5 Times Penny & Sheldon Were Soulmates and 5 Times They Were Mortal Enemies
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VOICE OVER: Jennifer Silverman
WRITTEN BY: Tal Fox
Dive into the rollercoaster friendship of Sheldon and Penny from "The Big Bang Theory"! We're exploring the moments that prove they're either perfect companions or hilariously incompatible. From heartwarming connections to epic showdowns, this countdown reveals the complexity of their unique bond. Our exploration includes iconic moments like Sheldon's first hug, their bathroom party, and their legendary fights over everything from onion rings to street furniture!
5 Times, Penny and Sheldon Were Soulmates, and 5 Times They Were Mortal Enemies
Welcome to MsMojo, and today we’re counting down our picks for the moments when Sheldon and Penny’s friendship on “The Big Bang Theory” felt destined to be and the times they clashed like true arch-nemeses.
As Penny and Sheldon grew closer, he sharpened her critical thinking while she helped him step out of his comfort zone. However, the moment that cemented their bond arguably came in season 10. After Sheldon and Amy moved in together and couldn’t stop bickering, Leonard and Penny separated them to cool off. Penny learns Sheldon was essentially picking fights with Amy due to a painful childhood secret. “Young Sheldon” fans now know that isn’t exactly what happened, but it speaks volumes that Sheldon trusted Penny enough to share it. Considering he’d held onto this secret for so long without telling anyone highlights just how deep their friendship had grown.
As well as a wealth of knowledge on their subject, we’d like our teachers to have interpersonal skills, too—well, Sheldon’s got one of those! Penny appeals to his inquisitive mind to convince him to teach her “a little physics.” Honestly, she must’ve been desperate because, well, she’s met Sheldon before, right? It doesn’t take long for things to spiral as Sheldon’s condescension and insults push Penny’s patience to the limit. The tension peaks when Sheldon makes a particularly rude comment, leading to a heated confrontation. Thankfully, he changes his teaching technique just in time. Those two are like particles in an unstable system—had the lesson continued, their bond would’ve decayed faster than a muon.
In his own way, Sheldon has often supported Penny, whether it’s helping her launch a business or lending her money when she falls on hard times. In this episode, Penny’s frustrated when Leonard doesn’t support her decision to quit her job at The Cheesecake Factory. Normally, she’s very self-assured, but Leonard’s reaction makes her second-guess herself. Then, in a twist, Sheldon becomes the one to comfort her, telling her she made the right call. For someone who usually focuses on Penny’s flaws, it’s pretty special for him to throw his full support behind her, telling her not to let anything hold her back. Honestly, sometimes, we all need that kind of confidence boost!
Sheldon gets excited when Leonard’s invited to see CERN’s Large Hadron Collider in Switzerland—only Leonard plans on taking Penny as a Valentine’s date. Although this battle is technically between Leonard and Sheldon, Penny ends up caught in the middle. Sheldon is determined to go and pulls out all the stops to make it happen. He follows Penny to the laundry room to argue his case, but his approach isn’t exactly persuasive—maybe don’t insult the person you’re trying to convince? While his pitch doesn’t work, he does guilt her into agreeing. However, the joke’s on him as both Sheldon and Penny get sick and end up spending Valentine’s Day with each other.
We’ll never forget the events that led to the introduction of “Soft Kitty.” When Penny needed help, Sheldon showed that despite his quirks, he wouldn’t abandon his friend. He helps her out of the tub, gets her dressed, and, against his better judgment, even drives her to the hospital. Is Sheldon the person you really want around in tough times? Probably not, but when he’s all you have, you make the best of it. To his credit, he tries his best to be supportive. He’s even surprisingly patient after Penny’s painkillers have well and truly kicked in. Although, who knows if he’d been quite so sympathetic had he known the consequences of his heroism.
You’d think this would be a great chance to show how well these two get along, but nope! In fact, it’s a pretty accurate representation of their friendship, especially in the earlier seasons. While they make a good team by playing to their strengths, their competitiveness takes over, and tensions rise fast. Sheldon, as we know, believes he’s the smartest person around, and even when Penny solves clues, he doesn’t care to give her any credit or appreciate her contributions. They clash so often that, honestly, it’s a wonder Penny didn’t just leave Sheldon stranded somewhere! The real prize here is that their friendship survived at all.
In one of the most heartwarming moments of the show, Penny comforts Sheldon after he panics at his birthday party. Instead of coaxing him out of the bathroom, she allows him the time and space to handle his emotions. It’s such a sweet scene that really shows how much both of them have grown and what their friendship has become. Penny shares how, in the past, they might not have been friends, but now she cares for him deeply. Thanks to her, Sheldon rejoins the party. Although he doesn't verbally express his gratitude, his willingness to accept a hug with minimal complaint is basically him telling her that she's one of his favorite people, too.
Early on, we get a glimpse of why Sheldon and Penny never ended up together. Just kidding, but it does lead to one of their funniest fights. When Sheldon finds out the chair he’s been sitting in was something Penny picked up off the street, his germaphobia kicks in, and he makes it his mission to get her to toss it out. Penny, of course, has no intention of giving in, but she sure loves messing with him. It’s perhaps one of the funniest takes on the Sheldon’s knocks running gag. Sheldon even tries to use Amy and Penny’s friendship against her, but that backfires, too. Penny eventually abandons the chair, but shhh—don’t tell Sheldon why!
We quickly learn in this episode that the best gift you can give Sheldon is no gift at all. Why bother with a nicely wrapped present when you can spare him the stress of figuring out how to reciprocate? But of course, that all goes out the window when Sheldon sees what Penny got him. And no, we’re pretty sure no bath item gift set could ever match the thoughtfulness of her present. While a hug of gratitude is no big deal for most, it’s huge coming from Sheldon, especially since, until this moment, everyone probably thought he had no clue what a hug even was. Penny being his first makes it that much sweeter.
By the time they call a truce, so much has happened that it’s easy to forget it all started with an onion ring. Yes, one misplaced onion ring leads to Penny’s banishment and an escalating feud, with both using their wits to take the fight further. Penny refuses to serve Sheldon, so he retaliates by blocking her access to WiFi. She ruins his laundry night, so he hangs her delicates on a telephone wire. It’s funny that, despite being mortal enemies, they’re more alike than they realize. Leonard gives Penny the key to end the battle, leading to a truce. This episode is one of their funniest, and it gave us the ultimate comeback.
Which moment do you think cements Sheldon and Penny as soulmates, and when did you most enjoy watching them go head to head? Let us know in the comments
Welcome to MsMojo, and today we’re counting down our picks for the moments when Sheldon and Penny’s friendship on “The Big Bang Theory” felt destined to be and the times they clashed like true arch-nemeses.
#5: Soulmates: Sheldon Confides in Penny
“Hot Tub Contamination”As Penny and Sheldon grew closer, he sharpened her critical thinking while she helped him step out of his comfort zone. However, the moment that cemented their bond arguably came in season 10. After Sheldon and Amy moved in together and couldn’t stop bickering, Leonard and Penny separated them to cool off. Penny learns Sheldon was essentially picking fights with Amy due to a painful childhood secret. “Young Sheldon” fans now know that isn’t exactly what happened, but it speaks volumes that Sheldon trusted Penny enough to share it. Considering he’d held onto this secret for so long without telling anyone highlights just how deep their friendship had grown.
#5: Mortal Enemies: Teaching Penny “A Little Physics”
“The Gorilla Experiment”As well as a wealth of knowledge on their subject, we’d like our teachers to have interpersonal skills, too—well, Sheldon’s got one of those! Penny appeals to his inquisitive mind to convince him to teach her “a little physics.” Honestly, she must’ve been desperate because, well, she’s met Sheldon before, right? It doesn’t take long for things to spiral as Sheldon’s condescension and insults push Penny’s patience to the limit. The tension peaks when Sheldon makes a particularly rude comment, leading to a heated confrontation. Thankfully, he changes his teaching technique just in time. Those two are like particles in an unstable system—had the lesson continued, their bond would’ve decayed faster than a muon.
#4: Soulmates: Sheldon Supports Penny’s Decision
“The Occupation Recalibration”In his own way, Sheldon has often supported Penny, whether it’s helping her launch a business or lending her money when she falls on hard times. In this episode, Penny’s frustrated when Leonard doesn’t support her decision to quit her job at The Cheesecake Factory. Normally, she’s very self-assured, but Leonard’s reaction makes her second-guess herself. Then, in a twist, Sheldon becomes the one to comfort her, telling her she made the right call. For someone who usually focuses on Penny’s flaws, it’s pretty special for him to throw his full support behind her, telling her not to let anything hold her back. Honestly, sometimes, we all need that kind of confidence boost!
#4: Mortal Enemies: Who’s Going to Switzerland?
“The Large Hadron Collision”Sheldon gets excited when Leonard’s invited to see CERN’s Large Hadron Collider in Switzerland—only Leonard plans on taking Penny as a Valentine’s date. Although this battle is technically between Leonard and Sheldon, Penny ends up caught in the middle. Sheldon is determined to go and pulls out all the stops to make it happen. He follows Penny to the laundry room to argue his case, but his approach isn’t exactly persuasive—maybe don’t insult the person you’re trying to convince? While his pitch doesn’t work, he does guilt her into agreeing. However, the joke’s on him as both Sheldon and Penny get sick and end up spending Valentine’s Day with each other.
#3: Soulmates: Sheldon Comes to Penny’s Aid
“The Adhesive Duck Deficiency”We’ll never forget the events that led to the introduction of “Soft Kitty.” When Penny needed help, Sheldon showed that despite his quirks, he wouldn’t abandon his friend. He helps her out of the tub, gets her dressed, and, against his better judgment, even drives her to the hospital. Is Sheldon the person you really want around in tough times? Probably not, but when he’s all you have, you make the best of it. To his credit, he tries his best to be supportive. He’s even surprisingly patient after Penny’s painkillers have well and truly kicked in. Although, who knows if he’d been quite so sympathetic had he known the consequences of his heroism.
#3: Mortal Enemies: Scavenger Hunt Partners
“The Scavenger Vortex”You’d think this would be a great chance to show how well these two get along, but nope! In fact, it’s a pretty accurate representation of their friendship, especially in the earlier seasons. While they make a good team by playing to their strengths, their competitiveness takes over, and tensions rise fast. Sheldon, as we know, believes he’s the smartest person around, and even when Penny solves clues, he doesn’t care to give her any credit or appreciate her contributions. They clash so often that, honestly, it’s a wonder Penny didn’t just leave Sheldon stranded somewhere! The real prize here is that their friendship survived at all.
#2: Soulmates: Party in the Bathroom
“The Celebration Experimentation”In one of the most heartwarming moments of the show, Penny comforts Sheldon after he panics at his birthday party. Instead of coaxing him out of the bathroom, she allows him the time and space to handle his emotions. It’s such a sweet scene that really shows how much both of them have grown and what their friendship has become. Penny shares how, in the past, they might not have been friends, but now she cares for him deeply. Thanks to her, Sheldon rejoins the party. Although he doesn't verbally express his gratitude, his willingness to accept a hug with minimal complaint is basically him telling her that she's one of his favorite people, too.
#2: Mortal Enemies: The Armchair Fight
“The Infestation Hypothesis”Early on, we get a glimpse of why Sheldon and Penny never ended up together. Just kidding, but it does lead to one of their funniest fights. When Sheldon finds out the chair he’s been sitting in was something Penny picked up off the street, his germaphobia kicks in, and he makes it his mission to get her to toss it out. Penny, of course, has no intention of giving in, but she sure loves messing with him. It’s perhaps one of the funniest takes on the Sheldon’s knocks running gag. Sheldon even tries to use Amy and Penny’s friendship against her, but that backfires, too. Penny eventually abandons the chair, but shhh—don’t tell Sheldon why!
#1: Soulmates: Sheldon Hugs Penny
“The Bath Item Gift Hypothesis”We quickly learn in this episode that the best gift you can give Sheldon is no gift at all. Why bother with a nicely wrapped present when you can spare him the stress of figuring out how to reciprocate? But of course, that all goes out the window when Sheldon sees what Penny got him. And no, we’re pretty sure no bath item gift set could ever match the thoughtfulness of her present. While a hug of gratitude is no big deal for most, it’s huge coming from Sheldon, especially since, until this moment, everyone probably thought he had no clue what a hug even was. Penny being his first makes it that much sweeter.
#1: Mortal Enemies: Chaos Erupts Over an Onion Ring
“The Panty Piñata Polarization”By the time they call a truce, so much has happened that it’s easy to forget it all started with an onion ring. Yes, one misplaced onion ring leads to Penny’s banishment and an escalating feud, with both using their wits to take the fight further. Penny refuses to serve Sheldon, so he retaliates by blocking her access to WiFi. She ruins his laundry night, so he hangs her delicates on a telephone wire. It’s funny that, despite being mortal enemies, they’re more alike than they realize. Leonard gives Penny the key to end the battle, leading to a truce. This episode is one of their funniest, and it gave us the ultimate comeback.
Which moment do you think cements Sheldon and Penny as soulmates, and when did you most enjoy watching them go head to head? Let us know in the comments
