The Big Bang Theory ran for 12 seasons on CBS from 2007 to 2019, becoming one of the last major hit sitcoms as the genre's popularity declined during the 2010s. Created by Chuck Lorre, the show followed four socially awkward but professionally brilliant friends navigating life and relationships in California, and its finale wrapped up most characters with career wins, moves or new babies. According to Collider, however, the ending given to Raj Koothrappali, played by Kunal Nayyar, stands out as the show's biggest misstep, since his romantic storyline was left unresolved despite years of character development.

The article argues Raj underwent the most significant growth of the core cast, evolving from a character who initially couldn't speak to women without alcohol into someone more confident and self-assured. Alongside Howard, Leonard and Sheldon, Raj was part of an ensemble of nerdy, socially clumsy geniuses whose personal lives provided much of the show's comedy. Despite this progression, Collider contends the finale failed to give Raj the satisfying romantic conclusion his arc had been building towards, leaving his story feeling incomplete compared with his friends'.