and BAM! Howard Wolowitz

[Trust No One]

It does seem like the writers are like puppet masters, and CL is the maestro. So even if your favourite character has great potential, they can deny him(in this case). Even if two people have on screen chemistry, they can try to stop it. Does the plot have to become obvious? Is it a moral play?(Star Trek Next Gen, certainly was!). Alot of the comedy comes from people meddling in other people's business, for often their own selfish reasons(alot like real life, well some people, meddlers!). The rest of us watch sit coms and do it virtually!

I think it's simply Lorre looks like a troll so the troll looking character gets Penny.