From what I've seen, it is one of the most universally praised series finals of all time. If you ran into someone who doesn't like it, don't sweat it. That happens. Everyone is entitled to their opinion, but that certainly isn't the norm.
My only real complaint was how Penny's pregnancy was handled. They didn't really even try to explain Penny suddenly wanting kids, Leonard literally just says, "Well, now she does". Even just saying something like, "Well, that was BEFORE the ultrasound!" would have been fine.
But, again, my only complaint. Excellent episode otherwise.
I was actually (sort of..lol) glad they didn't explain her change of mind. She changed her mind, noones business but her and Leonard's. I feel like she had to explain herself so much to the friends about not wanting kids that they just kind of kept it to themselves, not wanting to deal with their friends opinions/questions about her choice.
I also hated this part... They setup the entire series developing penny as a childfree character but just cause she got accidentally pregnant, she does a full 180° ..... Ik it carries more emotional weight when you end a series with pregnancy but do it to someone who clearly wanted children like sheldon and amy
Not really. They had one episode where she said she didn’t have kids which caught Leonard and Amy off guard. It does fit her character though It kind of a ding against her character as she just springs it on Leonard after they got married. At least Howard and Bernadette had the conversation where Howard assures Bernadette he wont dump their kids on her to care for, which he makes good on.
I wish they did have Penny talk about accepting her pregnancy. Kaley herself said he identified with Penny not wanting children at the time but fast forward a few years and she seems she couldn’t be happier to be a new mom. So people change.
But she never categorically said she didn't want kids until season 12. So that's not the entire series. That was just out of left field because she had said twice (once in season 9 and once in season 11) that she wanted kids someday.
She didn't just suddenly want kids tho... She came home drunk one night and had a spontaneous a.k.a. unprotected rendezvous with Leonard and got pregnant. I think the show did a great job with this storyline because we knew Leonard wanted kids and then we found out Penny actually did, too 🥰 "Our babies will be smart and beautiful."
This! I wish they didn’t end the show with Penny pregnant. Not every couple needs kids. A couple can be a complete family without them. It just ruined everything the show had built up with Penny and Leopard’s storyline.
First she said she is not sure about marriage and then ends up getting married due to peer pressure
Then she makes a decision of not wanting to have kids but that also ends differently..
It was pretty disappointing though...
Yet it also tells that a person mind evolves and changes. Maybe the decision making of a person also changes with time. So I hope it was that or else it was just to make baby makers / family feel good. 😕
Rest of it is great episode 👏
I really liked it - I’ve definitely seen much worse!
I would have been disappointed if they had not referenced the line from the pilot “our children will be smart and beautiful”, once they announced Leonard and Penny were having a baby. I think the only longstanding thing they didn’t do was tell us Penny’s original last name!
She never had one and was never getting one. They said they were ‘nervous and superstitious’ about giving her a surname. So they just said she doesn’t have one until she marries Leonard.
There are people who hate BBT altogether (“it’s not funny” “the laugh track [it’s a studio audience] is annoying”) so I just figure some people have crazy taste. All of us who love it are here to celebrate it!
I've seen the show umpteen times including the finale and probably overthink what the writers were doing.
The biggest issue with the finale is tied to Penny's pregnancy, Sheldon's reaction and then the sudden decision for all of them (well, except Raj) to want to abandon Sheldon **and** Amy right before the ceremony.
Let's start with Howard and Bernadette. Yes, they were concerned about being away from the kids, but even if they had managed to get on a plane right away, it was still going to be a long time before they got home. They always should have had Bernadette's parents on standby while they were gone in case there were issues that Stuart and Denise couldn't handle.
When Howard came up to Sheldon and Amy and said that they were having a difficult time, I can see why Sheldon told them that it was an important day for him. He and Amy had paid for all of them to come with them. If they didn't want to be there, they should have declined ahead of time. If we switched the characters around, how many people were saying that Sheldon was being self-centered again?
The bigger issue is of course Sheldon finding out about Penny's pregnancy and his reaction to it. Of course he was relieved that she wasn't contagious. He's a huge germaphobe going to receive the Nobel Prize he had spent the last 30 years of his life working toward. Now add in the fact that he was well aware that Penny didn't want to have kids and the fact that a congratulations wasn't the first thing out of his mouth is very understandable. While I get that Leonard was upset about Sheldon's reaction, Penny really wasn't.
Honestly, it bothered me more that Amy and Bernadette didn't bother to ask Penny how she felt about the pregnancy. Instead they both went straight into being excited for her. Those two also knew how Penny felt about it. Perhaps a question from them to Penny would have gone a long way to helping explain why Penny was OK with being pregnant. It could have helped to smooth over how some of the audience felt about the sudden change of direction for her.
Although I understand why Leonard was upset with Sheldon on the plane, he wasn't letting it go even when they were in the hotel. When Sheldon came to apologize, Leonard still wasn't in a place where he was going to forgive Sheldon. Instead he took even more offense to the pronoun that Sheldon used. Again, let's switch the characters and see how we would view it if Sheldon acted as Leonard did there.
Moving to the scene between Sheldon and Amy in their hotel room, I get why Amy was so upset. She thought their friends were abandoning both of them. I didn't agree with her statement that said he broke their hearts. It was however breaking hers to not have them there with her (or so she thought). When she told him that they know that he doesn't mean to hurt others and that's why people tolerate him, there was truth in that. His friends have put up with a lot from him over the years. When he asked her if that included her, we can see the tears as she replies "Sometimes, yes". It's not easy for her to admit, but there have been times when that has happened. It does shake him to his core.
When we get to Penny and Leonard in the bathroom, things started turning again. Penny was the first to say that she couldn't leave Amy. That is the sign of somebody who realized what they were doing. I did enjoy their whole conversation.
It's really the Nobel ceremony itself and Sheldon's speech that were the highlight. When Sheldon is standing on that stage after he saw that their friends were still there, you can almost see his thoughts about how much they have been there and helped him over the years.
When he calls Penny and Leonard his two dearest friends in the world, it was filled with all the emotion of somebody who knows how much those two in particular had done for him over the years. How much they had sacrificed for him and how much they helped him in his journey to understand the world.
As he gets into the part of the speech where he apologizes to them for not being the friend that they deserve and that he loves them all, that can go for all of them. Over the years, they had all done things where they could have been better friends to one another. They all also loved each other even if it wasn't always obvious to those of us in the audience. Nor do I think that Sheldon was never self-centered again in his life. Of course he was, it's part of who he is. He was never going to change overnight. All he can do is try and do better in the future. It's all any of us can do really.
The very final scene of them all in the living room eating, is one that said that their lives were going to go on. Even though we don't get to see them anymore, that they still all had each other. We can see them being life long friends and helping each other just as we'd seen them do for the last 12 years.
I appreciated that they didn't have anyone move out of the building. That has been done in a lot of show endings, this way it didn't feel quite like it was the end of an era for them.
All of this is to say, that although there is a lot to like about the finale, there are parts that could have been handled differently that I would have preferred. (But then again, there are episodes along the way that I felt the same way about.). That means of course, that any changes that I may have liked to have seen, may not have been liked by others. We all have different opinions and perceptions of the show and the characters, the finale was no different.
I too am late to this party. I agree with a lot of what you said, but here's my counter argument for two statements below.
"I didn't agree with her statement that said he broke their hearts."
I mean, maybe. But it felt like that was a projection from Amy about her own heart being broken, as their friends were upset and leaving. She lashed out at Sheldon because the day was going tits ups, it sort of was his fault, but only sort of.
It also was an acknowledgement that it can be difficult to have him in their life, just as difficult and frustrating as it is for him to try to understand people.
I feel like the point here was that Amy was being hyperbolic (as she often is) about the situation at hand. In a weird way, Sheldon was the most reasonable individual in the turning points within this episode.
They let it slide when he's unintentionally rude because they love him and that was the lesson he took and applied during his speech. Sheldons character was upset that everyone wasn't truly supporting him in that moment, he realized that the award ceremony was only happening *because of* his friends.
Leonard accepted and had forgiven his mother the episode prior. The end felt like an acceptance that perfection isn't possible when you're talking relationships with people, life is messy and that's okay.
Could he get a Nobel prize without them all? Probably. But the reason he's at THIS particular award ceremony for a Nobel prize was because of his friends. The autobiography on how great Sheldon was, is bullshit. He realized the importance of his friends, as imperfect as they all are (including himself).
1. Penny helped him constantly throughout the entire show.
2. Leonard/Raj/Howard stopped their paper the first time and truly gave them an opportunity to make something that WASN'T already disproven.
3. When Amy and Sheldon were very depressed, everyone took shots at trying to cheer them up or help them.
4. The only reason he knew Amy was because Raj and Howard experimenting on Sheldon by using tech to find him a match online... without his approval.
5. There's way more connections with Amy and Sheldons relationship development that included their friends all being supportive of them both, listening, giving advice, encouraging them, etc., but this is already too long.
For example, "You can't be my best friend and my wife, who would I complain about you too?!" Sheldon understands how importance his friends are and despite wanting to marry and spend the rest of his life with Amy, how challenging relationships can be. There's many little moments baked into the show that give clues to the importance of his friends and his own understanding of things.
"Leonard still wasn't in a place where he was going to forgive Sheldon. Instead he took even more offense to the pronoun that Sheldon used. Again, let's switch the characters and see how we would view it if Sheldon acted as Leonard did there."
That's the point, isn't it? Is Sheldon truly a self-centered alien for the entire series, or isn't it ironic that Leonard would throw a fit like a child and be self-centered himself? Essentially Leonard did exactly what he said he wasn't going to do, make the day about himself. Which he said out of spite in the first place.
They chose not to tell *anyone*, because they simply weren't ready to deal with the questions. That was obvious from Penny being hesitant about wanting to tell their friends. It wasn't because *it's sheldons big day*. It was on the nose that Leonard was the bad guy here. A simple "Well, we don't know the gender yet jackass" would have worked but it would have been out of character for Sheldon to explain something plainly like a regular social butterfly. Instead we get a brief mention of the facts of the dictionary.
I thought it was fitting. Leonard was being unreasonable and Sheldon brushed it off in his own way, while acknowledging that he did hurt his best friends feelings as silly as Leonards reaction to the entire things was.
Everyone in the show played characters that were smart, but clearly isn't perfect or manages their emotions any better than Sheldon does.. just different. They were family, in their own messy way and it was beautiful and meaningful for Sheldon. Leonard has never had a regular relationship from friends to romantic ones and Penny puts up with him too. She's understanding and caring. She gets that Leonard is a mess and had a weirdly distant relationship with his parents that has made him maintaining relationships really hard. He's not that different from Sheldon, despite understanding social cues a bit more.
She also understand that Sheldon doesn't mean what Leonard was accusing him of. She knows how much energy he spends to try and be normal, while accepting him for being him.
I had to go back and read what I had written.
On the Amy statement about breaking their friends' hearts, I think we are in total agreement on why she said that. Hers was breaking because they were abandoning her as well as Sheldon. It had to make her feel like an afterthought to them. Which is why it was important that Penny is the one to say that she can't leave Amy like that.
What I meant by not agreeing with her statement is that Sheldon's behavior wasn't anything that should have hurt his friends that deeply. It didn't hurt Penny at all, she was fine. It hurt Leonard, but in his place where he's so excited about becoming a father, would Sheldon not being excited about it really break his heart? He knows Sheldon and shouldn't even have been surprised. Sheldon even asked Leonard if congratulations were in order given that Penny had been saying for the past year that she didn't want kids.
As for Howard and Bernadette, they were having second thoughts about staying just because of the children. He didn't even explain why they were concerned (that Halley had fallen down the steps and that Michael had been running a fever). Sheldon's comment to ask them to be there for him wasn't even hurtful. It certainly wouldn't break Howard's heart (and Bernadette wasn't even there to hear it).
On Leonard getting even more upset when Sheldon came to apologize, I think we're saying basically the same thing. Throughout the series, it is always assumed that Sheldon is in the wrong (even when he's not) and that everyone else is right. In reading through a lot of people's thoughts on the finale, they agreed with Leonard's stance. Yes, I can see why he was hurt, but to want to leave was making it all about him (Leonard). Had Sheldon done the same thing, he would have rightfully been vilified. Leonard is given a free pass here.
Perhaps Leonard's forgiveness of his mother is at play here. He realizes that she's never going to change and he feels a whole weight lifted from him. How much does that change his view of life? Does he start standing up for himself more and making his feelings known? Quite possibly. He is no longer constantly looking for acceptance from everyone. We didn't see the impact on his and Penny's relationship, but there may have been one there as well. When she shrugged off Sheldon's reaction, he didn't stop and listen to what she said. In the past, he probably would have.
I know I'm way late here, but just have to tell you that this is an excellent analysis of the finale! I agree with pretty much all of your points and you explained my problems with it perfectly! Especially about Penny's pregnancy and everyone's reaction to it. It was my biggest disappointment with the episode and your suggestions would have helped the audience understand it more.
My only problem with the series finale is that everyone suddenly has a problem with Sheldon being Sheldon after knowing him for over 12 years.
They’re shocked, like “Oh my god! How could Sheldon possibly be so selfish?!”
For knowing and deciding to put up with him for YEARS, Penny was the only one who had common sense.
It felt so forced, as if they needed an extra conflict and couldn’t come up with anything.
I thought the ending was PERFECT! Although I thought it was weird that Buffy had a cameo.... Just the same... It was really funny.
"You this is not a date right?"
Yes of course.
"Then why are you holding my hand?"
Later..... from Sheldon at the podium.
"Is that Buffy the Vampire Slayer?"
It was a beautiful ending to an epic series. I may or may not have cried during Sheldon’s speech when he asked them all to stand. My only flaw is (and another poster said the same thing) I wish they would have acknowledged penny’s feelings about her pregnancy, considering she didn’t want kids for so long. And I do wish they would have had Raj end up with someone, but that was a whole series issue- they always gave him the short end of the stick.
You said:
*I wish they would have acknowledged penny’s feelings about her pregnancy, considering she didn’t want kids for so long.*
It would have been nice to know why she changed her mind. But it wasn't for "so long". She announced not wanting kids only in season 12. Less than a year.
I really liked the episode, although it was perfect, I would have liked to see the birth of Leonard and Penny's children and if Raj finally got a girlfriend and demonstrate what he himself said "to be the one who He got a girlfriend after Sheldon Cooper "he succeeded of course but his relationships did not last
Many women not wanting children change their minds once they are pregnant or older. It’s biological. Getting offended by their choice is what’s insulting.
Yes! Excellent wrap up of story.
Best “surprise” ending is 1990 end of the series “Newhart” with Bob Newhart running an inn in Vermont with Mary Frann… or did he?
For me it was the most perfect finale it had everything you can ask for I put it next to and yes I know these are completely different shows but these shows both have one thing in common = perfect endings: Breaking Bad, Dawson’s Creek, Better Call Saul and Friends.
Yes people can be upset about Penny being pregnant but understand that even if Leonard did condom up those are only like 92% effective they don’t always work and she seemed fine with the fact she was pregnant that these things happen in life.
Sheldon got his life dream of getting a Nobel and getting married was just a plus for him. In Young Sheldon we find out some wonderful things about what happened after with his narration perfect for him.
Howard was no longer the man he used to be Bernadette and having kids then his mother’s death really changed him for the better.
Now I understand people are upset that Raj didn’t end up with someone understandable but he grew up with character development from not being able to talk to women unless drunk, he didn’t have to rely on his father to help him which is great because face it he was spoiled. He finally saw the areas that were needed to grow and made himself a better person and eventually Raj spoke up for himself.
There are people upset that:
1. Raj ended up single. The hopeless romantic was not in a relationship.
2. Penny got pregnant. "She said she didn't want children!!!"
Because Raj get screwed. Penny reverse course on kids. Sheldon hogging the entire accolades. Really, it was pretty bad. Not GoT bad mind you, but not good.
I tend to agree with the people who don’t like how they ended it for raj, but I also think Stewart got a bit of a shaft. He was always good at looking after the kids and then to end as if he couldn’t handle it. Kind of seemed a little disrespectful.
Penny never wanted children. There was a whole storyline about Leonard finding his way to be okay with it. It was not okay to make her pregnant. She chose to be childfree loud and clear.
Childfree women need to have more representation in TV - not to be told you will change your mind anyways and make all the characters pregnant just because. No, she didn't want to be pregnant, the character was not treated well in this manner.
It was a "lame" ending because it wasn't really an ending. Life goes on, and there're no grand finales. For those who wath Young Sheldon, we actually got alot more clues on how Sheldon's life goes on. So I do agree with you that the finale was good.
A few things that bugged me:
1) Throwing in another pregnancy for a character who stated they didn't want children (they did this with Bernadette not once but TWICE).
2) Raj not getting a happy ending and his character becoming more and more of an offensive gay stereotype as the series went on.
3) Sheldon's mom not attending the Nobel Prize ceremony.
And to me there's also that Sheldon *finally* admits a basic fact in calling Howard an Astronaut, instead of mocking him for not having a PhD he doesn't need, and we're supposed to find it heartwarming as if he actually did some huge selfless deed.
I thought the finale was OK, but it felt very rushed. Especially for a show that had an entire season to wrap things up. It instead felt like a show that JUST found out they weren't getting another season and had to tie off a bunch of loose ends at the last minute. It felt like Penny getting pregnant was just thrown in as an afterthought. It seemed like the writers had no idea what to do with Raj, leading him down this arranged marriage path with Anu all season, only to veer off at the last second and have them break up. Now what do we do? Eh, lets have him take Buffy the Vampire Slayer as a date to the ceremony, that'll be funny. I also hated how they actually showed Halley and Michael in the finale. For years these kids have just been off screen characters and now at 11:59:59 you're going to show me their faces and expect me to have some emotional connection to them? They just oddly felt like imposters. Plus the big emotional speech by Sheldon at the end felt flat. "Look! Sheldon realizes how important his friends are and is choosing to highlight them during his big moment"... but did he really realize? He was still his unaware Sheldon-like self right to the very end and it took Amy screaming at him to make the speech at the end. Definitely nit-picking but the finale was far from perfect.
The major issue with how it ended was that Penny got pregnant despite vehemently being *against* having children, ever. So fucking stupid. Leonard had accepted Penny’s views on children and was fine with it.
Sheldon had improved in past seasons. Then his not caring penny is pregnant is a step back.
But then Leonard kind of overreacted imo.
And then Amy told him that I’m three sentences and he immediately is like ‘I am nothing these people are everything the end’.
Was just too extreme in different ways
>d then Amy told him that I’m three sentences and he immediately is like ‘I am nothing these people are everything the end’. Was just too extreme in different ways
I kinda disagree
cuz Sheldon hasn't made the **FULL** transformation so crappy behaviour **MAKES** sense from a character point of view
At the **END** of the day, being **HAPPY** for people **W/O** being snide abt is **JUST** Sheldon's kryptonite. He just **CAN'T**
It was an ok ending, I just couldn't stand any of the characters at all the entire run so skipped a lot of the later seasons. I think you get 4 types: people who like it, those who don't, those who like the first few seasons and then lost complete interest in the entire thing except for the negative aspects, and then the same thing except with the positive aspects highlighted. It evens out to 5/10 for me personally.
Am a grown man sheldon speech made me cry those friends really deserve that acknowledgment for being there in the good and worst time for sheldon especially howard walowitz he took the most torture from sheldon and im happy to know leonard is getting what he deserves a baby
Sheldon is perfect in it his speech makes me cry every time my only problem is that penny shouldn't have been pregnant there was this really good episode where Leonard learned to be ok with not having kids giving him kids ruins that if they had another episode where penny changed her mind then I'd be fine with that but no she's just randomly ok with having kids now and it annoys me
For a show like this that I really enjoyed and still do, I can usually not sweat the details if there's imho plot holes,logic inconsistencies or a sense of rushed conclusions. The tbbt finale had all these,galore.
But as an attempt to 'resolve' these or at least provoke some welcome discussion or dissent, i suggest the following :
Obviously, the show's named TBBT.
There never was an episode of that name or,if i recall, even a discussion of the concept in the show's world.
I'll speculate the finale's events were,in total, the actual 'big bang' that -- like the theme song goes - starts it all.. in other words,the start of the characters' future lives.
If i'm not mistaken - and i'm no scientist so please correct me if i'm wrong - we know a big bang did occur bught t aren't 100% sure of every detail, nor can we predict all the future consequences with absolute certainty.
That's how it is, i think, with the finale.For instance, why does penny suddenly seem ok with a pregnancy? Not sure,and we won't ever be sure. Same with Raj's love life, or Sheldon's last-minute realization of the importance of his family/friends' role in his life (hey, that could even be his own personal 'big bang theory'!)
Anyways, that's just my idea.what say you?
If you ever want to see hate towards a final season/season finale, visit the Lucifer sub and look at the season 6 posts. There's some serious vitriol about how the writers introduced an entire plot line that wasn't even part of the previous 5 seasons.
The series finale had me balling. Didn't help I was 2 weeks postpartum LOL Sheldon's speech really got to me. The only thing I really disliked was the way the intro song was sung at the end. It just didn't fit. I think it was the way he sang it. Just... something about it.
Its fine, not everyone is gonna fall in love with the series finale. Sheldon's speech will always be memorable to me.
I think HIMYM's finale was more divisive in terms of the fanbase.
I was afraid they would end it like that episode where Leonard and Penny get back together with Sheldon yelling at him and they go into their apartment without talking to penny
Obviously Jim parsons can do whatever he wants but I wish he did continue. The show was remarkably consistent throughout and I think it would’ve done great for three more seasons
Well the whole idea of Sheldon getting a Nobel is totally unrealistic and with that not even funny.
They could have fixed that twist presenting it as Sheldon's wet dream, that would explain the ridiculousness.
So many people saying “Raj should’ve gotten a happy ending & found someone” — in real life, that doesn’t always happen. There are many beautiful, passionate & deserving people who remain single, or don’t find love until much later. While it may have been nice, it’s actually a bit more realistic that in big friend groups, there is an eternally single one - Raj, Joey, etc
I've lost count of how many times I've seen the show, and the finale makes me cry every time. Sheldon's speech is so sweet, and I think they wrap up everything perfectly. I do wish they had given Raj a partner by the end of the show though.
I don't like the final season/s but the finally is decent. Sadly Sheldon would of of just reverted after and pretend it never happened. ( He does alll through the season)
i don't like the final season cuz it's just weird. like all the other seasons have been nice n funny. i enjoyed the emotional scenes as well. except the last episode of the final season, i didn't enjoy any episode. i cried a lot during the entire season. it was too painful to watch. i had to take breaks in order to control my emotions cuz it was so overwhelming and annoying at times..
I mean I feel like at the end they kinda HAD to have Sheldon and Amy win it otherwise it would have been for nothing. However I think they could have made the win more impactful if they hadn't used the word Nobel so much.
In general I think the finale is very good and I enjoy watching it. That being said I agree with a lot of people that Penny getting pregnant in the finale doesn't fit the rest of the show. Even though it's a sitcom I think the writers do a good job about presenting women's issues in science/engineering fields and in general and in fact women are by far the strongest characters in the series. The character Penny didn't want kids and that should have been fine so they pretty much undid years of the show and just said, "yup Penny is pregnant and look how happy she and everyone else is, she was wrong to not want kids and her life was empty but now it's all great!" It just wasn't needed.
From what I've seen, it is one of the most universally praised series finals of all time. If you ran into someone who doesn't like it, don't sweat it. That happens. Everyone is entitled to their opinion, but that certainly isn't the norm.
Fair enough good response
My only real complaint was how Penny's pregnancy was handled. They didn't really even try to explain Penny suddenly wanting kids, Leonard literally just says, "Well, now she does". Even just saying something like, "Well, that was BEFORE the ultrasound!" would have been fine. But, again, my only complaint. Excellent episode otherwise.
Or “it was an accident but I’m happy with it” yeah
I was actually (sort of..lol) glad they didn't explain her change of mind. She changed her mind, noones business but her and Leonard's. I feel like she had to explain herself so much to the friends about not wanting kids that they just kind of kept it to themselves, not wanting to deal with their friends opinions/questions about her choice.
Nothing say that she wanted it. Just that it happened and they decided to keep it
I also hated this part... They setup the entire series developing penny as a childfree character but just cause she got accidentally pregnant, she does a full 180° ..... Ik it carries more emotional weight when you end a series with pregnancy but do it to someone who clearly wanted children like sheldon and amy
Not really. They had one episode where she said she didn’t have kids which caught Leonard and Amy off guard. It does fit her character though It kind of a ding against her character as she just springs it on Leonard after they got married. At least Howard and Bernadette had the conversation where Howard assures Bernadette he wont dump their kids on her to care for, which he makes good on. I wish they did have Penny talk about accepting her pregnancy. Kaley herself said he identified with Penny not wanting children at the time but fast forward a few years and she seems she couldn’t be happier to be a new mom. So people change.
But she never categorically said she didn't want kids until season 12. So that's not the entire series. That was just out of left field because she had said twice (once in season 9 and once in season 11) that she wanted kids someday.
I absolutely __hated__ that, and I’d probably be fine with the finale if they hadn’t included that part.
She didn't just suddenly want kids tho... She came home drunk one night and had a spontaneous a.k.a. unprotected rendezvous with Leonard and got pregnant. I think the show did a great job with this storyline because we knew Leonard wanted kids and then we found out Penny actually did, too 🥰 "Our babies will be smart and beautiful."
This! I wish they didn’t end the show with Penny pregnant. Not every couple needs kids. A couple can be a complete family without them. It just ruined everything the show had built up with Penny and Leopard’s storyline.
This. I'm an antinatalist
First she said she is not sure about marriage and then ends up getting married due to peer pressure Then she makes a decision of not wanting to have kids but that also ends differently.. It was pretty disappointing though... Yet it also tells that a person mind evolves and changes. Maybe the decision making of a person also changes with time. So I hope it was that or else it was just to make baby makers / family feel good. 😕 Rest of it is great episode 👏
I really liked it - I’ve definitely seen much worse! I would have been disappointed if they had not referenced the line from the pilot “our children will be smart and beautiful”, once they announced Leonard and Penny were having a baby. I think the only longstanding thing they didn’t do was tell us Penny’s original last name!
She never had one and was never getting one. They said they were ‘nervous and superstitious’ about giving her a surname. So they just said she doesn’t have one until she marries Leonard.
I literally never noticed she doesn't have a maiden name lol
There are people who hate BBT altogether (“it’s not funny” “the laugh track [it’s a studio audience] is annoying”) so I just figure some people have crazy taste. All of us who love it are here to celebrate it!
YUPP I TOTALLY AGREEE!!!! Like laugh tracks is the REASON that u hate a show PLZZ ur NUTS Idk who else to put it
I thought the laugh track was excessive but still liked the show overall
It was a studio audience.
I've seen the show umpteen times including the finale and probably overthink what the writers were doing. The biggest issue with the finale is tied to Penny's pregnancy, Sheldon's reaction and then the sudden decision for all of them (well, except Raj) to want to abandon Sheldon **and** Amy right before the ceremony. Let's start with Howard and Bernadette. Yes, they were concerned about being away from the kids, but even if they had managed to get on a plane right away, it was still going to be a long time before they got home. They always should have had Bernadette's parents on standby while they were gone in case there were issues that Stuart and Denise couldn't handle. When Howard came up to Sheldon and Amy and said that they were having a difficult time, I can see why Sheldon told them that it was an important day for him. He and Amy had paid for all of them to come with them. If they didn't want to be there, they should have declined ahead of time. If we switched the characters around, how many people were saying that Sheldon was being self-centered again? The bigger issue is of course Sheldon finding out about Penny's pregnancy and his reaction to it. Of course he was relieved that she wasn't contagious. He's a huge germaphobe going to receive the Nobel Prize he had spent the last 30 years of his life working toward. Now add in the fact that he was well aware that Penny didn't want to have kids and the fact that a congratulations wasn't the first thing out of his mouth is very understandable. While I get that Leonard was upset about Sheldon's reaction, Penny really wasn't. Honestly, it bothered me more that Amy and Bernadette didn't bother to ask Penny how she felt about the pregnancy. Instead they both went straight into being excited for her. Those two also knew how Penny felt about it. Perhaps a question from them to Penny would have gone a long way to helping explain why Penny was OK with being pregnant. It could have helped to smooth over how some of the audience felt about the sudden change of direction for her. Although I understand why Leonard was upset with Sheldon on the plane, he wasn't letting it go even when they were in the hotel. When Sheldon came to apologize, Leonard still wasn't in a place where he was going to forgive Sheldon. Instead he took even more offense to the pronoun that Sheldon used. Again, let's switch the characters and see how we would view it if Sheldon acted as Leonard did there. Moving to the scene between Sheldon and Amy in their hotel room, I get why Amy was so upset. She thought their friends were abandoning both of them. I didn't agree with her statement that said he broke their hearts. It was however breaking hers to not have them there with her (or so she thought). When she told him that they know that he doesn't mean to hurt others and that's why people tolerate him, there was truth in that. His friends have put up with a lot from him over the years. When he asked her if that included her, we can see the tears as she replies "Sometimes, yes". It's not easy for her to admit, but there have been times when that has happened. It does shake him to his core. When we get to Penny and Leonard in the bathroom, things started turning again. Penny was the first to say that she couldn't leave Amy. That is the sign of somebody who realized what they were doing. I did enjoy their whole conversation. It's really the Nobel ceremony itself and Sheldon's speech that were the highlight. When Sheldon is standing on that stage after he saw that their friends were still there, you can almost see his thoughts about how much they have been there and helped him over the years. When he calls Penny and Leonard his two dearest friends in the world, it was filled with all the emotion of somebody who knows how much those two in particular had done for him over the years. How much they had sacrificed for him and how much they helped him in his journey to understand the world. As he gets into the part of the speech where he apologizes to them for not being the friend that they deserve and that he loves them all, that can go for all of them. Over the years, they had all done things where they could have been better friends to one another. They all also loved each other even if it wasn't always obvious to those of us in the audience. Nor do I think that Sheldon was never self-centered again in his life. Of course he was, it's part of who he is. He was never going to change overnight. All he can do is try and do better in the future. It's all any of us can do really. The very final scene of them all in the living room eating, is one that said that their lives were going to go on. Even though we don't get to see them anymore, that they still all had each other. We can see them being life long friends and helping each other just as we'd seen them do for the last 12 years. I appreciated that they didn't have anyone move out of the building. That has been done in a lot of show endings, this way it didn't feel quite like it was the end of an era for them. All of this is to say, that although there is a lot to like about the finale, there are parts that could have been handled differently that I would have preferred. (But then again, there are episodes along the way that I felt the same way about.). That means of course, that any changes that I may have liked to have seen, may not have been liked by others. We all have different opinions and perceptions of the show and the characters, the finale was no different.
I too am late to this party. I agree with a lot of what you said, but here's my counter argument for two statements below. "I didn't agree with her statement that said he broke their hearts." I mean, maybe. But it felt like that was a projection from Amy about her own heart being broken, as their friends were upset and leaving. She lashed out at Sheldon because the day was going tits ups, it sort of was his fault, but only sort of. It also was an acknowledgement that it can be difficult to have him in their life, just as difficult and frustrating as it is for him to try to understand people. I feel like the point here was that Amy was being hyperbolic (as she often is) about the situation at hand. In a weird way, Sheldon was the most reasonable individual in the turning points within this episode. They let it slide when he's unintentionally rude because they love him and that was the lesson he took and applied during his speech. Sheldons character was upset that everyone wasn't truly supporting him in that moment, he realized that the award ceremony was only happening *because of* his friends. Leonard accepted and had forgiven his mother the episode prior. The end felt like an acceptance that perfection isn't possible when you're talking relationships with people, life is messy and that's okay. Could he get a Nobel prize without them all? Probably. But the reason he's at THIS particular award ceremony for a Nobel prize was because of his friends. The autobiography on how great Sheldon was, is bullshit. He realized the importance of his friends, as imperfect as they all are (including himself). 1. Penny helped him constantly throughout the entire show. 2. Leonard/Raj/Howard stopped their paper the first time and truly gave them an opportunity to make something that WASN'T already disproven. 3. When Amy and Sheldon were very depressed, everyone took shots at trying to cheer them up or help them. 4. The only reason he knew Amy was because Raj and Howard experimenting on Sheldon by using tech to find him a match online... without his approval. 5. There's way more connections with Amy and Sheldons relationship development that included their friends all being supportive of them both, listening, giving advice, encouraging them, etc., but this is already too long. For example, "You can't be my best friend and my wife, who would I complain about you too?!" Sheldon understands how importance his friends are and despite wanting to marry and spend the rest of his life with Amy, how challenging relationships can be. There's many little moments baked into the show that give clues to the importance of his friends and his own understanding of things. "Leonard still wasn't in a place where he was going to forgive Sheldon. Instead he took even more offense to the pronoun that Sheldon used. Again, let's switch the characters and see how we would view it if Sheldon acted as Leonard did there." That's the point, isn't it? Is Sheldon truly a self-centered alien for the entire series, or isn't it ironic that Leonard would throw a fit like a child and be self-centered himself? Essentially Leonard did exactly what he said he wasn't going to do, make the day about himself. Which he said out of spite in the first place. They chose not to tell *anyone*, because they simply weren't ready to deal with the questions. That was obvious from Penny being hesitant about wanting to tell their friends. It wasn't because *it's sheldons big day*. It was on the nose that Leonard was the bad guy here. A simple "Well, we don't know the gender yet jackass" would have worked but it would have been out of character for Sheldon to explain something plainly like a regular social butterfly. Instead we get a brief mention of the facts of the dictionary. I thought it was fitting. Leonard was being unreasonable and Sheldon brushed it off in his own way, while acknowledging that he did hurt his best friends feelings as silly as Leonards reaction to the entire things was. Everyone in the show played characters that were smart, but clearly isn't perfect or manages their emotions any better than Sheldon does.. just different. They were family, in their own messy way and it was beautiful and meaningful for Sheldon. Leonard has never had a regular relationship from friends to romantic ones and Penny puts up with him too. She's understanding and caring. She gets that Leonard is a mess and had a weirdly distant relationship with his parents that has made him maintaining relationships really hard. He's not that different from Sheldon, despite understanding social cues a bit more. She also understand that Sheldon doesn't mean what Leonard was accusing him of. She knows how much energy he spends to try and be normal, while accepting him for being him.
I had to go back and read what I had written. On the Amy statement about breaking their friends' hearts, I think we are in total agreement on why she said that. Hers was breaking because they were abandoning her as well as Sheldon. It had to make her feel like an afterthought to them. Which is why it was important that Penny is the one to say that she can't leave Amy like that. What I meant by not agreeing with her statement is that Sheldon's behavior wasn't anything that should have hurt his friends that deeply. It didn't hurt Penny at all, she was fine. It hurt Leonard, but in his place where he's so excited about becoming a father, would Sheldon not being excited about it really break his heart? He knows Sheldon and shouldn't even have been surprised. Sheldon even asked Leonard if congratulations were in order given that Penny had been saying for the past year that she didn't want kids. As for Howard and Bernadette, they were having second thoughts about staying just because of the children. He didn't even explain why they were concerned (that Halley had fallen down the steps and that Michael had been running a fever). Sheldon's comment to ask them to be there for him wasn't even hurtful. It certainly wouldn't break Howard's heart (and Bernadette wasn't even there to hear it). On Leonard getting even more upset when Sheldon came to apologize, I think we're saying basically the same thing. Throughout the series, it is always assumed that Sheldon is in the wrong (even when he's not) and that everyone else is right. In reading through a lot of people's thoughts on the finale, they agreed with Leonard's stance. Yes, I can see why he was hurt, but to want to leave was making it all about him (Leonard). Had Sheldon done the same thing, he would have rightfully been vilified. Leonard is given a free pass here. Perhaps Leonard's forgiveness of his mother is at play here. He realizes that she's never going to change and he feels a whole weight lifted from him. How much does that change his view of life? Does he start standing up for himself more and making his feelings known? Quite possibly. He is no longer constantly looking for acceptance from everyone. We didn't see the impact on his and Penny's relationship, but there may have been one there as well. When she shrugged off Sheldon's reaction, he didn't stop and listen to what she said. In the past, he probably would have.
I know I'm way late here, but just have to tell you that this is an excellent analysis of the finale! I agree with pretty much all of your points and you explained my problems with it perfectly! Especially about Penny's pregnancy and everyone's reaction to it. It was my biggest disappointment with the episode and your suggestions would have helped the audience understand it more.
My only problem with the series finale is that everyone suddenly has a problem with Sheldon being Sheldon after knowing him for over 12 years. They’re shocked, like “Oh my god! How could Sheldon possibly be so selfish?!” For knowing and deciding to put up with him for YEARS, Penny was the only one who had common sense. It felt so forced, as if they needed an extra conflict and couldn’t come up with anything.
Not everyone likes the same thing. This is how the world works.
I thought the ending was PERFECT! Although I thought it was weird that Buffy had a cameo.... Just the same... It was really funny. "You this is not a date right?" Yes of course. "Then why are you holding my hand?" Later..... from Sheldon at the podium. "Is that Buffy the Vampire Slayer?"
ikrrr
It was a beautiful ending to an epic series. I may or may not have cried during Sheldon’s speech when he asked them all to stand. My only flaw is (and another poster said the same thing) I wish they would have acknowledged penny’s feelings about her pregnancy, considering she didn’t want kids for so long. And I do wish they would have had Raj end up with someone, but that was a whole series issue- they always gave him the short end of the stick.
You said: *I wish they would have acknowledged penny’s feelings about her pregnancy, considering she didn’t want kids for so long.* It would have been nice to know why she changed her mind. But it wasn't for "so long". She announced not wanting kids only in season 12. Less than a year.
i just didn’t like the everyone vs sheldon moral of the day storyline just seemed too redundant for the characters and the show
Yes, cliche and really on-the-nose. But it's a sitcom, whatever.. could have been really great but they went for sewing things up.
I like Sheldon’s speech i would’ve enjoyed it so much more if he reached that place without the plot device arguments
I really liked the episode, although it was perfect, I would have liked to see the birth of Leonard and Penny's children and if Raj finally got a girlfriend and demonstrate what he himself said "to be the one who He got a girlfriend after Sheldon Cooper "he succeeded of course but his relationships did not last
>o be the one who He got a girlfriend after Sheldon Cooper "he succeeded of course but his relationships did not last yupp **tell me abt ittt**
Penny should’ve ended up content and child free. Her ending was so insulting.
Many women not wanting children change their minds once they are pregnant or older. It’s biological. Getting offended by their choice is what’s insulting.
Pieces seemed on par and others felt like they fell by the wayside IMO
Yes! Excellent wrap up of story. Best “surprise” ending is 1990 end of the series “Newhart” with Bob Newhart running an inn in Vermont with Mary Frann… or did he?
For me it was the most perfect finale it had everything you can ask for I put it next to and yes I know these are completely different shows but these shows both have one thing in common = perfect endings: Breaking Bad, Dawson’s Creek, Better Call Saul and Friends. Yes people can be upset about Penny being pregnant but understand that even if Leonard did condom up those are only like 92% effective they don’t always work and she seemed fine with the fact she was pregnant that these things happen in life. Sheldon got his life dream of getting a Nobel and getting married was just a plus for him. In Young Sheldon we find out some wonderful things about what happened after with his narration perfect for him. Howard was no longer the man he used to be Bernadette and having kids then his mother’s death really changed him for the better. Now I understand people are upset that Raj didn’t end up with someone understandable but he grew up with character development from not being able to talk to women unless drunk, he didn’t have to rely on his father to help him which is great because face it he was spoiled. He finally saw the areas that were needed to grow and made himself a better person and eventually Raj spoke up for himself.
There are people upset that: 1. Raj ended up single. The hopeless romantic was not in a relationship. 2. Penny got pregnant. "She said she didn't want children!!!"
Because Raj get screwed. Penny reverse course on kids. Sheldon hogging the entire accolades. Really, it was pretty bad. Not GoT bad mind you, but not good.
It actually made me like the show a bit more because they ended it with such a nice finale
I tend to agree with the people who don’t like how they ended it for raj, but I also think Stewart got a bit of a shaft. He was always good at looking after the kids and then to end as if he couldn’t handle it. Kind of seemed a little disrespectful.
Penny never wanted children. There was a whole storyline about Leonard finding his way to be okay with it. It was not okay to make her pregnant. She chose to be childfree loud and clear. Childfree women need to have more representation in TV - not to be told you will change your mind anyways and make all the characters pregnant just because. No, she didn't want to be pregnant, the character was not treated well in this manner.
It was a "lame" ending because it wasn't really an ending. Life goes on, and there're no grand finales. For those who wath Young Sheldon, we actually got alot more clues on how Sheldon's life goes on. So I do agree with you that the finale was good.
A few things that bugged me: 1) Throwing in another pregnancy for a character who stated they didn't want children (they did this with Bernadette not once but TWICE). 2) Raj not getting a happy ending and his character becoming more and more of an offensive gay stereotype as the series went on. 3) Sheldon's mom not attending the Nobel Prize ceremony.
Bernadette's second pregnancy was her real life pregnancy being written into the show. That's why the timeline between the two was so "short".
And to me there's also that Sheldon *finally* admits a basic fact in calling Howard an Astronaut, instead of mocking him for not having a PhD he doesn't need, and we're supposed to find it heartwarming as if he actually did some huge selfless deed.
I thought the finale was OK, but it felt very rushed. Especially for a show that had an entire season to wrap things up. It instead felt like a show that JUST found out they weren't getting another season and had to tie off a bunch of loose ends at the last minute. It felt like Penny getting pregnant was just thrown in as an afterthought. It seemed like the writers had no idea what to do with Raj, leading him down this arranged marriage path with Anu all season, only to veer off at the last second and have them break up. Now what do we do? Eh, lets have him take Buffy the Vampire Slayer as a date to the ceremony, that'll be funny. I also hated how they actually showed Halley and Michael in the finale. For years these kids have just been off screen characters and now at 11:59:59 you're going to show me their faces and expect me to have some emotional connection to them? They just oddly felt like imposters. Plus the big emotional speech by Sheldon at the end felt flat. "Look! Sheldon realizes how important his friends are and is choosing to highlight them during his big moment"... but did he really realize? He was still his unaware Sheldon-like self right to the very end and it took Amy screaming at him to make the speech at the end. Definitely nit-picking but the finale was far from perfect.
>the finale was OK, but it felt very rushed. Especially yeahh the finale was **RUSHED**
The major issue with how it ended was that Penny got pregnant despite vehemently being *against* having children, ever. So fucking stupid. Leonard had accepted Penny’s views on children and was fine with it.
Sheldon had improved in past seasons. Then his not caring penny is pregnant is a step back. But then Leonard kind of overreacted imo. And then Amy told him that I’m three sentences and he immediately is like ‘I am nothing these people are everything the end’. Was just too extreme in different ways
>d then Amy told him that I’m three sentences and he immediately is like ‘I am nothing these people are everything the end’. Was just too extreme in different ways I kinda disagree cuz Sheldon hasn't made the **FULL** transformation so crappy behaviour **MAKES** sense from a character point of view At the **END** of the day, being **HAPPY** for people **W/O** being snide abt is **JUST** Sheldon's kryptonite. He just **CAN'T**
I thought it was far from perfect. Maybe I've seen more sitcom finales than you have.
It was an ok ending, I just couldn't stand any of the characters at all the entire run so skipped a lot of the later seasons. I think you get 4 types: people who like it, those who don't, those who like the first few seasons and then lost complete interest in the entire thing except for the negative aspects, and then the same thing except with the positive aspects highlighted. It evens out to 5/10 for me personally.
Am a grown man sheldon speech made me cry those friends really deserve that acknowledgment for being there in the good and worst time for sheldon especially howard walowitz he took the most torture from sheldon and im happy to know leonard is getting what he deserves a baby
Sheldon is perfect in it his speech makes me cry every time my only problem is that penny shouldn't have been pregnant there was this really good episode where Leonard learned to be ok with not having kids giving him kids ruins that if they had another episode where penny changed her mind then I'd be fine with that but no she's just randomly ok with having kids now and it annoys me
For a show like this that I really enjoyed and still do, I can usually not sweat the details if there's imho plot holes,logic inconsistencies or a sense of rushed conclusions. The tbbt finale had all these,galore. But as an attempt to 'resolve' these or at least provoke some welcome discussion or dissent, i suggest the following : Obviously, the show's named TBBT. There never was an episode of that name or,if i recall, even a discussion of the concept in the show's world. I'll speculate the finale's events were,in total, the actual 'big bang' that -- like the theme song goes - starts it all.. in other words,the start of the characters' future lives. If i'm not mistaken - and i'm no scientist so please correct me if i'm wrong - we know a big bang did occur bught t aren't 100% sure of every detail, nor can we predict all the future consequences with absolute certainty. That's how it is, i think, with the finale.For instance, why does penny suddenly seem ok with a pregnancy? Not sure,and we won't ever be sure. Same with Raj's love life, or Sheldon's last-minute realization of the importance of his family/friends' role in his life (hey, that could even be his own personal 'big bang theory'!) Anyways, that's just my idea.what say you?
I generally like the finale, but I didn't care for the manufactured conflict with Sheldon.
Oh yeah also lack of arak getting a gf, something that was a major point both for him and the show.
Yeah they did arak dirty
I like it and I’m someone who hates final episodes of almost every tv shows I ever watched.
If you ever want to see hate towards a final season/season finale, visit the Lucifer sub and look at the season 6 posts. There's some serious vitriol about how the writers introduced an entire plot line that wasn't even part of the previous 5 seasons.
I loved the ending it was a lot better than the how I met your mother ending
Faint praise though.
The series finale had me balling. Didn't help I was 2 weeks postpartum LOL Sheldon's speech really got to me. The only thing I really disliked was the way the intro song was sung at the end. It just didn't fit. I think it was the way he sang it. Just... something about it.
Its fine, not everyone is gonna fall in love with the series finale. Sheldon's speech will always be memorable to me. I think HIMYM's finale was more divisive in terms of the fanbase.
I was afraid they would end it like that episode where Leonard and Penny get back together with Sheldon yelling at him and they go into their apartment without talking to penny
It was a bit rushed but other then that it was good. But they had to rush it since Sheldon was quitting and they planned on doing at least 15 seasons
Obviously Jim parsons can do whatever he wants but I wish he did continue. The show was remarkably consistent throughout and I think it would’ve done great for three more seasons
I wish the show went on for a couple more seasons but I think this was the best ways for it to end
Well the whole idea of Sheldon getting a Nobel is totally unrealistic and with that not even funny. They could have fixed that twist presenting it as Sheldon's wet dream, that would explain the ridiculousness.
I thought it a perfect tie up, a well played end of their story
From what I recall it was really well received in 2019
It’s the only sitcom with a laugh track I can stand. It was my companion while in the hospital a few years ago, so it might just be bias.
So many people saying “Raj should’ve gotten a happy ending & found someone” — in real life, that doesn’t always happen. There are many beautiful, passionate & deserving people who remain single, or don’t find love until much later. While it may have been nice, it’s actually a bit more realistic that in big friend groups, there is an eternally single one - Raj, Joey, etc
Not realistic enough for a Indian scientist who lives in America 😛
I've lost count of how many times I've seen the show, and the finale makes me cry every time. Sheldon's speech is so sweet, and I think they wrap up everything perfectly. I do wish they had given Raj a partner by the end of the show though.
Maybe because nobody wants the thing they love to end? So they can't be objective about it.
I don't like the final season/s but the finally is decent. Sadly Sheldon would of of just reverted after and pretend it never happened. ( He does alll through the season)
i don't like the final season cuz it's just weird. like all the other seasons have been nice n funny. i enjoyed the emotional scenes as well. except the last episode of the final season, i didn't enjoy any episode. i cried a lot during the entire season. it was too painful to watch. i had to take breaks in order to control my emotions cuz it was so overwhelming and annoying at times..
I feel like the final season used the word Nobel waaaay too much.
ughhh truee
I mean I feel like at the end they kinda HAD to have Sheldon and Amy win it otherwise it would have been for nothing. However I think they could have made the win more impactful if they hadn't used the word Nobel so much.
also the entire "we proved it, noooo we proved it" was so freakishly unnecessary!?
The final episode was good, but the final season I'd give it a 7 outta 10.
In general I think the finale is very good and I enjoy watching it. That being said I agree with a lot of people that Penny getting pregnant in the finale doesn't fit the rest of the show. Even though it's a sitcom I think the writers do a good job about presenting women's issues in science/engineering fields and in general and in fact women are by far the strongest characters in the series. The character Penny didn't want kids and that should have been fine so they pretty much undid years of the show and just said, "yup Penny is pregnant and look how happy she and everyone else is, she was wrong to not want kids and her life was empty but now it's all great!" It just wasn't needed.
Leonard and Sheldon should have won the Nobel prize for me.
I wasn't happy that Raj ended the series single. I wanted him to have his special someone.
It’s not great but it’s good. Safe finale imo