Sheldon Cooper (Jim Parsons) and Amy Fowler (Mayim Bialik) had a long and complicated love story on The Big Bang Theory. While the two seemed to be a quirky match made in heaven, it was no picnic dating an overly-particular and socially-inept man like Sheldon. These obstacles did cause Sheldon and Amy to break up for a stint, but the two ultimately couldn't get past their deep feelings for one another and reunited.
Sheldon was never interested in women, or social interaction of any kind, but his friends set him up on an online dating website that found him his perfect match. Sheldon agreed to meet his online date, which turned out to be Amy, and was caught off guard by how shockingly similar they were. Both Amy and Sheldon share a love of science and a slew of fastidious mannerisms. They became friends, though Amy was always looking to become more than friends with Sheldon. It took Sheldon years to finally admit he had romantic feelings for his friend that is a girl, but not his girlfriend.
The Early Days of "Shamy"
Amy finally spurred Sheldon to commit to an official relationship by going out on a date with Stuart, which made Sheldon insanely jealous. To commemorate them becoming official, Sheldon had a 31-page Relationship Agreement drawn up to outline the nature of their coupling. Now an item, Amy was over the moon, but still had to deal with Sheldon's unique way of showing affection. Sheldon was used to being alone most of his life, so sharing his every thought and feeling with another person was a foreign concept to him. Their relationship dynamic was often Amy trying to get closer to Sheldon by holding his hand or getting him to agree to date night.
Amy and Sheldon Break-Up
Although Amy was a saint for endlessly loving Sheldon through all of his faults and eccentricities, constantly having to teach him how to read her emotional cues and react with care became an exhaustive ordeal. One incident pushed Amy too far and she needed a break. Sheldon and Amy were kissing on the couch on their 5th anniversary and Sheldon stops to ask her what she thinks about the new Flash TV show. Amy chastises Sheldon for not focusing on her, which confuses him since he did want to know how she felt about the show. Sheldon doesn't hear from Amy for a few days and when he calls her, she says she needs time to think about their relationship.
After Penny and Leonard's wedding, Sheldon asks Amy if they are outright broken up, and she replies that she still needs more space. Sheldon retorts that she better hurry up and decide before her eggs expire, giving an insensitive remark about her fertility instead of considering her feelings. Amy officially breaks up with Sheldon right there, calling him self-centered and immature. Unknown to Amy, Sheldon had an engagement ring and wanted to propose to her, hence his haste in wanting her to make up her mind. Still, Sheldon needed to learn the appropriate way to express his emotions.
The pair has a hard time getting over the break-up, especially Sheldon who has trouble processing emotions to begin with. Sheldon tries to make Amy jealous by planting another woman's bra in his apartment for her to see, but Amy is in too much pain to even be around Sheldon. They both go on dates with other people to try and move on, but it's a futile endeavor, particularly for Sheldon who realizes how he messed up and what he lost.
Shamy Reunites
Sheldon and Amy begin a tentative friendship again, since they still care for each other. One day, Sheldon has a song, "Darlin" by the Beach Boys, stuck in his head, and he realizes how he will always love Amy when he connects the song to his feelings for her. He rushes over to her apartment to tell her his discovery, but she is on a date with Dave, a man she has been seeing. No longer letting anything stand in the way of his feelings, Sheldon interrupts anyway and declares his feelings for Amy. When Amy finally sees how Sheldon has grown as a person and can express how he feels for her, she takes him back and the two share a passionate kiss.
Things are different now for Sheldon and Amy, as he now fully takes her feelings into account in the relationship. For instance, Sheldon misses the premiere of the new Star Wars movie to spend the night being intimate with Amy. For all of Sheldon's lofty scientific accomplishments, being with Amy was the best thing that could have happened to him, since she taught him how to love unconditionally and how to be loved in return.
The Big Bang Theory aired on CBS from 2007-2019 and starred Jim Parsons, Johnny Galecki, Kaley Cuoco, Simon Helberg, Kunal Nuyyar, Melissa Rauch and Mayim Bialik. The show is currently streaming on HBO Max.