Leonard and Penny

Leonard's relationship with Penny has been a major subject in the series since the beginning of season one. Almost all the season finales involve Leonard's complex relationship with Penny in some way.



Leonard's Opinion of Penny
Leonard began liking Penny when she moved in the Pilot episode. He began doing chores for her, such as going to get a TV from her ex-boyfriend Kurt. It wasn't until he got the courage to ask her out that they began dating. They had a few fights but Leonard always liked her and they always managed to stay together.

He was concerned about leaving her alone when he was arranged to go with the others to the North Pole. When he returned in Season 3 the first thing he did was go see Penny which she greeted with a kiss. He gave her a snow-flake which she loved and they began dating.

Leonard was very happy with Penny and told her in The Wheaton Recurrence that he loved her which suprised her. Later in the episode Will Wheaton breaks them up so his team could win a bowling match against Sheldon's team. Leonard was devistated by this and, which Sheldon pointed out, cried about it. He even sniffed the pillow she slept on and listened to depressing and romantic songs. In Season 4 he began dating Priya and she insisted that he stopped talking to Penny and letting her over to their apartment. Even though he was dating Priya, Leonard was reluctant to stop talking to Penny but she agreed not to hang out with Leonard as much to help his relationship. Leonard still considers Penny as a friend and still talks and hangs out with her.

Penny's Opinion of Leonard
When Penny first met Leonard she only thought as him as a neighbor and a friend and had no romantic feelings for him at first. She asked favors off him and talked and visited him nearly everyday. She ate take-outs with him and the others. Later on she confessed she wanted to go out with a guy like him and with that Leonard asked her out which she accepted. They went out a few times and fell out a lot. At the end of Season 2, the episode The Monopolar Expedition, Leonard and the others were arranged to go to the North Pole for three months. In that episode she gave him a blanket with sleeves and hugged him which made Leonard concerned about leaving her but when he asked her about it she said it was just a going away present. After he left and she closed the door she whispered, "it means I wish you weren't going." When he returned at the beginning of Season 3 he went to see Penny which she greeted him with a passionate kiss. Leonard gave her a snow-flake which she loved and they began going out again.

In the episode The Wheaton Recurrence Leonard told her he loved her which suprised her because she wasn't ready for it, but they both got over it when they had to help Sheldon win a bet against Wil Wheaton in a bowling match. Wil Wheaton told Penny that it would be kinder to break-up with Leonard right away which later revealed to be a trick to win the bet but Penny had already broken up with Leonard believing it would help him.

In Season 4 Priya wanted Leonard to stop hanging out so much with Penny. Penny agreed to it to help Leonard move on with his relationship. Penny hated Priya because of that and got upset with not talking to Leonard as much. At the end of Season 4 she admitted to Raj she regretted breaking up with Leonard. She still thinks of Leonard as a friend and helps him when he needs it.

Sheldon
Sheldon usually sees Penny as Leonard's dumb ex, but sometimes he gets caught in her and Leonard's arguments. You could compare Leonard and Penny to a divorced couple, with Sheldon as their son (as seen in the episode The Spaghetti Catalyst. They fight over his affection, and they worry about him if he get's lost.

Restarting their relationsip
In some of the later episodes in season 5, it is shown that the duo are contemplating whether or not to get back together with each other. In The Beta Test Initiation, the two go on a date to see whether or not it will work out between them.