Why Penny's Comet Discovery Has The Big Bang Theory Fans All Saying The Same Thing
For the most part, science nerds and pop culture geeks comprise the main "Big Bang Theory" cast. The likes of Leonard Hofstadter (Johnny Galecki), Amy Farrah Fowler (Mayim Bialik), and Raj Koothrappali (Kunal Nayyar) wear their nerdiness on their sleeves and rarely shy away from sharing their immense knowledge on a variety of topics. On the other hand, there's Penny Teller (Kaley Cuoco): Leonard and Sheldon Cooper's (Jim Parsons) neighbor of pretty average intelligence who makes up for her lack of book smarts with an abundance of street smarts — something most of her friends lack.
Despite her thorough understanding of the world on a non-scientific level, Penny often ends up on the wrong end of jokes and snide comments from the rest of the "Big Bang Theory" gang. Her not having a doctorate or an intimate familiarity with topics like "Star Trek" or theoretical physics make her the odd one out. Naturally, this has caused some tension between her and the other characters now and again, but at the same time, it has set her up for some fun narrative moments. Take, for instance, the episode "The Comet Polarization," where she discovered a comet via Raj's telescope.
While her discovering a comet could've gone a long way in boosting her status among her accomplished colleagues, within the "Big Bang Theory" fanbase, Penny's find has caused some frustration.
Fans think Raj deserves the credit for the comet discovery
Upon the comet's discovery, "The Comet Polarization" focused on Penny and Raj's conflict over who could rightfully lay claim to finding it. Penny spotted it, yet Raj owned the telescope and positioned it for her to see. If you ask the "Big Bang Theory" Reddit community, you'll find that many folks side with Raj on this one. Not only did Penny have nothing to gain professionally from finding it, unlike Raj, but she did the least of the legwork between the two of them. Many agree that her desire for recognition was selfish and overkill, considering how little she contributed to the find.
As one could imagine, even though Raj and Penny were at each other's throats over the comet, their anger toward each other didn't transfer over to the actors behind them. Even years after "The Big Bang Theory" ended its small-screen run in 2019, Kunal Nayyar, Kaley Cuoco, and the rest of the cast keep in touch and are incredibly supportive of one another. "We had a unique experience for so long, so to see everyone doing the things they want to be doing and successful...the texts are always happening," Cuoco told Metro in 2021, revealing her answer to a potential reunion special is a resounding "yes."
The debate will continue over Penny's rightful claim to her and Raj's comet discovery, but at the end of the day, it didn't take them long to reconcile, so it's probably best to leave the issue alone. Still, one has to wonder if the latter actually went through the process of officially adding Penny's name to the accomplishment after the fact or if he just told her he would to end the feud.