Amy Farrah Fowler
Dr. Amy Farrah Fowler is a fictional character in The Big Bang Theory, portrayed by Mayim Bialik. Amy is a neuroscientist and Sheldon's love interest in the series. She has a PhD in neurobiology (Bialik herself has a PhD in neuroscience), with a research focus on addiction in primates and invertebrates, occasionally mentioning such experiments as getting a capuchin monkey addicted to cigarettes or starfish addicted to cocaine.
| Dr. Amy Farrah Fowler | |
|---|---|
| The Big Bang Theory character | |
| First appearance |
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| Last appearance |
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| Created by | Chuck Lorre Bill Prady Maria Ferrari |
| Portrayed by | Mayim Bialik Lily Sanfelippo (as a child on Young Sheldon) |
| In-universe information | |
| Gender | Female |
| Title | Doctor |
| Occupation |
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| Spouse | Sheldon Cooper |
| Children | Leonard Cooper (mentioned in Young Sheldon narrations) |
| Religion | Christian |
| Nationality | American |
Character biography
Raj and Howard found Amy through an online dating site after secretly establishing an account using Sheldon's name and information. The site matches her to Sheldon, and the two share many similar traits. Once she and Sheldon meet, she becomes, as Sheldon puts it, a girl who is his friend, but not his "girlfriend". The two initially communicate by computer, but at the encouragement of the group, she starts socializing with the gang in person.
Early on, Amy is essentially a female counterpart to Sheldon. She is coldly rational, displays little emotion, and is awkward in social situations ranging from endearing to embarrassing. In season five, after Amy goes out on a date with comic-book store owner Stuart, Sheldon decides to solidify their relationship as boyfriend/girlfriend with a 31-page "Relationship Agreement". Later in the season, Amy begins a campaign to increase Sheldon's feelings for her by becoming more involved in his interests, including video games and Star Trek, and treating him as his mother did. During Howard and Bernadette's wedding ceremony Sheldon says that he hopes the two of them are as happy together as he is alone, hurting Amy's feelings, but he spontaneously takes her hand for comfort later as Howard is launched into space.
By the beginning of season six, they are regularly holding hands at Amy's insistence, but Sheldon repeatedly resists all of her attempts to engage in further physical intimacy. By mid-season, Sheldon gets some intimate views of Amy when he cares for her while she has the flu, pushing him further toward a traditional relationship with her. She also provides Sheldon with consoling hugs, and receives a slap on the rear by an intoxicated Sheldon who tells everyone that she is a great gal.
Amy tries to move into Sheldon's apartment when Leonard temporarily vacates it, but is unsuccessful in her attempt. Sheldon, after being prodded by Barry Kripke about his girlfriend, lies that he is having sex with Amy, though he admits to Penny that he and Amy may engage in sex. Sheldon later makes the same admission to Amy, while engaging in Dungeons & Dragons intercourse game play. In the season-seven episode "The Locomotive Manipulation", Sheldon sarcastically says he will give Amy the romance she wants, then passionately kisses her on the lips for the first time and enjoys it. In "The Prom Equivalency", Sheldon and Amy admit to being in love with each other.
Early in their relationships, Amy was ambivalent and often condescending towards Penny and Bernadette, but she later spends more time with them, even at the expense of her time with Sheldon. As her appearances have progressed, she has shed her strident, aloof personality for a stereotypically feminine and social one, although she retains some social awkwardness. Her feelings for Sheldon have also grown considerably over time, and she considers him to be ideal in almost every way, though she sometimes becomes as annoyed and frustrated by Sheldon's quirks as his other friends do.
Amy also intensely wants her relationship with Sheldon to progress to include sexual intimacy, a drastic departure from her early days as a member of the circle of friends. She has come to consider Penny a very close friend, sometimes referring to her as her "bestie", occasionally admitting her entire social life revolves around Penny. Penny is fond of Amy, but to her dismay, Amy often fails to grasp the concept of "girl talk", by talking about feminine hygiene and anatomy when in her presence and at times being brutally honest. Amy also often demonstrates an infatuation towards Penny, occasionally bordering on physical attraction, and she has demonstrated a somewhat condescending attitude towards Bernadette, although she still considers her a close friend.
In the final episode of season eight, "The Commitment Determination", Amy decides to take a break from her relationship with Sheldon due to the lack of physical affection. Sheldon had intended to propose to Amy, but she took a break from the relationship before he could ask her. Amy ultimately breaks up with Sheldon after a serious disagreement, but they slowly rekindle their relationship and eventually have sex as a birthday present from Sheldon.
When Sheldon's grandmother visits in season nine, she confronts Amy for hurting Sheldon and unintentionally reveals the secret engagement ring in his possession. Although Amy was initially shocked, she became happy to know that Sheldon loves her enough to have considered taking that step forward in their relationship. Amy later prepares a surprise birthday party for Sheldon, which he has not previously celebrated with the group.
After a plumbing accident makes her apartment uninhabitable in season 10, Sheldon and Amy embark on a five-week experiment living together to test their compatibility. Amy later admits she lied about how long the repairs were taking so that she could continue living with Sheldon. They eventually move into Penny's old apartment together, while Penny moves in with Leonard, and later make the arrangement permanent. Amy is later offered a three-month science research project at Princeton University in New Jersey and leaves with Sheldon's encouragement. She becomes angry when she learns of Sheldon spending time with Ramona Nowitzki, who she suspects has romantic feelings for Sheldon (which she does). In the season finale, after Ramona kisses Sheldon, he visits Amy and proposes to her. The episode ends on a cliffhanger awaiting her answer. In the season 11 premiere episode "The Proposal Proposal", which picks up immediately after Sheldon's proposal, Amy's answer is further delayed by a phone call from Leonard and Penny, after which she finally says yes. She and Sheldon marry in the season 11 finale. Amy objects to Sheldon wanting to provide sperm for Zack Johnson's baby, but does try and get him excited about having their own child.
Amy is musically inclined and is shown to play the harp, autoharp and keyboard throughout the series.
In the final season, Sheldon and Amy publish their work on super-asymmetric string theory and win the Nobel Prize in Physics together.[1]
Reception
The fourth season received particular praise for character developments. Alan Sepinwall of Uproxx praised the additions of Bernadette and Amy to the cast, writing that "With Amy Farrah Fowler and Bernadette promoted to semi-permanent status, the show is now able to spend large chunks of each episode focusing only on the women, and in the process has made Penny a much more well-rounded character rather than just a foil for the nerds".[2]
References
- "The Big Bang Theory Finale: EPs Talk Elevator Twist, Sheldon's Speech, Howard and Bernadette's [Spoilers]," TV Line (May 16, 2019) https://tvline.com/2019/05/16/big-bang-theory-series-finale-sheldon-amy-nobel-prize/
- Sepinwall, Alan (May 20, 2011). ""The Roommate Transmogrification": Trading places". Uproxx. Woven Digital. Archived from the original on January 6, 2017. Retrieved January 5, 2017.
