Back in 2007, collecting comics, wearing superhero
merch, and researching particle physics might
have seemed strictly reserved for nerds. It
was the year after the original X-Men trilogy
had wrapped in movie theaters, and the year
that the Tobey Maguire-starring Spider-Man
trilogy ended with Emo Spidey. That September,
a show about four geeky scientists and one
beautiful aspiring actress debuted not with
a bang but with a collective eh.
Co-created by Two and a Half Men mastermind
Chuck Lorre and Bill Prady, who worked on
series like Star Trek: Voyager and Married...
with Children, The Big Bang Theory had creative
powerhouses behind it. But it didn't take
off like a homemade bottle rocket until a
bit later in the game. The Big Bang Theory
was riffing on nerd culture before nerd culture
became mainstream. Following a lukewarm response
to the first few seasons, the series eventually
found its audience and broke several records.
In 2018, the show's four leads, Jim Parsons,
Johnny Galecki, Simon Helberg and Kunal Nayyar,
were the highest-paid actors on TV. Just one
in the many ways that The Big Bang Theory
is a lot like Friends, as many critics have
stated. In 2019, 12 years after its premiere
on CBS, The Big Bang Theory became the longest-running
multi-camera sitcom, surpassing the previous
record of 275 episodes set by Cheers.
But by then, Parsons had already turned down
a reported $50 million to make two more seasons,
which is the real reason why The Big Bang
Theory ended after the 12th season aired in
2019. As both celebration and mockery of geek
culture, the show usually wasn't subtle about
its references, but there were probably a
few things you never noticed in the TV hit's
final episode.
The Big Bang Theory first aired at the peak
of 2000s fashion, when UGG boots and pleated
mini skirts were the look. Twelve years later,
the trends may have changed, but the show's
costume department snuck in a few references
to the pilot to show how the characters' lives
have come full circle.
Sheldon's t-shirts have always been a talking
point, especially now that superhero merch
is more present at big box chain stores than
ever. In the first half of the finale, "The
Change Constant," Sheldon is wearing one of
his classic t shirts bearing the Green Lantern
logo. However, the t-shirt is deliberately
faded, emphasizing the passing of time, and
the fact that his clothing is yet another
thing that he can't keep from changing.
In the second half of the finale, "The Stockholm
Syndrome," Sheldon wears a t-shirt showing
multiple superhero logos, which is unusual
for him. This matches the feel of the episode
as a conclusion of the whole series, with
Sheldon finally learning to appreciate his
friends, instead of thinking about himself
all the time.
Sheldon isn't the only one whose t-shirt is
talking. In the final shot, look closer at
Penny's light blue top with purple flowers,
and you'll see that it's the same one she
wore when she first met Sheldon and Leonard.
Penny also wore this top when Leonard asked
her on the date that led to them rekindling
their relationship in season 5. It's a nice
way to connect the pivotal moments in a relationship
that has been at the heart of the show from
day one.
There's another Penny-Leonard connection between
the pilot and finale. In "The Stockholm Syndrome,"
Penny reveals that she's pregnant. The couple's
decision over whether to have children is
a thread throughout the final season, but
it's actually been in the cards for a lot
longer. You likely never noticed in The Big
Bang Theory's first episode that Leonard predicted
this plot line in the pilot. Immediately after
meeting Penny, he told Sheldon:
"Our babies will be smart and beautiful."
We'll have to wait 20 years or so for the
inevitable revival to find out whether or
not this assessment is true. But it also marked
an unusual moment for Sheldon — his response
to Leonard's prediction is:
"Not to mention imaginary."
Even Nobel Prize-winning theoretical physicists
can't be right all the time.
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