‘The Big Bang Theory’: Who Should Raj Have Ended Up With?

The creators and writers of The Big Bang Theory worked hard to tie up as many loose ends as possible when Season 12 wrapped. With the series officially in the books, fans were given a lot to discuss. Everyone watched Sheldon Cooper achieve his biggest goal. They saw Leonard and Penny figure out their marriage, and they watched as Bernadette and Howard walking into the sunset together. The one thing fans didn’t get to see was Raj find his one, true love. While ending up alone isn’t the most tragic thing in the world, Raj’s romantic nature almost begged the writers to give him a happy ending. While it didn’t happen, there will always be hope that Raj’s true love is still out there. Did any of the ladies he dated during the series 12-season run fit the bill, though?

Was Lucy a good fit?

Raj dated Lucy briefly. While their relationship seemed like kismet, it actually didn’t make much sense. Sure, Lucy’s social anxiety seemed to put her in an excellent position to understand Raj’s discomfort around women, but in the end, two people struggling with similar problems are rarely in the place to help each other in any meaningful way. In fact, it seemed to create more problems.

If either Lucy or Raj had overcome their personal issues before they met, it probably would have made sense. As it happened, however, neither Raj nor Lucy could help each other, meaning they were destined to fail. Lucy reappears in Season 10, and while she seems to be making some progress with her social anxiety, she and Raj still weren’t on the same page. Lucy does seem to have found someone who fits her needs at that point, and that is the last fans hear from Lucy.

Emily Sweeney might have been a bit too much for Raj

The polar opposite of Lucy is Emily Sweeney, and Raj seems taken with her at first. They meet on a dating site, and after initially messing things up, Raj gets a second chance. While fans were entertained by Emily and her free-spirited nature, it would be challenging to suggest she was the right woman for Raj.

Emily was self-assured, successful and exciting; all things that Raj was looking for in a lady. She might have been a bit too advanced for Raj, though. Sure, her love for all things gory is what initially scared him off, but deep down that likely wasn’t the real problem. Raj fans all seem to agree that Emily was just a bit too ahead of Raj and ultimately, their relationship had to end. Raj seemed to understand that he wasn’t yet on Emily’s level either. They make a couple of attempts to rekindle things, but it never works out.

The other Emily was only in it for the money

Penny and Bernadette think they’ve found the perfect woman for Raj when a woman who is deaf begins working with them. They set Raj up with her, assuming his selective mutism issue won’t be a problem for Emily. All seems to be going well, but Raj is so taken with Emily that he starts buying her expensive gifts. The gang is incredulous and assumes she is a gold digger.

Raj is completely offended as is Emily, but when he is forced to pick between his love for Emily and his parent’s money, he chooses Emily. Emily, proving Penny right, breaks up with Raj when he tells her he has to return all of the gifts. The original Emily is clearly the wrong fit for Raj, simply because she didn’t seem to really care about him all that much.

The arranged marriage route

Towards the end of the series, fans think Raj is going to find his mate through his parents. Arranged marriages are still conducted in India, and it looks like Raj might solve his problems with love through such an arrangement. He is set to get together with Anu, but Howard stops him, leaving him without a romance when the series ends.

According to The New York Times, arranged marriages are still the norm in India, and the process, which gives final say to the suitors, is still a plan for many Indian men and women who reside in the United States if they fail to find love on their own. While the concept has negative connotations to those raised in Western cultures, It doesn’t carry the same implications in India and other countries where the practice is common. That’s not to say it was the right choice for Raj, though.

Raj was a hopeless romantic, and it’s unlikely he would have found such an arrangement fulfilling in the long-term. Perhaps it would have worked, but Raj seemed so compelled to have a passionate romance that an arranged marriage could have let him feeling hollow.  Could he have quickly married a woman his parents picked out for him? Absolutely, but that doesn’t mean it was right for him.