Will The Big Bang Theory Actually Let Leonard And Penny Marry? Here's What We Know

Comedies don’t end on cliffhangers nearly as often as dramas do, but The Big Bang Theory went out on a limb and left audiences with two cliffhangers at the end of Season 8. One of those cliffhangers involved Penny and Leonard driving to Las Vegas for an impromptu wedding, only to get into a heated—and possibly relationship-altering—argument along the way. This left us to wonder whether the couple will actually manage to tie the knot, but luckily we’ve gotten a hint about the Season 9 premiere of the CBS comedy. A minister is currently being cast for the first The Big Bang Theory episode of the season.

Here’s what we know. The show is in the process of hiring a male actor in his fifties who will pop up in the premiere. Since the executive producers already revealed at Comic-Con that the Season 9 premiere will pick up just a few hours after we last left Penny and Leonard in the car on the way to Vegas, the fact they will actually get to Sin City isn’t shocking. But the fact that they’ll at least meet with a minister is a bit more surprising, considering Leonard admitted he had cheated on Penny while they were in the car. TV Line got the scoop, noting that the couple will at least “get close” to tying the knot.

Honestly, I’m torn about how I want this to play out. Penny and Leonard deserve a shot at being happily married; however, the show will totally have a different dynamic once a wedding comes into play. However, I’m not sure I’m excited about seeing episode after episode where Penny and Leonard drag on their courtship without being proactive about it. And a potential break-up would be devastating for some fans, too. Wherever Season 9 is going, there are certainly pros and cons.

Unfortunately, we don’t have any scoops on where Sheldon and Amy will be going. When last we left that couple, a conversation about The Flash led to an argument, which then led to Amy choosing to break things off with her longterm beau. Alas, in a move that shows how truly often that couple is not on the same page, Sheldon had bought her an engagement ring and was waiting for the right moment to pop the question.

Obviously, Mayim Bialik, who plays Amy on the comedy, is already signed on for Season 9. However, that doesn’t mean she and Sheldon will easily jump back into a relationship during the Season 9 premiere. It could be a long time—if ever—before the two get back together.

On the bright side, it’ll only be a couple more months before The Big Bang Theory returns the schedule. The Big Bang Theory will be shifting to Monday nights while Thursday night football airs on CBS, so look for the comedy to hit the schedule on Monday, September 21 at 8 p.m. ET, followed by new comedy Life in Pieces. In the meantime, you can check out the rest of CBS’ fall TV schedule.

Jessica Rawden
Managing Editor

Jessica Rawden is Managing Editor at CinemaBlend. She’s been kicking out news stories since 2007 and joined the full-time staff in 2014. She oversees news content, hiring and training for the site, and her areas of expertise include theme parks, rom-coms, Hallmark (particularly Christmas movie season), reality TV, celebrity interviews and primetime. She loves a good animated movie. Jessica has a Masters in Library Science degree from Indiana University, and used to be found behind a reference desk most definitely not shushing people. She now uses those skills in researching and tracking down information in very different ways.