How The Big Bang Theory Should End

With the end in sight, we've come up with some of the best ways that The Big Bang Theory can conclude its long run on TV. Last month, CBS announced that the popular sitcom is wrapping up after 12 seasons, by which point it will be the longest-running multi-camera series in primetime TV history. The decision was surprising for fans, especially considering that mere weeks prior to the announcement, CBS Entertainment head Kelly Kahl shared that they were having plans of bringing it back for another year. Since then, some of the cast members like Kaley Cuoco and Jim Parsons have addressed the impending finale, both of them thanking all their fans and promising the perfect sendoff for the sitcom.

Season 11 ended with the marriage of Sheldon and Amy following their abrupt engagement during the season 10 finale. The special episode brought back in some famous faces, like Kathy Bates as Amy's mom and Laurie Metcalf as Sheldon's mother. Mark Hamill also made an appearance as himself, serving as the officiator of the wedding. It would have been the perfect way to end the show, but with still one full final season ahead, a lot of things can still happen to the gang.

The Big Bang Theory co-creator Bill Prady recently admitted that the show's writers and producers are still figuring out the perfect way to send off the show. So, while we wait for the new season to kick off, we came up with some ways that The Big Bang Theory could go out with a bang.

This Page: A Big Goodbye... Or A Time Jump
Page 2: What If None Of It Ever Really Happened?

Most Of Them Move Away

The group having dinner in the living room on The Big Bang Theory

Similar to how F.R.I.E.N.D.S. ended, but with a twist, The Big Bang Theory can end by having some of the characters relocate. Penny and Leonard, meanwhile, decide to stay at the same apartment as the former tries again to become an actress, while the latter begins teaching at CalTech. Amy and Sheldon, due to their latest discovery of super asymmetry, can move to Switzerland and continue their work at CERN, where they'll get the funding they need. Raj gets a job offer from another observatory where he can both be a planetarium speaker and a curator. Due to his newfound confidence, he takes the opportunity and moves away as well. Howard and Bernadette, on the other hand, relocate a bit farther away either to be nearer Hallie's school or to transfer to a bigger house given their growing family.

The final scene is Penny and Leonard enjoying their first peaceful night in, given that they no longer have to deal with quirky neighbors. But just before they get settled, they overhear their brand new neighbor who is very similar to, if not weirder than, Sheldon. Leonard couldn’t help himself but ask him/her what’s the sixth noble gas - a great throwback to one one of the odd questions Sheldon asked Leonard before he agreed to be his roommate.

This will mark an end of the era for the gang, but that doesn't mean that they'll lose contact with each other. It also leaves the door open for any possibility spinoffs centering on any of the characters. Penny deciding to try her luck entering show business again and Raj embarking on a brand new journey on his own are good potential premises for any kind of offshoot, in case CBS is still looking to launch a brand new offshoot.

Time Jump

Sheldon and Amy in The Big Bang Theory season 11 finale wedding

In the final episode, the show could transport fans forward in time to Amy and Sheldon receiving their Nobel Peace Prize in Physics for their work on super asymmetry (which executives of the show already hinted at potentially being prize-winning). The happy occasion also serves as mini-reunion for the group as they all gather together to celebrate their pals' recent achievement. Just when everybody thought that Sheldon will ramble on how he's proud of himself for the breakthrough during his speech, he stops mid-sentence and credits Amy as his equal partner in the endeavor. It’s eventually revealed that Amy is pregnant and is on the brink of giving birth, prompting Sheldon to immediately cut the celebration short to attend to his wife. The fact that Sheldon doesn't even have to think twice about dropping the very thing he's worked so hard for all his life just to be with Amy continues his character's growth which we have seen over the last couple of seasons of The Big Bang Theory.

Sheldon's problematic prioritization skills remain to be an occasional issue in his relationship. In the past, he initially chose to catch the premiere of Star Wars: The Force Awakens than celebrating Amy's birthday before an apparition of Professor Proton appeared to him and changed his mind. However, during season 11's finale, he exhibited positive progress when he chose to focus on their wedding ceremony rather than obsessing over his latest scientific discovery. And it seems like this personal arc will continue going to season 12 as he's depicted to be a very accommodating new husband to Amy during the couple's honeymoon.

Ending The Big Bang Theory with a tease of Amy and Sheldon having a kid also ties in with last season's Young Sheldon where it was teased that the couple will eventually have children.

Page 2: What If None Of It Ever Really Happened?

Stuart, Raj and Sheldon in The Big Bang Theory

Stuart Was Imagining Things

The adventures in The Big Bang Theory are often outlandish and unbelievable... so what if they never actually happened? The show could end with one of the boys' frequent trips to the comic books shop. Stuart (Kevin Sussman) eyes the boys from the counter and murmurs to himself about what they're up to this time. It's then revealed that everything that happened in the series that didn't feature Stuart was actually a figment of his imagination, while the few times he's been invited to hang out with the gang really happened in real life. Imagining what the geeks have been doing while he's left out in the shop is his way of coping with being cast aside - as if he's filling out the narrative blanks that he missed by not being there. Sure, the comic book store and Stuart didn't make an appearance until season 2, but the boys have been going to the shop for a long time with references to their trips to the establishment in the first season, so this scenario can still be pulled off.

Considering that Stuart has been constantly sulking about the gang rarely inviting him to join them despite the fact that he's a constant figure in their lives - not to mention that he's been very accommodating to them with regard to using his comic book store - this is a great way to offer a different perspective about the idea of being an "outcast." Sheldon, Leonard, Raj, and Howard have been generally frowned upon by society given their quirks and oddities, but at least they have each other, with their group growing as most of them finding their significant others.

Then there's Stuart, who would give anything to be included in the boys' inner circle. His eccentricities are mellow compared to the foursome, he has a thriving business and has a talent for drawing, and yet, he struggles (even more than Sheldon) fitting in. It's a great twist that is not only hilarious but also offers a different insight into being a social outcast which has been the main hook of The Big Bang Theory.

However the writers and producers decide to end The Big Bang Theory, there's one thing that fans are really clamoring to see: to get the broken elevator in the apartment building finally repaired. For more than 10 years, the gang has endured walking up and down the stairs, and we even learned how it got broken (it was the boys' fault following an experiment gone wrong). It would be hilarious to see the lift working again... just when they're about to move out of the building