The Big Bang Theory: Amy & Penny Friendship Timeline, Season By Season

Amy Farrah Fowler and Penny couldn’t have been more different, but their differences are what made them get along so well. They learned from each other, shared things together, and grew as friends and individuals. From strangers in season 4 to best friends in season 12, Amy and Penny showed tremendous growth in The Big Bang Theory.

And while Bernadette met Amy around the same time Penny did, the connection between Amy and Penny was greater. Their contrasts helped the other grow — especially on Penny’s end. With the help of Leonard and Sheldon, Amy and Penny were brought together but they stayed BFFs because of their friendly love for each other.

9 Season 4

Although Amy’s first appearance was in season 3, she didn’t meet Penny until season 4. Penny heard about Sheldon’s “girl that was a friend” while waiting on the gang at The Cheesecake Factory. And in “The Robotic Manipulation,” Penny finally met her while chaperoning Sheldon and Amy’s first date. Things were definitely awkward between the two in season 4 — especially after Amy invited herself to girls’ night. But the relationship became more comfortable when Penny joined Amy and co. for a science convention.

8 Season 5

The two women are more comfortable with each other in the fifth season but haven’t reached best friends territory (at least not for Penny). This is proven when Amy and Bernadette go bridesmaids shopping for Bernadette’s wedding and didn’t think about inviting Amy. The threesome makes up of course and turns over a new leaf.

Later, Penny gets to know Amy well enough where she starts helping Sheldon with his woman woes. In “The Rothman Disintegration,” Amy proves her dedication as Penny’s friend by spending thousands of dollars on an oil painting of the two of them.

7 Season 6

In season 6, Leonard and Penny are back together and Sheldon and Amy are officially a couple. This means Penny and Amy are seeing a lot more of each other and getting along well.  In “The Re-Entry Minimization,” Amy and Penny proved how in-sync they were by beating Leonard and Sheldon at Pictionary and other “battle of the sexes” games. They went to Disneyworld with Bernadette and even went head to head against each other so that their partners would get tenure. They were comfortable enough at this point to bicker and bounce back like real friends.

6 Season 7

Penny found herself in a new spot when she quit The Cheesecake Factory to focus on her acting career. Amy, on the other hand, was doing incredible work and actually doing research in the same building as Sheldon at Caltech. Back at home, Penny and Amy teamed up when Sheldon realized he was focusing too much of his time on Amy and not enough time on work.

Penny called Amy to warn her about Sheldon’s epiphany and the two were able to calm Sheldon down. TheBFFs did have a small bump in their relationship in “The Anything Can Happen Recurrence” when Amy left Penny out to hang out with Bernadette. Due to Penny’s bad movie she was filming, Amy needed a break from her constant complaining.

5 Season 8

Amy found herself stuck in the middle between Bernadette and Penny when Penny was interviewing for Bernadette’s company. Penny wasn’t taking it as seriously as Bernadette would have liked, and Amy had to play nice with both ladies. Penny ended up getting the job, which made both Bernadette and Amy’s lives easier. With Penny’s finances in a better state, the ladies partied in Las Vegas together, attended a make-shift prom, and showed each other the embarrassing parts of their lives in “The Troll Manifestation.”

4 Season 9

The start of season 9 showed how connected Penny and Amy were when Amy broke things off with Sheldon. Penny told Sheldon that she knew Amy was unhappy but didn’t know when she was going to leave him. This news deeply hurt Sheldon but proved how close the two ladies were. Throughout season 9, Penny helped Amy with her heartbreak and dating until she eventually got back together with Sheldon. Penny even gave Amy words of encouragement before she slept with Sheldon for the first time.

3 Season 10

“The Dependence Transcendence” was a great episode that proved how much Penny adored her friend Amy. Amy was going to a “party” at her friend Bert’s house and Penny asked if she could tag along. Amy admitted that it wasn’t much of a party; it was more or less science people gathering around and talking about work. Penny, however, didn’t seem to care and went with her anyway and the two had a great time. Penny learned more about Amy friend through Bert and became closer to her. By the end of the season, Amy flew to New Jersey for work and Penny helped keep an eye on Sheldon for her.

2 Season 11

At the start of season 11, Amy was engaged to Sheldon and ready to plan her dream wedding to a man she never thought would commit. With Bernadette’s help, Penny threw a bachelorette party for Amy to celebrate the wedding. It wasn’t exactly what Amy was looking for but the night ended better than it started. By the end of the season, Penny realized how much Amy meant to her when Amy was considering having Bernadette as her maid of honor. Penny felt she should have had the honor since Amy was her best friend.

1 Season 12

In the final season of the series, Penny and Amy were closer than ever. They lived across the hall from each other, were married to best friends, and genuinely cared for each other. Penny flew across the world with morning sickness to watch Amy and Sheldon accept their Nobel Prize. Of the many friendship on The Big Bang Theory, Penny and Amy’s had the best development.

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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