The Penny Fan Theory That Makes The Big Bang Theory Much Darker

Content Warning: this article contains a discussion of alcoholism.

It might seem outlandish, but even for a show as seemingly straightforward as "The Big Bang Theory," there are a ton of fan theories, like the one about how Leonard Hofstadter — played by Johnny Galecki — dies between "The Big Bang Theory" and the present-day timeline seen in "Young Sheldon." So what about the one where Penny, played by Kaley Cuoco (but was almost someone else!), is a spy for a government agency sent to surveil Leonard, Sheldon Cooper (Jim Parsons), Raj Koothrappali (Kunal Nayyar), and Howard Wolowitz (Simon Helberg)?

Yes, it's far fetched — but one Redditor outlined it pretty comprehensively years ago. In a thread titled "The Big Bang Theory: Penny is not what she seems," u/numbertheory put forth four main reasons as to why Penny is probably a government plant, perhaps for the CIA or NSA. First, there's the issue of Penny's lifestyle as a struggling actress, college dropout, and waitress at a local Cheesecake Factory. As u/numbertheory writes, Penny never seems to make any strides as an actress or in her educational pursuits, which is strange, but would make sense within this theory: "The truth is that Penny never wants to better herself, since that would complicate or destroy her cover."

Then there's the way Penny engages with computers and technology in general, saying that because Penny steals Leonard and Sheldon's WiFi (much to Sheldon's chagrin) but never uses the internet to further her career, it also points to her real identity: "The truth is that it is much easier to monitor what they are doing online when they are all sharing the same connection." Penny also doesn't have a roommate (which would help save money) but doesn't appear to make much money or have any friends outside of the main group, which strikes u/numbertheory as strange. Also, she doesn't have a last name. Suspicious!

Okay, so why would this even be a thing? Well, there's a really weird plotline in the show where Leonard dates a girl who may or may not be a North Korean spy, so u/numbertheory thinks an agency sent Penny in after Leonard and Sheldon blew up a bomb in their building's elevator shaft (which we see in flashbacks as the start of their friendship). What did other Redditors think of this theory, though?

On the thread, nobody really bought the "Penny is a spy" theory, but some took it to a darker and more unfortunate place. In response, u/Pyromaniack put forth a very different idea: "I think there is a lot of depth to Penny but she's not an agent ... she's slowly sinking into alcoholism."

After saying that Penny is frequently seen drinking to cope with various issues — her relationship with Leonard, professional disappointments, and so on and so forth — u/Pyromaniack wrote, "The situation, I believe, is actually very dark. She's no longer in Nebraska, she fails at acting and has self-defeating behavior in that regard. Her massive group of friends at the beginning of the series slowly dwindles and she spends more and more time with the boys, people she doesn't identify with because they provide company and occasionally money (dinner)."

This is even darker than the idea that Penny is spying on them, and although Penny enjoys a glass (or bottle) of wine pretty often on "The Big Bang Theory," it seems unfair to decide that she's struggling with a debilitating addiction to alcohol. Honestly, it's fun to theorize, but the fact is that Penny is the best character on "The Big Bang Theory," and her purpose is to make the show better; without her, it would barely be watchable.

If you or anyone you know needs help with addiction issues, help is available. Visit the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration website or contact SAMHSA's National Helpline at 1-800-662-HELP (4357).

At the end of the day, "The Big Bang Theory" largely succeeds because of Penny's presence; without her, most of the show would fall apart completely. Why? Penny is the audience surrogate, and she makes all of the guys — meaning Sheldon, Leonard, Raj, and Howard — bearable even before their characters experience some much-needed growth.

When Penny first moves into the apartment across the hall from Sheldon and Leonard, the two of them are emotionally and just generally immature, and Raj and Howard aren't much better off (the former experiences selective mutism around women, and the latter is a would-be womanizer and huge sleaze). It seems like an overstatement for me to say that Penny makes all of these men into better people, but it's true. Raj eventually becomes one of Penny's close friends and is able to talk around her (and other women). Howard meets his eventual wife Bernadette Rostenkowski (Melissa Rauch) through Penny, eventually marries her, and becomes a standup husband and father. Sheldon lets his guard down and forms an unexpectedly sweet bond with Penny, and obviously, Leonard and Penny end up together; they get married, and in the series finale, we learn they're expecting a baby.

Penny isn't a spy, nor does she have a problem with alcohol — she's the window into the world of "The Big Bang Theory," and the show's dynamic wouldn't function without her. If you don't believe me, go binge the show on Max now.