The Big Bang Theory Boss on Raj's Romantic Future

Over the course of The Big Bang Theory's decade-plus run, most of the boys have found love. Leonard (Johnny Galecki) settled down with Penny (Kaley Cuoco), Howard (Simon Helberg) set aside his playboy ways and got together with Bernadette (Melissa Rauch) and Sheldon (Jim Parsons) found the only person in the world who could put up with him in Amy (Mayim Bialik). Even Stuart (Kevin Sussman) has a girlfriend now. The only single guy left is Raj (Kunal Nayyar), a hopeless (and clueless) romantic who has had at least seven girlfriends over the course of the show, but it's never worked out with any of them. With the series coming to an end this season, time is running out for him. So in the second episode of Season 12, "The Wedding Gift Wormhole," Raj took a big step and asked his father in India (Brian George) to arrange a marriage for him.

Stuart was the catalyst for the decision. The comic book guy was nervous for his date with Denise (Lauren Lapkus), and he came to Raj for consolation. "Trust your instincts," Raj told him. "That's what I do."

"And that works for you?" Stuart asked, pointedly.

"Actually, no," Raj answered. "I made a mess of my life and I'm all alone." It was a genuinely sad response. Raj had a realization that his way of doing things wasn't working, and so he decided to try something new. He asked his father to find someone for him, and at the end of the episode Raj announced to his friends, "Great news: I'm getting married!"

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As long as things go according to plan, Raj will be marrying Anu, a woman in her 30s who works in hospitality management. But this is The Big Bang Theory, so things will not be going according to plan. Will things work out for Raj in the end?

Showrunner Steve Holland was cagey. "That story arc will play out over the season," he told TV Guide. "It seemed like an interesting way to tell a couples story that we haven't done before."

Previously, Nayyar described to TV Guide the type of person he hopes Raj ends up with. "I think maybe someone like him who's just as insecure in love. That would be really lovely, because then he could take care of them, in a way. They could take care of each other in that way. Right now it's always he meets somebody very insecure or he meets somebody too confident and he just can't really juggle all his emotions. So it would be fun to meet someone on his level."

Raj's marriage plot kicks into gear next week, when Future Man's Rati Gupta makes her first guest appearance as Anu.

The Big Bang Theory airs Thursdays at 8/7c on CBS.

(Full disclosure: TV Guide is owned by CBS.)