It is a truth universally acknowledged that a long-running sitcom must be in want of not one but several wedding episodes. After all, if you've got a big cast of kooky characters, eventually they're all going to pair off with significant others and settle down. "How I Met Your Mother" did it, "Friends" did it -- and now "The Big Bang Theory" has finally joined the ranks of TV comedies with several married couples on 'em. Mazel tov!

Last night's (September 21) season premiere tied the knot between Penny (Kaley Cuoco-Sweeting) and Leonard (Johnny Galecki), the longest-standing pair of on-again off-again lovers on the show. Of course, the ceremony itself was practically an afterthought, as the two spent most of the episode arguing with each other about a coworker Leonard once kissed and ended the episode still mad at each other. Ah, young love!

While this isn't the first marriage to be featured on "The Big Bang Theory" -- that honor belongs to Howard (Simon Helberg) and Bernadette (Melissa Rauch), who tied the knot in the show's season five finale -- it'a a surprising move for a show that's now in its ninth season, which saw a 20% decrease in viewership during its last season finale despite still being first in its time slot. Man, a lot of people watch "Big Bang Theory," huh?

"What we didn't want to do was play up the will-they-or-won't-they any longer," Galecki told The Hollywood Reporter about the new marriage storyline. "It wasn't in the audience's best interest. The audience wants to see them married. But just because they have rings on their fingers doesn't mean that it's solved every relationship problem. "

After all, happily wedded bliss doesn't make for good television -- which is why it took Penny and Leonard literally nine seasons to get to it, right?