The Big Bang Theory: 10 Things That Make No Sense About Bernadette

Bernadette Rostenkowski-Wolowitz was the small spitfire The Big Bang Theory needed when she came on to the scene in the third season. She tamed the one and only Howard Wolowitz and became a successful microbiologist with her Ph.D. Unlike Penny, Bernadette how goals outside of her looks, which was inspiring to female viewers interested in STEM.

Over 12 seasons, fans got to know the characters of TBBT inside and out. The show has a cult following where every detail was fact-checked and scrutinized by diehard fans. Bernadette’s character has been brought up quite a few times for being inconsistent. What happened to the sweet, quiet “Catholic girl” we met early on? Let’s take a look at 10 things that don’t add up with Bernadette.

10 Her Voice Loses Its ‘Squeak’ Over Time

The only reason Bernadette came into the picture is that Leonard owed Howard a favor. Whenever Leonard had a girlfriend again, he would try his best to set Howard up with one of her friends. The only woman Penny could think of was her tiny friend Bernadette, who she worked with at the Cheesecake Factory.

The pair met for a blind date and the rest was history. At that time, Bernadette was more reserved, polite, and had the tiniest little voice that everyone brought up. In later seasons, her voice seemed to lose its squeakiness.

9 Was Bernadette Almost Pregnant For A Year?

Viewers found out Bernadette was pregnant with their first child, Halley, around Valentine’s Day in the episode “The Valentino Submergence.” It wasn’t said how far along she was then but it’s assumed it was in the early stages.

Oddly enough, the episode after Halley’s birth was “The Holiday Summation,” meaning Halley was born around the holidays. Wouldn’t that mean she was pregnant for 11 months (give or take)? A nine-month pregnancy would lead her to deliver some time in October, not two months later…

8 Where Were Her Five Siblings?

Bernadette mentions early on in her relationship with Howard that she’s not fond of kids because she had five brothers and sisters. With a busy house and aloof parents, Bernadette never got the attention or comfort she was looking for.

With such a big family, one would assume that her siblings would pop up in an episode eventually, but they never did. Her parents also lived nearby, meaning she grew up in the area. Does this mean all of her siblings moved away and that’s why she never saw them? They weren’t even at their wedding!

7 If Bernadette’s Mom Worked Fulltime, How Did She Run An Illegal Daycare Center?

When it came time to talk about children, Bernadette was hesitant. Did she really want to have kids after hating them for so many years? She said her hatred for kids stemmed from assisting her mom run an illegal daycare.

What doesn’t add up is Bernadette said she had to help with the daycare because her mom was working fulltime. Does this mean Bernadette was the only person in charge of this daycare or was her mom’s fulltime job taking care of neighboring kids?

6 Was She Going To Break Up With Howard Or Not?

In “The Herb Garden Germination,” rumors started spreading that Bernadette was going to break up with Howard. Amy and Sheldon found the rumor intriguing and started their own theory on rumors but the question still remained: was Bernadette breaking up with Howard?

At the end of the episode, the gang is sitting around at dinner when all of a sudden Howard proposes. To the group’s surprise, she said yes! The topic of her breaking up with Howard was never brought up again. Does this mean she had a change of heart or did she settle?

5 She Can Be Hyporcritical When It Comes To ‘Me Time’

At the beginning of Howard and Bernadette’s relationship, she seemed to light up at Howard’s jokes and supported his quirks. As the series went on, however, that mentality changed.

In one episode, Bernadette got upset with Howard for constantly choosing his friends over her. Howard would constantly be gaming with Raj or at the comic book store with the guys. When he had downtime, he didn’t want to spend it with his wife. She was triggered by this and it seemed to affect her.

In later seasons, the tables have turned. With two kids and a fulltime job, Bernadette began lying to Howard, saying she was coming home late from work. In reality, she was drinking wine in Halley’s playhouse in the backyard. She even invited Penny and Amy to join her!

4 She Goes From A Sweet & Sensitive Woman To A Full-On Bully

In “The Speckerman Recurrence,” Bernadette and Amy have a heart-to-heart with Penny about her past. It became clear that Penny was the bully women like Amy and Bernadette feared in high school. Bernadette forced Penny to accept this and apologize to those she’s hurt.

Oddly enough, as time went on Bernadette became the bully. She bullied her boss, her co-workers, Howard — anyone around her. What’s worse is she cried when Penny confronted her about it but didn’t change her ways.

3 Why Would She Work At The Cheesecake Factory?

One fan on Reddit made a good point: if Bernadette was getting her degree in microbiology, why was she working at the Cheesecake Factory to pay for her loans? As the poster said, becoming a microbiologist is incredibly hard work and takes time.

Working at the Cheesecake Factory adds nothing to her degree except for money to make payments. “Why wouldn’t she just take teaching hours or assist Professors, as most grad students do?” the poster added.

2 How Would Bernadette’s Mom Pick Out Her Clothes For Her?

While on her first day with Howard, the two are going back and forth about their controlling mothers. Howard’s mom calls him every second of the day and Bernadette’s mom calls to ask what she had for lunch.

Eventually, Bernadette notes that her mother still picks her clothes out for her. What doesn’t make sense is she was living alone when she said this. As a student with her own apartment, how would her mom come over every single morning to choose her outfits?

1 Exactly How Religious Are The Rostenkowskis?

Bernadette wore a cross necklace around her neck when she went on her first date with Howard. Being Jewish, he was hoping dating a Catholic girl would push his mother over the edge. Bernadette also mentioned being very religious and her dad wasn’t too happy she was dating (or marrying) someone outside of her religion.

However, exactly how religious can the Rostenkowskis be if they had no problems with Sheldon, Raj, Penny, and Amy being the ministers at their rooftop wedding? Being ultra-religious, wouldn’t they insist on having a priest run the ceremony?

About The Author

Lynn Gibbs
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Lynn is a nomad who travels the globe on the hunt for her next adventure with her husband. A lover of being outside (and finding the best latte in town), Lynn is typically hiking, walking, or jogging when she’s not focusing on her love of writing. When it comes to shows streaming on Netflix or anything Bravo-related, Lynn’s your gal.

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