The Big Bang Theory’s strangest reunion was ruined by an unexpected cancellation

It is a delight for fans of The Big Bang Theory when they get to see their favorite cast members cross paths again. The CBS sitcom spanned twelve seasons, leaving a legacy built on peculiar humor and the synergy of its ensemble cast. With that in mind, the clever reference came when Melissa Rauch and Simon Helberg, also known as Bernadette and Howard, were cast as yet another married couple for NBC’s Night Court.

The last surprise came in season 3 with Simon Helberg’s cameo as Abby Stone’s secret husband. Rauch, who plays Abby in Night Court, had concealed her character’s marriage not just from the cast but from everyone during the entire course of the show.

It made for an amusing and powerful reveal that suggested there was still a lot left to be said. For lovers of The Big Bang Theory, it was a refreshing meta twist in the story of the long-cherished couple.

But in the blink of an eye, the reunion was just as quickly as it came- “Night Court” was brutally canceled by NBC without sparing a thought for the rest of season 3 and Helberg’s character returning back to the show. Instead of having an engaging, complex reunion story, everything was left aimlessly- a network's decision created plenty of possibilities, but heaps of clutter in the storyline squandered the opportunity.

A meta reunion with The Big Bang Theory

During the third season finale of Night Court, we found out Abby Stone had clandestinely been married to Helberg’s character. It was not a shocking twist, and at the same time, it was a delightful bit of history repeating itself.

Rauch and Helberg’s weird but endearing Big Bang Theory chemistry turned Howard and Bernadette into one of the most loved couples of the show. So, to see them paired again, after The Big Bang Theory, in a completely new sitcom was hinting towards a second round of chaotic mismatched marriage shenanigans — the good kind.

The most brilliant aspect of the twist was its subtlety. The show’s approach of not giving a marriage build-up was genius. By revealing the marriage retroactively, they didn’t need to construct a new romance since it was there—just behind the scenes.

This was uncharacteristic, but welcomed, for sitcoms, allowing for a unique take on how Abby’s hidden life remained hidden all this time. With Helberg throughout the entire season instead of what was planned, he gave Night Court a unique edge just when it needed one.

Cancellation killed a promising storyline

Melissa Rauch shared with The Wrap that Helberg's role was not merely a cameo. He was meant to come back in season 4 and had mapped out an entire story arc that would showcase the history of the marriage and examine what Abby’s role would transform into moving forward.

“He would come back in and we can really do an arc for the storyline... not only reveal what the story is behind what we saw in the finale, but sort of move forward,” he told me.

That was a promising idea, one that could have provided not only emotional weight but also a ton of laughs.

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The show's rating nosedive in its third season is what led the show to be suspended, which was the primary reason for NBC to cancel the show.

Whether the new couple dynamic would mirror Howard and Bernadette from The Big Bang Theory or completely subvert them and turn the whole idea on its head. One of the most original and surreal sitcom reunions not so long ago was presented as a narrative that had an abrupt ending, concealing all the hype.

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