10 The Big Bang Theory Scenes That Are Cringier Upon Rewatch

The Big Bang Theory is one of the most successful sitcoms in TV history, with 12 seasons, numerous awards, and a set that is permanently on display at Warner Bros. Studios. It was rare to find a scientific sitcom that worked with audiences, but creator Chuck Lorre found a way to do it.

Although TBBT has created some incredible TV moments, some were hard to swallow after the second, third, and fourth rewatch. Whether it was an inappropriate scene or an out-of-touch character moment, some scenes are better off being skipped to avoid second-hand embarrassment.

Leonard Forced Penny To Say "I Love You"

Leonard and Penny's relationship had ongoing ups and downs throughout the show's 12 seasons. One of the more cringeworthy scenes was when Leonard told Penny he loved her while they were sleeping together, which not only threw Penny off but made her realize that they were on different pages in their relationship.

As uncomfortable as that moment was, things got worse when Leonard begged Penny to love him back in later scenes. He was bothered that she "loved" cheese fries but didn't love him. This proved to Penny that they were too different to be in a relationship. In the end, his pressuring and contrasting feelings made Penny realize they weren't a good pair, and the two broke up.

Raj And Bernadette's Bollywood Dance Number

Despite Raj and Howard being close friends, Raj couldn't help but crush on Howard's girlfriend (and later wife), Bernadette. Bernadette was sweet and thoughtful, which sometimes made Raj feel like she liked him.

In season 4, Raj started daydreaming about a romantic relationship with Bernadette, but one of the daydreams had fans divided. In an unusual scene, Raj's daydream featured a Bollywood dance sequence with Bernadette. The two sang about loving each other and being each other's universe.

They danced and sang in Caltech's cafeteria with backup dancers, effects, and dramatic lighting. While some viewers thought the song was catchy, others were creeped out by Raj's obsession with his best friend's girlfriend.

Forcing Amy And Sheldon To Kiss During D&D

In "Love Spell Potential," the group got together to play their own version of Dungeons & Dragons. While they were having fun, the rules got too sensual for Amy and Sheldon's liking.

Penny suggested that since Amy and Sheldon were virgins and never slept together, their characters should sleep together in the game. The group found the idea humorous, but Amy and Sheldon were mortified.

Seeing the group mock their relationship was unsettling and mean-spirited. Amy was embarrassed that her friends viewed her relationship as a joke, and it was even more painful that Amy had to explain it to Sheldon.

Amy and Sheldon did things on their own terms, and it was a shame that they were mocked for that. The group's behavior made it one of the hardest scenes to watch.

In season 3, Leonard and Penny transitioned from being close friends to significant others. In an effort to be closer to Penny and integrate himself into her life, he paid attention to her interests, including football — especially when he found out that Penny's football-watching second friend group included several attractive men.

Leonard's insecurities in his relationship were obvious when he showed up to Penny's gathering to watch football with her friends. He tried too hard to prove that he understood football and spent most of the quarter spewing rules and regulations. Instead of fitting in, he stood out in the wrong way.

Acting like a jock instead of himself, Leonard was difficult to watch. Add in the fact that he was insecure in his relationship, and the entire scene was uncomfortable.

Amy Vs. Wil Wheaton On Flags With Friends

In season 5, Amy and Sheldon took their relationship to the next level and created a fun internet show that showcased their love for flags: Fun with Flags. With Amy behind the camera and Sheldon as the host, the two would share their knowledge about flags.

In one episode, Sheldon had a friend as a guest, Wil Wheaton. While Wil did a great job conversing with Sheldon and talking about flags, Amy felt like he could have done better takes. The two bickered over Wil's quality of work, which led to Sheldon having to choose a side: Wil's or Amy's.

Sheldon panicked and eventually chose Wil's side, which caused a huge rift in his relationship with Amy. Aside from Sheldon choosing the wrong side, Wil and Amy's back-and-forth was uncomfortable to watch. It was out-of-character to see Amy and Wil in such a position, let alone when Wil called Amy a "pain in the ass."

The Teddy Bear Webcam

In season 4's "The Hot Troll Deviation," Howard asks for Penny’s help in getting him back together with Bernadette. Because of Penny’s tense history with Howard, she was reluctant to grant him this favor.

Before getting to the nitty-gritty, Howard used a recording of Sheldon’s voice to get Penny to open the door. Seeing Howard instead of Sheldon annoyed Penny, and she admitted that, since finding out that the teddy bear he gave her had a webcam in it, she understandably didn't want to be in his company.

The notion that Howard violated Penny's privacy in such a major way struck the wrong chord with viewers. It’s one of those small details that adds to Howard’s disturbing past of inappropriate behavior.

Raj And Howard's Date With "Deaf Emily"

In season 5, Penny felt bad that Raj was single and decided to introduce him to a friend of her’s from the gym, Emily. Emily was deaf, and because of Raj’s selective mutism, Penny thought they’d be a good pair.

Penny’s idea to set them up was a nice one, but the two had a large hurdle ahead of them: Raj didn’t know American Sign Language. Luckily for him, Howard was fluent and joined them on their date to assist with communicating.

The date started well despite having Howard as a third wheel, but things got weird when Raj and Howard differed on how Raj wanted to be portrayed by her via sign language. The two bickered in front of Emily about what she was saying and what he was going to say in response.

They acted as if she didn't have eyes or an intuition to sense what was going on. Emily gave Raj a chance, however, and although the two dated for a month, this was one off-putting relationship. Between Raj acting like Emily couldn’t see how he was acting towards her and eventually using him for gifts, they were wrong from the start.

Leonard Trying To Seduce The FBI Agent

Leonard is typically a shy and reserved man. However, he has moments of bravery when he's interested in a woman and believes she feels similarly. Unfortunately, in season 4, his flirtation missed the mark.

In "The Apology Insufficiency," Leonard is interviewed by an attractive FBI agent after Howard tries to gain FBI clearance to be able to work for NASA. To be cleared, an agent interviewed his family and friends about his character and career.

The agent was there strictly on a business basis, but Leonard took things too far. He told her she "pops, sparkles, and buzzes electric," and that he would pick her up at 8 for a date.

Tired of his shenanigans, she warned him that she had a very tall Navy SEAL husband. Leonard immediately folded and apologized, but the damage was done.

Not only did Leonard's behavior affect Howard's clearance, but his behavior was unbearable to watch as it was so out of character, and the FBI agent was clearly uninterested.

Leonard And Priya Trying To Be Intimate Via Skype

In season 4, Leonard moved on from Penny and began a romantic relationship with Raj's sister, Priya. The two started their relationship lightly, but it soon grew serious.

Unfortunately for Leonard, Priya went back to India for work, and their relationship became long-distance. To keep their love life alive, they tried being intimate through Skype, but a cringey scene emerged. Leonard tried to act sexy and confident, but it was so out-of-character that it rubbed Priya the wrong way.

To make matters worse, Priya wasn't ready for Leonard's impromptu phone call, and her parents were nearby. Leonard didn't see them and continued foreplay before realizing that he and Priya weren't alone. Between the second-hand embarrassment and Leonard's random boldness, the scene was a hard one to watch.

Stewart Set Up Cameras In The Comic Book Store To Watch Women

In season 8's "The Comic Book Store Regeneration," Stewart tried making his comic book store feel more inclusive and comfortable for female customers. After some negative reviews online from women, he wanted to expand his business and enlisted the help of Penny, Bernadette, and Amy.

In a creepy scene, Stewart explained he set up a breastfeeding station at the comic book store that had a security camera right above to "keep the pervs away." He failed to notice that by setting up those cameras, he was actually the pervert.

The women clearly saw how inappropriate it was and had a handful of notes for Stewart to implement if he wanted to grow his female audience. Unfortunately, this whole Big Bang Theory storyline is even more uncomfortable watching the second time around.