The Big Bang Theory: Sheldon & Amy's Relationship Timeline, Season By Season (2024)

Sheldon and Amy's relationship was one of the main plotlines of Big Bang Theory throughout its 12 seasons. Neither Sheldon nor Amy were looking for love when they first met — in fact, both agreed to a blind date purely to make someone else happy. However, by the end of The Big Bang Theory, "Shamy" was a fan-favorite couple. Seeing Sheldon and Amy move in together, get married, and start a shared life over the course of their relationship was incredibly heartwarming, and while their dynamic was certainly unique (coming as it did with a contract and scheduled intercourse), it made them one of the most endearing TBBT couples.

With Young Sheldon showing Sheldon Cooper as a child and revealing just how odd he's always been, it makes it even more special to know that he found someone like Amy Farrah Fowler who could not only match him mentally but understand him emotionally. Of the three key relationships on the show — with Penny and Leonard as one and Howard and Bernadette as the other — Sheldon finding love struck a chord with audiences. From Amy's first appearance to the Big Bang Theory finale, watching the Amy and Sheldon relationship unfold remains one of the highlights of the show.

Sheldon And Amy's First Date

Season 3, Episode 23

Sheldon and Amy's relationship starts in the season three finale, "The Lunar Excitation." This was Amy Farrah Fowler's first-ever appearance on The Big Bang Theory. She appeared on the show after Raj and Howard created a dating profile for Sheldon as a bit of a joke. Sheldon, much to their surprise, matches with a woman. When they set up a date with Amy, they realize that they may have actually found Sheldon's perfect match.

Amy's compatibility with Sheldon isn't something viewers would learn of immediately because the two have only a single scene together in her first episode. However, Mayim Bialik's The Big Bang Theory debut as Amy Farrah Fowler sets the groundwork for the Sheldon and Amy relationship. It becomes clear very quickly that Amy and Sheldon have a lot in common, including agreements they made with their mothers to go on dates.

Amy Is A Girl, Who Is Sheldon's Friend, But Not His Girlfriend

Season 4, Episode 1 - Season 5, Episode 10

It's obvious that Sheldon and Amy are phenomenally well suited for each other, but they are struggling to define their relationship in this season. At this point in their relationship, Sheldon describes Amy as "a girl, who is my friend, but not my girlfriend." Neither admits to wanting a romantic relationship, but they are clearly in something approximating that.

The Sheldon and Amy relationship from season 4 to episode 10 of The Big Bang Theory season 5 sees them go on dates, and then stop seeing each other several times. Mostly their spats are trivial, with quick resolutions to misunderstandings that the others in the show mostly find impossible to understand. It is also at this time that Amy starts to bond with Penny and Bernadette starting in "The 21-Second Excitation," much to their early confusion.

Amy becomes more receptive to the idea of she and Sheldon becoming a couple much faster than he does. She initiates a lot of the early stages of their relationship, like meeting relatives and holding his hand, in seasons 4 and 5.

Sheldon Asks Amy To Be His Girlfriend

Season 5, Episode 10 - Episode 22

Throughout the first half of The Big Bang Theory season 5, the Sheldon and Amy relationship remains a tease for viewers, as they are still ostensibly not dating. However, that changes in "The Flaming Spittoon Acquisition." At this time, Sheldon is pondering if he should actually ask Amy to be his girlfriend, and this comes thanks to Stuart from the comic book store asking her out on a date.

It took this to make Sheldon realize he was jealous, and that is when he finally figures out that he wants to be in a relationship with Amy. He barges in on her date with Stuart, and it is here that Sheldon asks Amy to be his girlfriend, and she says yes. Sheldon and Amy then start officially dating, though their relationship is a bit over-structured at first.

Much like Sheldon made Leonard sign a roommate agreement when he moved in, he had a Relationship Agreement for Amy. It was 31 pages long and would likely scare away many women. Luckily, Amy thought it was romantic and signed it, although she felt it was a little too restrictive at points. This included when date nights would be and other requirements to keep the Sheldon and Amy relationship structured to Sheldon's liking — and watching him learn to compromise was one of the greatest leaps in his character development.

Amy Keeps Waiting On Sheldon

Season 5, Episode 23 - Season 7: Episode 14

Amy is now an established member of the gang, and Sheldon's girlfriend, but their relationship is still a little bit unusual — and this causes some friction throughout the series. This finally caused some serious issues for Sheldon and Amy's relationship in "The Launch Acceleration." On their monthly date night, Amy suddenly sprung on Sheldon that she wanted more. Amy pointed out that their friends' relationships were moving much faster, and she felt they were missing out. Sheldon felt that things couldn't move any faster, and this caused Amy to concede and decide to be more patient.

However, Amy started to get tired of waiting to see if Sheldon would ever come around in "The Countdown Reflection" when she waited for Howard and Bernadette was preparing to get married in City Hall. Sheldon still makes mistakes, including commenting on liking being alone — despite being in a relationship with Amy — or inviting Raj along on dates. Amy has big plans to marry him within four years, but she still considers him "a flight risk", so she spends season 6 waiting for Sheldon to agree to more intimacy.

The two do take some steps forward, largely on Sheldon's end. He changes his emergency contact at the university to Amy because she's the only one he wants by his side if he ends up in the hospital. The idea touches her, though other people might not see it as romantic. Sheldon also concedes that, despite their slow progress, he does see the potential for physical intimacy with her in the future, just not right now.

Amy and Sheldon's First Kiss

Season 7, Episode 15

After almost four seasons of dating, Sheldon and Amy's relationship takes a big leap when they finally share their first kiss in the season 7 episode, "The Locomotive Manipulation." Amy arranged a train tour for Valentine's Day that would end with a weekend getaway in an incredibly sweet moment. Of course, Sheldon also ignores Amy for most of the train ride until she voices that she wants to spend time with him. It was here that Sheldon really starts to understand how much he loves and relies on Amy.

She also realizes that she would be incredibly lonely without him, and it seems like all is going well. However, when Penny and Leonard get engaged, Amy suggests that perhaps she should move in with him. At this time, Sheldon gets completely overwhelmed and decides to run out on everyone, going on a train journey by himself.

Sheldon Says I Love You & Amy Ends Things

Season 7, Episode 16 - Season 8, Episode 24

Season 7 of The Big Bang Theory included one of the most difficult periods of the Sheldon and Amy relationship, as things just kept going wrong for Shamy. In the beginning, Amy and Sheldon are happy together. For a while, it also seemed like their relationship was rapidly progressing. They spend the night together (although without 'coitus', just a sleepover) because they have so much fun together. Sheldon even said "I love you" in "The Prom Equivalency."

However, in a shocking moment at the end of the season, Amy breaks up with Sheldon, exhausted at how much work their relationship is. This was even worse for Big Bang Theory fans watching the show. Sheldon sadly reveals to the audience that he had bought an engagement ring, and now he has no idea what to do with the ring that he had bought for her. Despite the proposal being teased in season 7, however, it would be several more before Amy and Sheldon got engaged.

Amy Takes A Break

Season 9, Episode 1 - Episode 9

When Big Bang Theory season 9 started, the Sheldon and Amy relationship was over with — at least temporarily.

Amy had broken up with Sheldon, not knowing he was about to ask her to marry him, and she said she needed a break. Sheldon realized this wasn't what he wanted and after seeing Penny and Leonard finally get married, he asked Amy what their status was, and she finally ended things with him. However, they keep messing things up, as evident when Amy keeps rejecting offers for dates because she still likes Sheldon, but Sheldon asks some women out at a bar to try to get over Amy.

Neither knows what the other wants and it is destroying them. In "The Spock Resonance," Sheldon finally decided to go and ask Amy to marry him, but he saw her kissing a date and it devastates him. It seemed the two would never get back together, and the Sheldon and Amy relationship was broken, almost beyond repair. Even when Amy asks to date Sheldon again, he rejects her because he is still hurt from the breakup. This finally ended when Sheldon figured out what he needed to do, although their reconciliation was still a little ways off.

Amy And Sheldon Reconnect And Experience Coitus

Season 9: Episode 10 - Episode 11

In the Big Bang Theory season 9 episode "The Earworm Reverberation," Sheldon can't get a certain song out of his head, but he can't figure out what the song is. At the same time, Amy is trying to date Dave Gibbs, who can't seem to stop talking about Sheldon. That is when Sheldon finally realizes the song is "Darlin" by the Beach Boys, and he connects it with his feelings toward Amy. He rushes to her apartment, and with Dave pushing her on, she finally agrees to go out with Sheldon again and the two share a passionate kiss.

One episode later in "The Opening Night Excitation," Sheldon chooses to be with Amy over going to a Star Wars premiere. The Sheldon and Amy relationship finally went all the way here too, and after coitus (as Sheldon hilariously refers to it even in the buildup to the moment) they both seemed happy and content for the first time in almost two seasons. This moment in Amy and Sheldon's relationship is especially notable because of Stephen Merchant's performance as the other many in Amy's life Dave Gibbs, a highlight among the various The Big Bang Theory cameos.

Amy Moves In With Sheldon And Sheldon Proposes

Season 9, Episode 12 - Season 11, Episode 1

Even though they had finally been physically intimate, Sheldon and Amy's relationship was not perfect yet in The Big Bang Theory. In "The Meemaw Materialization," Sheldon's Meemaw comes to visit and meet the "girl who broke my grandson's heart" and Sheldon wouldn't stick up for Amy. Amy also learned for the first time about the ring Sheldon had gotten for her. However, when she asked when he would propose, Sheldon demanded that she slow down because she just took his virginity.

In The Big Bang Theory season 10, Amy and Sheldon took some major steps forward. First, they end up moving in together when Amy's apartment floods, and she needs a place to stay. They decide to move into Penny's apartment (with Penny and Leonard living in the apartment across the hall) as an "experiment." In the end, it's a successful one as Sheldon realizes he enjoys living with her even after it's time for Amy to move back to her own apartment.

However, Amy ends up leaving when she gets a summer program opportunity at Princeton, and worries that it may cause issues. Amy's fears were unfounded though, as in "The Proposal Proposal," Sheldon ends up flying out to her after his colleague Ramona kissed him — and he proposes on the spot.

Sheldon And Amy Get Married

Season 11, Episode 2 - Episode 24

Season 11 was all about the engagement and the wedding, as it starts with Amy accepting Sheldon's proposal, and ends with their wedding day. Much of the season is devoted to wedding planning, though Sheldon initially finds the entire idea stressful. Eventually, they end up dividing the tasks among themselves and their friends, finding a way to balance the stress, understanding that what's most important is that they are together with their closest friends on the big day.

Of course, the engagement and the wedding are truly unique, and definitely fit the two of them. When Sheldon has a breakthrough right before they're meant to walk down the aisle, he, Amy, and Leonard all team up to discuss physics, working out theories on a white board until Penny comes to retrieve them all.

It's an incredible season for Amy and Sheldon, especially because they are both so wholeheartedly happy to be marrying each other — and to be working together, too. The Sheldon and Amy relationship was finally spousal, although there was still an epilogue for them to come before The Big Bang Theory concluded.

• Season 11, Episode 24 “The Bow Tie Asymmetry” - Sheldon and Amy get married

Bow Ties And Nobel Prizes

Season 12, Episode 1 - Episode 24

• Season 12, Episode 24 “The Stockholm Syndrome” Amy and Sheldon win a Nobel prize together

In season 11, Sheldon and Amy's relationship was all about learning to live together as partners and a married couple. This started with them distracted on their wedding day thanks to a breakthrough with the project they are working on together — and this season sees them publish a paper, deal with people attempting to steal credit, win a Nobel Prize, and on top of it all, figuring out how to be married to each other.

They have already grown so much in the last few seasons that the final season is more about them presenting a united front to the outside world. They are each often misunderstood, but they understand one another. In the end, it's clear that Sheldon and Amy are pretty perfect for each other, and they couldn't be a more compatible couple. In The Big Bang Theory, the Sheldon and Amy relationship was the cornerstone of the series to the end.

What Happens To Sheldon & Amy After The Big Bang Theory

Young Sheldon Visits Their Future

Because of the series getting a spinoff in Young Sheldon, the audience of the show actually gets to know a little bit more about what happens to Sheldon and Amy after the events of The Big Bang Theory. Adult Sheldon narrates the events of Young Sheldon as he looks back on his life and interjects some notes about the future.

One thing that is made clear is that Sheldon and Amy are still going strong with a few children, one of them named after Leonard. They also still bicker, but seem to have found a nice balance in their relationship. They also make comments about Penny during their voiceover moments in the show, so it’s clear their friendship with Penny and Leonard is still there as well.

Comments about their respective careers aren’t part of the show, though Sheldon does like to wear his Nobel Prize medal everywhere he goes. The implication of Sheldon narrating the spinoff series is that he’s writing his autobiography and looking back on some of the key moments in his childhood. It’s possible even more details about Sheldon and Amy’s life after The Big Bang Theory could be revealed in the second spinoff series Georgie & Mandy’s First Marriage.

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The Big Bang Theory first premiered on CBS in 2007 and became one of its era's most popular and longest-lasting network sitcoms. Running for 12 seasons, The Big Bang Theory focuses on a group of self-proclaimed nerds, Leonard (Johnny Galecki), Sheldon (Jim Parsons), Howard (Simon Helberg), and Raj (Kunal Nayyar), who form an unlikely friendship with their new neighbor Penny (Kaley Cuoco). The series became a ratings giant and took home multiple Emmys. The Big Bang Theory was so successful that it ended up spawning a spinoff titledYoung Sheldon, which has also become one of CBS’ most popular sitcoms.

Release Date

September 24, 2007

Cast

Kaley Cuoco , Johnny Galecki , Jim Parsons , Melissa Rauch , Mayim Bialik , Kunal Nayyar , Simon Helberg

Seasons

12

Showrunner

Mark Cendrowski