Jim Parsons Hated This Storyline Between Amy And Sheldon On The Big Bang Theory

It's not an understatement to say that, throughout "The Big Bang Theory," the romantic relationships between the main characters are rocky. Leonard Hofstadter (Johnny Galecki) and his eventual wife Penny (Kaley Cuoco) break up quite a bit before they finally get married in season 8, and during that same season, the writing team on "The Big Bang Theory" decided to (temporarily) split up the stubborn, often thoughtless Sheldon Cooper (Jim Parsons) and his first-ever girlfriend Amy Farrah Fowler (Mayim Bialik). According to Jessica Radloff's 2022 book "The Big Bang Theory: The Definitive, Inside Story of the Epic Hit Series," Parsons, for his part, really hated this storyline.

During season 8 — specifically, the episode "The Commitment Determination" — Sheldon and Amy argue over the fact that he's simply not present in their relationship (to the point where he tells her he thinks about the comic book character The Flash while they're kissing). Frustrated with how slowly their relationship is moving when it comes to physical milestones (as well as Sheldon's general selfishness), Amy tells him she wants to break up, shocking Sheldon. Parsons, who admitted he's conflict averse, wasn't thrilled either, particularly because of his great on-screen rapport with Bialik.

"I wasn't happy that we were doing that, but not as far as the storyline goes," Parsons told Radloff. "Whatever the writers wanted to do was fine as far as the trajectory went. I don't like conflict in my relationships, and I didn't like having even fake conflict in that relationship, which makes me realize just how that relationship — both as a character and as an actor — was a very wonderful thing for me. I loved having Mayim as a partner. I knew Sheldon and Amy would be fine and the writers would figure out what was best for the show, but for myself, I knew I wouldn't have fun scenes with her until they worked this out."

Jim Parsons was very outspoken in Jessica Radloff's oral history about his feelings on Amy and Sheldon's season 8 breakup, but Mayim Bialik's reaction was much more measured ... partly because she knew, based on her contract, she would return to the show for the following season. "Based on my contractual obligations to Warner Bros., I knew they'd figure something out for Amy, but the possibility was very open to me that they might not get back together and just kind of go back to being a circle of friends," Bialik said, indicating that she would have embraced some creative changes for her character. "I actually had a very specific notion that that might happen, so I was really just along for the ride. That was not just something we said for the press." 

Executive producer Steve Molaro explained the reasoning behind this (again, temporary) split between Sheldon and Amy, saying it was simply a good way to close out a season ... and give the two characters room to breathe outside of the relationship. "There were times when we just liked to shake things up creatively on the show, particularly near the end of a season," Molaro clarified. "It made things exciting and gave us fun new wrinkles to explore at the beginning of the next season. This was a chance to see Sheldon and Amy deal with a whole new range of emotions in their relationship. I always assumed at some point they would get back together, but that time apart gave us a chance to find some really fun stories along the way."

The big surprise, after Sheldon and Amy's final argument over Skype in "The Commitment Deterioration," is what happens next. After Amy tells Sheldon that she loves him but needs to end the relationship, Sheldon ends the video call and reveals to the audience that he has an engagement ring waiting for Amy; they do ultimately get back together after Sheldon successfully woos Amy and the two have sex for the first time in season 9, quelling Amy's concerns about Sheldon's intimacy issues. Then, in season 10, when his former colleague and fangirl Dr. Ramona Nowitzki (Riki Lindhome) returns to Sheldon's life and unexpectedly kisses him, Sheldon finally proposes, marking the endgame for Amy and Sheldon's relationship.

"I distinctly remember when I asked Amy to marry me," Jim Parsons recalled in Jessica Radloff's book. "My palms were sweating. I can still visualize being on my knee behind the door, but off camera so the audience couldn't see me until she opened it. And I just... you can barely talk! But you have to because that's your job! You're just having that kind of physiological reaction that most of the time in life you can take a Valium or at least get through it quietly." Steve Molaro confirmed that the moment was definitely worth waiting for, based on the reactions from the live studio audience, the crew, and even Parsons' fellow cast members. "The audience went crazy when he proposed," Molaro remembered. "They screamed. I screamed! And then we all got choked up. Kaley [Cuoco] could not stop crying. We did it in one take, and we couldn't even be bothered to do it again because the scene was perfect. We loved it."

Amy and Sheldon get their first happily ever after in season 11 — when their wedding is officiated by Mark Hamill, playing himself — and their second in the 12th and final season of "The Big Bang Theory," when they win a Nobel Prize together. Clearly, it's a good thing that the show didn't break them up for good.

You can experience the various highs and lows of Sheldon and Amy by streaming "The Big Bang Theory" on Max right now.