After 12 years and 279 episodes, The Big Bang Theory wrapped up its run in 2019 and the
final shows were crammed full of references to past storylines and characters. Here's
a look at everything that went down, and why it all matters to the overall Big Bang Theory
universe.
Long-running sitcom finales almost always involve a big, dramatic event characters move
away, or a romantic "will they or won't they" thread ends happily, or some other big goal
is achieved. For a show like The Big Bang Theory, about adults who have almost all married
and become successful in their professions, that kind of big change wouldn't have rung
true. Instead, the writers found an ending that made sense for its world-class scientist
characters, while also resolving a plot line that stretched throughout the show's 12th
and final season.
Physicist Sheldon Cooper and his wife, neuroscientist Amy Farrah Fowler win the Nobel Prize for
Physics for their work on super-asymmetry. It's the ultimate goal of every scientist
and one Sheldon specifically and frequently mentioned throughout the series.
"You really think that I'm the kind of man who would sell out his partner for the chance
of winning a Nobel Prize?"
"Are you?"
"Boy, I hope not."
Receiving this honor also gives the show an excuse for a big destination finale. So, you
guessed it, the whole gang decides to accompany Sheldon and Amy to the Nobel awards ceremony
in Sweden.
Over the course of nearly 300 episodes, The Big Bang Theory developed quite a few running
gags, recurring bits, and even unsolved mysteries. The finale gave fans what they wanted, delivering
on those lengthy setups and wrapping things up nicely along the way.
Viewers finally learn why Leonard dresses the way he does. Forever sporting at least
two layers on his upper body, despite living in sunny California, Leonard reveals that
he's always rocking a hooded sweatshirt because he's consistently "chilly." This, of course,
is Sheldon's fault. He insists that the thermostat be kept at an uncomfortably low temperature.
The show's longest running gag is also resolved. After years of walking up and down the stairs,
a mechanical miracle occurs. With a simple "ding," Penny emerges from the elevator that's
been out-of-order since the first episode aired in 2007.
"Can you believe it? They finally fixed the elevator."
Plus, a couple of the show's most prominent recurring characters get cameos in the final
episodes, doing exactly the type of things that made them so beloved. John Ross Bowie
reprises his role as Sheldon's workplace nemesis, Barry. He prank calls a very nervous Sheldon
as he waits to hear from the Nobel committee. Also, the perpetually unlucky Stuart shows
up for a quick scene. Howard and Bernadette videochat with him as they realize he was
the wrong person to babysit their children.
"Okay, so everyone is happy and healthy?"
"Well, that depends." "What does that mean?"
"Uh, how many teeth did Halley have when you left?"
Even a double-episode with nearly 45 minutes of running time, however, wasn't enough to
wrap up every storyline from the show's extensive past. When the series began in 2007, all four
male main characters were single and socially awkward. By the end, three of them Sheldon,
Leonard, and Howard found love and are happily married. That just leaves Raj, the most lovelorn
of them all, as the sole bachelor.
The series ends with Raj just as single as when it started, although he almost got married
in the final season. Luckily, there may be a glimmer of hope for his love life. On the
flight over to Sweden, Raj ends up in a seat next to Sarah Michelle Gellar who was TV's
Buffy the Vampire Slayer. Somehow he manages to convince her to attend the Nobel ceremony
with him, which was a huge surprise to everyone.
"Is that Buffy the Vampire Slayer"
And as for The Big Bang Theory's most enduring question, well, it didn't get answered, and
it probably never will. Before she became Mrs. Penny Hofstadter, Penny's last name was
never mentioned. Even when relatives visited, writers were careful to let the mystery remain
unsolved.
A huge amount of the show's stories, jokes, and character quirks revolved around Sheldon
being picky, self-centered, arrogant, controlling, and unabashed about all of it.
"Oh, I'm sorry. Did I upset you?"
"Yes!"
"Ask me how I feel about that."
Most viewers have probably wondered why Amy and the others can tolerate such an intolerable
man.
Throughout the finale, almost every character has finally had enough of Sheldon's behavior
and they let him know. Leonard confronts him when, after being told that Penny is pregnant,
Sheldon's merely glad that she's got morning sickness and not a virus that he might catch.
When Sheldon tells Amy that he doesn't intend to be so mean, she drops the bomb that this
obliviousness is the only reason why his entire group of friends hasn't walked out on him.
Sheldon's behavior is so terrible that Howard, Bernadette, Leonard, and Penny all make plans
to head home early and skip the ceremony. But this is an upbeat network sitcom so that's
not going to happen. The whole gang is in the audience when Amy and Sheldon accept science's
highest honor. Both characters deliver touching speeches one speaks to the show's legacy,
and the other provides a happy, tear-jerking moment.
The Big Bang Theory casually demystified science for millions, and probably inspired more than
a few kids to be scientists. In real life, actress Mayim Bialik's has a Ph.D. in neuroscience
from UCLA. Reflecting this passion, her character, Amy, gives a powerful speech encouraging young
girls who dream of a career in science to go for it, no matter what.
"It is the greatest job in the world. And if anybody tells you 'you can't,' don't listen."
Then, it's Sheldon's turn. Stunned that his friends have stuck around to cheer him on
after his terrible behavior, he ignores the novel-length, self-aggrandizing speech he'd
prepared. Instead, he speaks from the heart and thanks his friends and wife for their
years of support. Sheldon also apologizes for not always being a great friend and lets
them know how he truly feels.
"I want you to know, in my way, I love you all.”
This beloved series could very well have ended in that auditorium in Sweden. But that was
just the show's climax it needed an epilogue. At its heart, The Big Bang Theory is a show
about friendship, and how powerful it is when misfits grow up and create their own families
of kindred spirits. So much of the series consisted of the seven featured characters
hanging out in the main apartment set, gathering each evening to eat takeout. And that was
the perfect final image for The Big Bang Theory: a group of close friends casually hanging
out as the camera eases away and the series fades into TV history.
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