushed the rest of the ensemble to the side. While Penny and Leonard did have their pregnancy conflict throughout the year, the plot was so poorly executed that it became one of the most criticized aspects of the show.
Had CBS moved forward with the planned Indian wedding for Raj and Anu, The Big Bang Theory could have diversified its season 12 better. There would be less focus on Sheldon and Amy’s arc since the characters would be physically removed from Pasadena and Caltech. Meanwhile, the out-of-the-country trip could have given Penny and Leonard time to actually think and eventually discuss their conflicting views on having kids. Finally, Howard and Bernadette could have their first parents’ trip earlier instead of making it their plot in The Big Bang Theory finale.
3 Raj’s TBBT Indian Wedding Would Have Left All The Pasadena Gang Members Married
While his friends entered serious romantic relationships, Raj struggled to find love in The Big Bang Theory. He dated countless women over the course of the show’s run, and at one point, even gathered them all in an effort to understand why he couldn’t make a relationship work. He was so desperate that he eventually reached out to his parents to arrange his marriage. What made this worse was the fact that Raj was possibly the most romantic out of the Pasadena gang.
Leaving Raj as the only single member of his friend group was not only disappointing, but it was also upsetting. If someone like Sheldon could find love, it’s totally unacceptable that Raj couldn’t. Had The Big Bang Theory kept him and Anu together, and eventually moved forward with their wedding, then the show could have left all members of the Pasadena gang happily married.
Related: Young Sheldon’s Season 6 Finale Secretly Sets Up Mary’s Downfall (& A Big Bang Theory Tragedy)
2 Raj’s Indian Wedding Would Have Given TBBT’s Final Season A Collective Arc
Despite its standouts, The Big Bang Theory was still best when it brought together its main cast. As the show progressed, however, collective arcs became less and less frequent, with episodes being divided into A and B plots. Raj and Anu’s Indian wedding would have been the perfect opportunity to once again bring back the whole gang for a massive trip before The Big Bang Theory ended. Preparations for the event would have involved everyone, which meant more group interactions for the Pasadena gang. The trip in itself to India would also be an interesting element, considering that it had been a while since the gang did a proper getaway.
1 The Big Bang Theory Season 12’s Scrapped Raj Wedding Would Remove The Cringey Finale Cameo
If The Big Bang Theory season 12 did Raj and Anu’s Indian wedding, then the finale wouldn’t have done the tacky Sarah Michelle Gellar cameo. To clarify, seeing the Buffy actress was a treat, especially considering the show’s sci-fi aspects. However, her scene during the Nobel Prize ceremony was not only out of place, but it was also quite tacky. Raj holding hands with her only for Gellar to remind him that she wasn’t interested in him somehow made Raj’s The Big Bang Theory finale so much more tragic. It highlighted that while his friends had their own partners, he was alone.
Even if Raj married Anu, The Big Bang Theory finale still would have been able to find a way to incorporate Gellar into the finale. Perhaps, the show may have been able to figure out a better way to feature her than how she was utilized. Instead of sitting her in the audience during Sheldon and Amy’s Nobel acceptance speech, maybe the whole gang was able to have an interaction with her before that.