S12.E23: The Change Constant; S12.E24: The Stockholm Syndrome

[stealinghome]

Quote

A lot of people being mad at Sheldon for being selfish might have been a meta-reference to the actors being mad at the show not going on for another season.

I have to confess, I did wonder how meta the last speech was in the sense that, while Sheldon/Jim Parsons was clearly the breakout star of the show, TBBT's real strength has always been in the ensemble and the actor/character chemistry. So I kind of like to think that all the actors teared up in that scene because Jim Parsons (who was definitely crying) meant the words way more than Sheldon ever did.

[Florinaldo]

So that is the way the show ends : not with a big bang, but a whimper.

The show has morphed into a standard sitcom for some time now, but I had hoped for a more original or clever finale. Instead we got the required happy endings, including a pregnancy, that cliché of clichés, and the stupid Nobel win. Plus a maudlin and manipulative acceptance speech; JP gave it his best effort, but I thought this was just "Friends" with scientist characters.

There were a few isolated moments of pleasure, like the elevator pinging open (the absence of yellow tape was a clue), the slap (finally!!) and Raj geting to bring Buffy as his not-date to the ceremony. But I was left with an impression of a wasted opportunity to redeem themselves for their last few seasons.

48 minutes ago, TV Diva Queen said:

I too think Mary Cooper should have been there. 

I don't think she would have enjoyed being in a room full of heathens and Bible-deniers, as she would have characterised them.   😉

Edited May 17, 2019 by Florinaldo

[Magnumfangirl]

34 minutes ago, marketdoctor said:

The reveal about Penny's pregnancy was deftly handled--I got the hint when Amy had the "they had to take my dress in and let Penny's out".

Amy's "best day of my life" reaction to that was hilarious!  

[Ottis]

35 minutes ago, bybrandy said:

But I don't see how that "goes out of its way not to change anything." as Penny and Leonard having a kid will fundamentally change things. 

Agree it will change things, but it changes things in the most cliched, unchanging way possible. If they have kids, they put down roots, and its harder to leave. This whole ending was about not changing anything. Leave them frozen in time. Which IMO is the easiest way to end a show.

37 minutes ago, bybrandy said:

The show ended with where they were in their careers, but it  doesn't mean that Raj isn't going to meet the love of his life on the plane ride home or that Sheldon and Amy don't take a job elsewhere going forward. 

Yes, all sorts of things *could* happen. That plane could go down and they all die. But we didn't see *anything* happen. We didn't even see any implications that anything would happen (i.e., jobs offers for Sheldon and Amy elsewhere).

18 minutes ago, Snow Apple said:

I'm puzzled when people say nothing changed. Rome wasn't built in a day. Look how far everyone's come.

I don't think people mean nothing changed since we met the characters. What people mean is, the ending of the show indicates nothing has or will change at the end of the show.

Here's another way this could have ended, which I would have respected more:

- Nobel winners Sheldon and Amy get job offers at MIT (or some Ivy league East Coast school) and go there, where Sheldon must now break in a whole new bunch of snobby, East Coast types who think they are smart and must realize Sheldon is smarter.

- Howard is called back to the space program to lead an initiative that helps scientists become astronauts, where his fears and vulnerabilities are a strength.... and Bernie's book about the astronaut becomes a smash hit. She leaves her job at the drug company to become a children's book author who doesn't take shit from publishers.

- Penny sticks to not having kids, and she is recruited to another company to a C-level position where she is fulfilled and happy, while ironically Leonard is spotted by a Hollywood scout and is cast in a new TV show about a blue collar family in the Midwest (hint, hint, wink)

- Raj decides to go to London and see if it works with Anya, and his dad coincidentally moves to London  as well where they will spend more time together and seem to realize the value of that

- Stuart marries his girlfriend and opens another comic book store

- And while all these things are signaled and don't happen yet, the clear message is that through these changes, they all remain friends.

I would have liked that a lot better. And it shows effort.

[Snow Apple]

To each their own. I like endings where life just go on and everybody don't get their lives dramatically changed all at the same time. Sheldon and Amy winning was enough. Even Penny's pregnancy is two months old even if we didn't see those two months.

 I don't need or want an ending like the 70's sitcom Good Times.

[Ottis]

55 minutes ago, kariyaki said:

Yeah, but those are different scenarios. If the characters were in high school and graduated, them moving away from each other would make sense. The friends on the Big Bang Theory were brought together by their jobs and living situations where they have not shown any indication that they plan to drastically change these circumstances, so it remaining more or less the status quo is more plausible to me than all of them suddenly deciding to move away to separate states.

Actually, they are very much the same scenario. Because at the ages these characters are, my friends and I all had different opportunities, and all moved to different places. They weren't even the places we are now. They were just the beginning of our journeys.

That's my point. This show could have ended in a number of ways. They chose the most unrealistic, easiest one - no change. This despite the fact that these characters are at an age, and have the credentials, to have numerous opportunities in front of them. It makes me wonder if, in 10 more years and they are all still there, they all will regret it. As I said, you can remain close friends AND pursue your dreams. The odds of the dreams of 10 people ALL being in the same location they are in now? Tiny, unless they basically give up and don't grow any more.

6 minutes ago, Snow Apple said:

To each their own. I like endings where life just go on and everybody don't get their lives dramatically changed all at the same time. Sheldon and Amy winning was enough. Even Penny's pregnancy is two months old even if we didn't see those two months.

 I don't need or want an ending like the 70's sitcom Good Times.

I think it depends on what people like IRL. YMMV, and in my opinion, ending a 12yo show by showing nothing is changing is uninteresting. It may feel comfortable, but it's lazy.

[AD35]

1 hour ago, ChitChat said:

It was similar to how Everybody Loves Raymond ended.  They're all just going about a normal day as the camera fades out.  That's a good way to do it.  

That's how I thought of it too. One last major storyline to wrap up during the ep while others are more open ended. Favorite moment: Leonard slapping Sheldon.  I would have liked to have seen the look on Johnny's and Jim's faces when they learned that was going to happen. As far as parents not being there, in my head Mary and MeeMaw are at home watching Shelly/Moonpie and Amy being awarded with their prize.

[proserpina65]

4 hours ago, shapeshifter said:

I'm okay with at least one of the group remaining single for now

I wish they'd given him at least a possibility of something.  Like whomever he met on the plane had mutual interests.

4 hours ago, shapeshifter said:

Also, Penny, who had expressed strongly that she did not want to have children got pregnant when she was drunk and could not have given consent.

Eh, she was the aggressor.  I don't really have a problem with it.

I forgot about the slap.  I did enjoy the slap a lot.

[MakingBacon]

I am not sure why any of them should leave Caltech to work somewhere else. Caltech is  highly respected university and consistently either the top university or in the top three in the country. Its a pure science dream school to either attend or be employed as a professor. Amy and Sheldon would be rock stars there now with their Nobel Prize.

Why do people need to more to new states or get different jobs to prove they have evolved? Most people I know went to college, graduate school and still live in the Southern California where they were born, which is what I did as well. So did I not evolve because I don’t want to leave the state? Of the characters, only Howard grew up in Southern California anyway. If they have their dream jobs already and love where they live, why are dramatic changes necessary? 

[DrSpaceman]

The last scene was a nice touch and kind of moving

But really, this was an hour long final where not much happened. 

Leonard gets penny pregnant

Amy and Sheldon get the nobel prize

That's about it

Hard to believe they couldn't have fit SOMETHING more in an "hour" long episode.  Of course they had to do a whole series recap as a time waster and the usual shortened stuff, so really like 30 minutes maybe total of running time 

[ProfCrash]

I am fine with them staying where they are. The guys and Amy are working at one of the most prestigious Universities in the US and, arguably, the world. The University will bed over backwards to keep Amy and Sheldon there because of the Noble. There are few places that they could move that would be seen as a step up so there is not going to be a lot of desire to move.

Sheldon, in particular, is not going to want to move. Changing jobs, states, and friends would be almost fatal for him. Leonard and Penny are happy with their current jobs and status. Leonard is working in a new field and taking a co-lead position. He has room to grow and move and no real professional reason to move.

Raj and Howard have some reasons to think about moving but are pretty happy with their positions and it is hard to see how a move would be a good professional decision. Howard might make a move if it had something to do with NASA but I am not sure I see that in his future. He is not going to go back into space and would not be the best person to be training anyone on going into space. An occasional lecture or trip I can see but not a permanent position.

Bernadette and Penny are happy with their jobs and could probably change companies pretty easily if they want to.

So none of them have any real reason to move. I am not sure why they have not bought condos or houses in the area, the market is expensive but they would be able to afford some decent places. That is about the only change I could see coming. Maybe Leonard and Penny buy a house with a pool house that is converted into a guest house that Amy and Sheldon rent.

[Nordly Beaumont]

10 minutes ago, Snow Apple said:

 I don't need or want an ending like the 70's sitcom Good Times.

Yep, I prefer the Mary Tyler Moore way of ending things - a group hug, a good cry, then Mary turns out the lights of the newsroom one last time. We don't know where they're going, but we know where they've been. Just like the gang sitting around the coffee table eating and joking. I don't know where they're going, but I've been there for their journeys so far. I've laughed, cried, and went "awww" so many times. Thank goodness for re-runs!

[gameshowjunkie]

9 hours ago, marymon said:

I can live with the finale .  The only thing that was totally off for me is that Mary Copper was not there. 

Metcalf has been doing theater in NYC - maybe they couldn't make the scheduling work? I kept waiting for her as well.

The episode was OK. Hate the Penny pregnancy. Good lord, some women do not want to have kids! It's OK!! I'm glad they didn't pair Raj off, as sitcom writers tend to do with finales.

Amy's makeover was probably my favorite part.

[zillabreeze]

1 hour ago, Jodithgrace said:

But Amy doesn't have good taste... remember her wedding dress? I guess Raj only had so much power over what she wanted for her big night. 

It's not bad taste, per se.  Amy's dress was very circa 1900 fancy evening dress.  Just like her wedding dress, it was a nod to her love of the "Little House" books/era.

[AriAu]

Quote

I enjoyed the finale. I've seen better, but I've seen much, much worst. I felt except for Raj, it was a great way to wrap up the series. So, farewell Big Bang Theory, it has been a pleasure. 

That is about how I feel. Only thing that might have been interesting would have been to flash forward a few years, but I am fine with life going on approach. I didnt need any shocks, just some nice nods to past things like the elevator, the comment about L&P's kids being both "beautiful and smart", the tiara and even a little skeevy Howard that satisfied this loooooong time watcher.

Couple of random thoughts:

1. Mary Cooper needed to be there to see her Shelly. that was an unfortunate omission.

2. I liked that they did nto show Penny having any real regret over being pregnant and in fact being pretty damn happy about it. Whoever up thread said that Penny was quasi-raped since she was so drunk she could not have consented must not have watched any prior episodes (too many to mention) or recognized the joy that was on her face. Pregnancy might not have been totally consensual, but the sex certainly was!

3. Sheldon is a selfish jerk, who occasionally acts as a caring friend and not a good guy who is occasionally a jerk and this episode, along with many others show that even tho he has grown, this statement remains true.

4. Might have been funny to have Leslie Winkle look at it on TV and say "You are still a dumb ass:"

[Bort]

Yeah, that's my thing too. They could make drastic changes and all move away, but why would they? They made a big point through Sheldon's speech that they're family. They all live close, work close, are close. I just don't see them wanting to leave the lives they've spent 12 years building for themselves. Plus, they just got their elevator fixed! That's as good a reason as any to want to stay.

[Snow Apple]

9 minutes ago, Ottis said:

Actually, they are very much the same scenario. Because at the ages these characters are, my friends and I all had different opportunities, and all moved to different places. They weren't even the places we are now. They were just the beginning of our journeys.

That's my point. This show could have ended in a number of ways. They chose the most unrealistic, easiest one - no change. This despite the fact that these characters are at an age, and have the credentials, to have numerous opportunities in front of them. It makes me wonder if, in 10 more years and they are all still there, they all will regret it. As I said, you can remain close friends AND pursue your dreams. The odds of the dreams of 10 people ALL being in the same location they are in now? Tiny, unless they basically give up and don't grow any more.

I think it depends on what people like IRL. YMMV, and in my opinion, ending a 12yo show by showing nothing is changing is uninteresting. It may feel comfortable, but it's lazy.

It's interesting that you think it's unrealistic because I think showing them living their lives is realistic. Your scenarios for all of that happening in the very last episode is what would make it unrealistic for me. Did you and your friends move and have life changing opportunities all at the same time? I suspect they were staggered.

Winning the nobel prize and a pregnancy shows nothing is changing for you? Yes the last scene is of the gang eating together but it's not like they all live together. They will all go back to their respective homes and families.

[thebigboot]

1 hour ago, Jodithgrace said:

I loved the finale. By the end of the first season the show had become all about Sheldon, so why be surprised that the finale was too? 

I was hoping that Sheldon and Amy would win the Nobel, since it was a possibility. Who would want to see a bummer of a finale about them losing? This isn't a documentary...let them have a Nobel prize! 

I somehow thought that Penny had been coming around to the idea of having a baby at some point...did I imagine that? Anyway, she seemed happy about it, notwithstanding the vomiting, so I'm happy too.

Fun to see the Wolowitz kids now that we don't have to put up with them every week. 

It would have been cool to see some Stockholm in the episode, since I was just there a few months ago, but I understand why they didn't. 

Buffy the Vampire Slayer used to be the ultimate nerd show, so SMG was a good choice. But she is married so that was a no go for poor single Raj. But, he's still young (ish..none of the cast are kids anymore) and he can find someone. 

Maybe the slap is what it took to have some of the lessons Sheldon's friends have been trying to teach him all these years finally sink in. Maybe he has made some real change. At least if he reverts back to old Sheldon next week, his friends will always have that speech to remember. 

I assume that in the last scene, they have literally just come home from Sweden, so there hasn't been time for all of the inevitable changes that will happen. I liked that. 

But Amy doesn't have good taste... remember her wedding dress? I guess Raj only had so much power over what she wanted for her big night. 

Wouldn’t so much say Amy has bad taste but good on Mayim Balik to stay within her beliefs. A lot of Jews were thrilled to see Modern Orthodox reflected on screen.

Edited May 17, 2019 by thebigboot

[gameshowjunkie]

6 minutes ago, thebigboot said:

Wouldn’t so much say Amy has bad taste but good on Mayim Balik to stay within her beliefs. A lot of Jews were thrilled to see Modern Orthodox reflected on screen.

Mayim was on an episode of What Not to Wear. Her fashion choices IRL were similarly unflattering. She did talk about wanting to dress modestly, and I loved the outfits they found for her in the end. She was delightful!

Loved her suits after her Raj makeover - hated the awards dress. Just too much.

[Caoimhe]

1 hour ago, proserpina65 said:

Well, that was terrible.  I laughed exactly twice: at Kripke pretending to be the Nobel committee and at Bert with Cinnamon the chick magnet.  Otherwise it's like every worst thing I thought of actually happened:

The only thing which kept this from being as bad as the finale to How I Met Your Mother: they didn't kill off Howard so that Raj could marry Bernadette.

Nothing D&D might do with the last episode of GOT could come close to how absolutely crappy this was.  Hell, even Jon & Dany marrying and living happily ever after in a snow globe perfect Westeros would be better than the shit Chuck Lorre gave us last night.

Kripke and Bert were my two favourite bits too.

Never thought of them killing off Howard so Raj could marry Bernadette!  Because we saw HIMYM seasons a year after the US I already knew how it would end -  and to this day I will not watch the final season.  

I have this season’s GOT saved on the DVR and after I see the recaps on Monday I’ll decide if I want to watch them or not.  What I really want is GRRM to do some writing and finish the books but I’m not holding my breath.

Edited May 17, 2019 by ThereButFor

[Lady J]

11 hours ago, mojoween said:

“The Werewolf Transformation” happens to be on now and it amuses me that when Leonard left the barber shop after Sheldon stormed out Leonard said “when you tell this story later the word we use is ‘quirky’.”

Now I'm wondering if this is a callback or happy coincidence.

Remember when Preya Called Sheldon quirky, and Howard said “ that crazy bastard is looking at quirky in the rear view mirror ?”  I just remember because I love that line.

[proserpina65]

30 minutes ago, zillabreeze said:

It's not bad taste, per se.  Amy's dress was very circa 1900 fancy evening dress.  Just like her wedding dress, it was a nod to her love of the "Little House" books/era.

I liked Amy's Nobel ceremony dress.

[Angeltoes]

I seriously doubt that when someone gets the call about winning the Nobel Prize that the entire conversation isn't,"Yes, this is Dr. Fowler.  Oh, okay...thank you."

My coworker was afraid they were all going to get killed in a plane crash.

[libgirl2]

17 minutes ago, gameshowjunkie said:

Mayim was on an episode of What Not to Wear. Her fashion choices IRL were similarly unflattering. She did talk about wanting to dress modestly, and I loved the outfits they found for her in the end. She was delightful!

Loved her suits after her Raj makeover - hated the awards dress. Just too much.

I remember that episode. She looked fantastic! 

[Driad]

I still say this was about 10 years too early for Shamy to get the Nobel.  Winners hear and react in different ways.  One didn't hear his call (if there was one), and rushed to a dentist appointment in the morning.  His dentist congratulated him, and it was the first time he heard.

[Artsda]

I liked the ending, except the pregnancy. If they didn't address Penny all season not wanting kids & dropped the entire thing.

[libgirl2]

2 minutes ago, Artsda said:

I liked the ending, except the pregnancy. If they didn't address Penny all season not wanting kids & dropped the entire thing.

Things happen. She was happy. Maybe they shouldn't have made it such a big part earlier, but its okay. Plus she stopped drinking! 

[Katy M]

2 hours ago, TV Diva Queen said:

When Sheldon was introducing his friends by their titles I screamed “he better say astronaut”. And he did. And I cried. 

I was expecting him to make some snarky remark about Howard not having a PhD.

2 hours ago, marketdoctor said:

A lot of people being mad at Sheldon for being selfish might have been a meta-reference to the actors being mad at the show not going on for another season.

I think you're stretching. Sheldon's always been selfish and there have been several epis where the other characters get rightfully mad at him.

1 hour ago, proserpina65 said:

The two good things about the episode were Leonard briefly decided to stand up to Sheldon (and then backing down, ugh) and Amy's makeover.

I didn't see it as so much as backing down as being the bigger person. I have no doubt that if Sheldon hadn't delivered that speech, there would have been more talking about what he had done wrong later.  Besides, Amy hadn't done anything wrong, so if for no other reason they should have stayed to support her.

[Chaos Theory]

The more I think about it the more I really liked the finale.  This show had its problems especially towards the end.  Sheldon became the breakout star and the show focused too much around him for my liking where I found Penny and Leonard more interesting.  I much would have preferred the pregnancy (which was always going to happen) to happen early because I want to see the baby now dang it.   Honestly there isn’t much I would change considering which is the exact opposite of my last big comedy (I am not a comedy person so who am I to judge really) HIMYM which when I think about it there isn’t much I wouldn’t change.

This is a CBS family comedy.  There is zero chance Penny wasn’t going to end up pregnant at the end.  Zero.

Edited May 17, 2019 by Chaos Theory

[ProfCrash]

50 minutes ago, ThereButFor said:

Kripke and Bert were my two favourite bits too.

Never thought of them killing off Howard so Raj could marry Bernadette!  Because we saw HIMYM seasons a year after the US I already knew how it would end -  and to this day I will not watch the final season.  

I have this season’s GOT saved on the DVR and after I see the recaps on Monday I’ll decide if I want to watch them or not.  What I really want is GRRM to do some writing and finish the books but I’m not holding my breath.

LOL You are dreaming. Dude gave up on the books ages ago. I read the first three and was going to get the fourth one until I heard how bad it was. I gave up at that point. He stopped caring about the books as anything other then a massive income source ages ago. Heck, he is planning sequels and prequels to the HBO show and he still hasn't finished the next book, never mind the series.

Sorry, but I really, really dislike GRRM.

38 minutes ago, Angeltoes said:

I seriously doubt that when someone gets the call about winning the Nobel Prize that the entire conversation isn't,"Yes, this is Dr. Fowler.  Oh, okay...thank you."

My coworker was afraid they were all going to get killed in a plane crash.

32 minutes ago, Driad said:

I still say this was about 10 years too early for Shamy to get the Nobel.  Winners hear and react in different ways.  One didn't hear his call (if there was one), and rushed to a dentist appointment in the morning.  His dentist congratulated him, and it was the first time he heard.

I have heard interviews with people and they do call. Based on those interviews, the call is longer then what we saw but I don't think the show had the time to go into a however long phone call between the committee and Amy/Sheldon. They also don't wait to make the announcement if they have not talked to the winner, hence the guy who found out from hsi dentist.

[Gothish520]

8 hours ago, TWP said:

I can't figure out why, but I was bored and disappointed.  

I wasn't bored, but I was disappointed. Maybe our expectations were just too high? 

The best part for me was the elevator scene. That was awesome and I did not see it coming, didnt even notice the tape was gone. Loved Amy's makeover, but I remember that in a previous season when Penny styled Sheldon's hair differently, Amy had a fit. Why was that ok but Sheldon's feelings aren't?

Kind of wish they didn't win the Nobel.  I think it would have been more interesting to see how they dealt with that. Also kind of wish Raj found someone - he deserves it, he's suffered enough! Definitely wish Penny didnt get pregnant, so typical. 

Overall...meh.

[libgirl2]

52 minutes ago, Katy M said:

I was expecting him to make some snarky remark about Howard not having a PhD.

I didn't think he would, but I was glad as Howard isn't a doctor, he acknowledged his accomplishment of being an astronaut. 

[wendyg]

I thought it was a decent finale. Sheldon's speech gave the show the opportunity to give each main cast member their own curtain call, which was nice. The final shot was fine with me; of course in real life Sheldon and Amy wouldn't win the Nobel for another 20 years and everyone would be getting offers and opportunities to move on and out and away, but for this moment in time we and they get to remember them as they were. After 12 years, I'm glad the show got to the end without ever betraying any of its characters.

Yeah No: Jane Leeves got pregnant and they wrote it into the final season. It wasn't the writers who decided that one. 🙂

[Quark]

I loved it.

It wasn't a funny finale, but I don't think it was supposed to be.

Sheldon's speech at the end really got to me, loved it.

The only thing I would have liked to have seen covered this season, was Howard meeting up with his Dad. There were some unresolved issues there.

Overall, this show has been a major part of my life, and whilst the last few seasons haven't been the greatest, I'm going to miss this show.

I hope the cast and crew go on to even more great stuff.

Edited May 17, 2019 by Quark

[theredhead77]

I loved every minute of this finale and felt it was pretty true to life.

I'm down with the way they handled Penny's pregnancy. Penny didn't want kids, then drunken SURPRISE! I have friends who didn't want kids end up with a surprise baby and they are awesome parents. 

Not moving from the apartment or moving on from jobs - why should they? All of them have successful careers. Leonard toyed with the idea of moving on and is happy with the path the University offered him. I would have been annoyed if it ended 'Friends style" with them giving up the apartment and moving into a house. Nothing in the last season or last few episodes built up to that. Their apartment is awesome.

I do think Sheldon finally saw how his behavior impacted others and he looked beyond crushed when Amy included herself in the people that tolerate him.

Life goes on, a big award doesn't have to mean a lifestyle upgrade and neither Shelon or Amy are materialistic. I loved Amy's makeover and Raj helping her. I follow MB on Instagram and saw her new hair cut, I had no idea it was part of the show.

I'm going to miss this show so much. Thankfully it looks like it's going to become the next Law and Order and will always be broadcasting on some station.

[Dbolt]

There was no way Mary Cooper would have went to Sweden. That place is just full of foreigners!

[MDL]

28 minutes ago, Quark said:

There were some unresolved issues there. 

Doesn't  "real life" contain unresolved issues? (Yeah,it's a TV show... )but somehow those unresolved issues make it more l ike "their lives will continue on beyond what we have been able to watch.

[bkathi]

2 hours ago, proserpina65 said:

I liked Amy's Nobel ceremony dress.

I thought it fit in with the rest of the dresses worn by the female dignitaries in the scene.

[nora1992]

14 minutes ago, Dbolt said:

There was no way Mary Cooper would have went to Sweden. That place is just full of foreigners!

In my mind, Mary Cooper wasn't there because she couldn't get a passport in time.  (Can you get a passport in two months?  I've never cut it that close.)

[Bort]

11 minutes ago, nora1992 said:

In my mind, Mary Cooper wasn't there because she couldn't get a passport in time.  (Can you get a passport in two months?  I've never cut it that close.)

You can. If you expedite it, you’ll get it in a week. 

[willowk]

16 hours ago, CleoCaesar said:

I loved that they didn't go the Friends route and have the gang break up (some by moving to the suburbs, some staying in the city). Even though things will change (Leonard and Penny's baby, the eventual Sheldon and Amy children, Raj maybe finally meeting someone), I loved that the last shot was them eating around the coffee table.

Interesting that Raj was left unpaired up. He's the Joey Tribbiani of the group, if only in that respect.

Loved Amy's long overdue makeover. And I don't mind Penny's pregnancy; they seemed genuinely delighted about it, and opinions can change.

Me too. I suspect that Raj will meet someone someday, but it was fitting that the most romantic of the group is still looking for his Ms. Right. I loved the scene last week where Howard told Raj to hold out for someone who understood his references to romantic comedies. So many finales that I've hated break the gang up, including Will And Grace -although they threw that out in the reboot, Roseanne having Dan die etc. Ending it with them all in the apartment having dinner was perfect.

[PentaHookUp]

Leonard slapping Sheldon--proof that God loves us and wants us to be happy.

[Pete Martell]

A few years back I'd wondered if they would reveal that Raj was gay. I kept wondering, but now realize it's probably for the best they didn't go that route, as it would have probably been some throwaway gags and not much else. I wanted Raj to find some happiness, but at least he still has a chance in offcameraland.

My parents really love the show, and it's gotten them through some times that have been less than wonderful. Even with the recent seasons not being their favorites, they still watch every week and still feel a bond with the characters. 

I've never had that connection to the show. I mostly just respect the talent of the cast. I think top to bottom this has been a fine cast all the way through, and in some ways they never got the credit they deserved because the show was so popular it was seen as a bad thing. A part of me preferred the earlier, harder-edged seasons, but I'm glad that they didn't get stuck in the mud and allowed some growth and change, especially for characters like Howard. 

I liked that they didn't have a try-hard ending and just mostly ended on positive notes that reflected the show's past. 

I also thought the tribute on Young Sheldon was wonderful - very touching. 

I think of them all Amy was my favorite character overall, so I'm glad she got a few standout moments in the finale. I think she more than earned them.

I think the show should have ended several years ago, and I can't act like it's ever going to be a show I would put as an all time favorite, but I can name many other sitcoms, some of them I just loved, that never had the ending they deserved, or that the fans deserved. I'm glad that wasn't the case here.

Edited May 17, 2019 by Pete Martell

[Biggie B]

I very much enjoyed the finale. I think no matter how the script had been written, people would have been upset/disappointed. It just is what it is. 

While I don't necessarily think Raj had to end up with Anu - or anyone just at this moment - I've always felt that he very much wants to be in love and have a partner for life, so I was hoping he'd at least have one or two lines saying something to that effect. OTOH, I guess it's understood - in my mind's eye, I see him eventually finding the right person, one way or the other, because I think that's what would make him happy. 

As far as Penny being pregnant - I'm OK with that. I think if she hadn't gotten pregnant, she and Leonard would've been totally fine - but now she is, and if she's OK with it, then that works for me. I didn't construe it as "women can't be happy unless they're mothers." I took as: Penny is totally fine not having kids, as is her husband, but now she has changed her mind. I respect that. Either way is fine with me. It doesn't make Penny any less independent nor does it make her more worthy. That child is very lucky. And again, if they hadn't had kids, that would've been great as well. I have no idea why the writers chose that route for Penny and Leonard, but it worked for me.

I never expected to see Sheldon's mom in the finale, even though I adore Laurie Metcalf. Her character's absence did not affect my enjoyment of the finale at all. Sure, it would've been icing on the cake, but there are probably a dozen other characters that also would be icing - and they only had an hour to work with.

I've always seen Sheldon as on the autism spectrum, and often wondered through the years why none of the other characters ever wondered about that, even in passing. I guess that wouldn't work within the confines of a comedy, as it might provide a logical explanation for much of his behavior, thus eliminating various humorous moments throughout the show's history. His speech at the end was touching and profound, especially calling Howard an astronaut. 

This show provided much enjoyment through the years, and there's a lot to be said for that. All good things come to an end but I'm glad I had some great laughs along the way. 

[Trey]

40 minutes ago, Quark said:

It wasn't a funny finale, but I don't think it was supposed to be.

I agree.  Just like a pilot episode has so much to do in setting up a series, a finale has a lot to accomplish with finishing things up. There isn't always room for too much humour. And not everything is going to be wrapped up, but the main things are.

Loved the slap, especially because Leonard was robbed of slapping Sheldon just minutes earlier.  Also loved Burt and Cinnamon.

I am fine with Penny being pregnant and being happy about it. Raj  may not yet have met the woman of his dreams but going to the Nobel ceremony with Sarah Michelle Gellar must have been a high for him. I can just imagine him casually name dropping at some future social gathering. "Oh, yes. Sarah, Freddie and I are such good friends."

Loved Amy's makeover and her Nobel gown.

And the elevator being fixed - that was great!

What I disliked the most was that they made Sheldon such a total dick, far worse than normal, just so they could all confront him and then have him give that wonderful speech.  I can't imagine Sheldon, in a normal episode, being so rude and condescending to Penny and Leonard about Penny being pregnant.

I didn't actually sob out loud  but I sure got misty-eyed during the speech.

Loved the final scene with Ed Robertson singing the acoustic version of the theme. I didn't notice it during the show but in the stills of the scene I see that Howard is sitting on the floor and Raj is in the chair.

[3 is enough]

13 hours ago, rmontro said:

I would have preferred Raj get together with Anu, but I kind of like that they left him unattached.  Shows that not everybody needs to be in a relationship.

Honestly, it didn't bother me that he was unattached at the end.  I thought that when Anu stayed in the UK and Howard told Raj not to worry, that he would meet "the one" some day that it gave him hope for the future, but in the meantime, he was happy to have his job and his friends.  

13 hours ago, rmontro said:

I like that they showed Stuart, but I didn't like that suddenly he was an incompetent babysitter.  He's always been very capable

True, but the thing is that with little kids there is always the possibility of the unexpected happening, even with a competent baby sitter or parents.  Accidents happen. 

On the whole I really liked the ending.  Sheldon's speech was lovely, we got to see the Wolowitz children, and the elevator was fixed!

[Quark]

47 minutes ago, MDL said:

Doesn't  "real life" contain unresolved issues? (Yeah,it's a TV show... )but somehow those unresolved issues make it more l ike "their lives will continue on beyond what we have been able to watch.

Oh for sure, but I still think it would have been interesting to see and great viewing.

[iMonrey]

I honestly didn't get the elevator joke at first, when we heard the ding and the door opened and Penny was standing there. It took me a beat before I got it.

Laurie Metcalf is doing a play, I believe. Not sure if that's why Sheldon's mom wasn't included or because they only wanted the main cast in the finale (but then why Buffy?). The guest star was oddly random and I wonder if it bothers Sarah Michelle Gellar that she'll always be known as Buffy. I don't even think they used her actual name, did they? I think they kept calling her Buffy the Vampire Slayer. She still looks good though

Overall I liked it. I like that it didn't end with some kind of melodrama about all of them going their separate ways. I like leaving them just as we did, doing their usual thing.

I'm just disappointed the show really became all about Sheldon once the network launched the spinoff, and the finale was no different. Sure he made a great speech but he's not going to improve, he simply cannot comprehend what he's doing, so it's up to the rest of them to continue tolerating him.

[theredhead77]

In the final scene Penny is wearing the shirt she wore in the first episode.

[Snow Apple]

1 hour ago, nora1992 said:

In my mind, Mary Cooper wasn't there because she couldn't get a passport in time.  (Can you get a passport in two months?  I've never cut it that close.)

Re passports, they always say 4-6(?) weeks but they always send mine in about two weeks. I guess they give a larger time frame to cover themselve. There's also expedited passports if you pay enough.

Maybe Mary wanted to listen to her Shelly on the radio surrounded by milk and cereal.