Parsons & Cuoco Drama Will Change How You See TBBT's Ending
The Big Bang Theory was an American comedy series that followed the lives of four brilliant physicist friends.
Their intellect far outweighed their social skills, and audiences were always entertained watching them try to navigate friendships, love, and their pursuit of science. The show ran for 12 seasons and the cast grew in size over time, featuring many quirky, likable characters.
Fans of the Big Bang were understandably devastated to learn that the 12th season of the show would be the last. The ending of the series was influenced by Jim Parsons who played one of the lead characters, Sheldon Cooper.
Producers of the show had expressed eagerness to continue the series, but Parsons wanted to pursue other avenues and expand on his acting career after playing Sheldon for 12 years. His choice was understandable, however, the show was unable to continue without him and producers made the decision to end the series.
When it comes to show business, it can be difficult to keep things drama free. The Big Bang Theory cast was unfortunately no exception to this.
It was revealed that some of the cast were distraught over the news, Johnny Galecki, who plays Sheldon's best friend Leonard, would later go on to describe seeing some actors "emotionally crumble" and almost not show up to filming the following day.
It wasn't just the news of the end that garnered this reaction, but the way it was announced. Parsons had not spoken to any of his fellow cast members about his decision to leave. The cast was called in for what they thought was a routine meeting with producers. Instead, the producers caught Parsons himself off guard by getting him to announce his exit, dropping a bombshell on everyone in the room.
There was a sense of shock and betrayal. Everyone in the room felt blindsided, and would later agree that the way the news was communicated to them was all wrong.
The beginning of the end was especially hard on Kaley Cuoco who plays Penny. Cuoco was part of the show from the start and played Sheldon's neighbor, eventually going on to marry his roommate Leonard. She and Parsons had become close friends over the years filming the show, and she could not get over the feeling of betrayal that threatened to end their off-screen relationship.
There was a point in run-throughs where she wouldn't even make eye contact with him, and the tension seemed to continue to build up as the pair had to film together.
The finale of The Big Bang Theory was described by viewers as satisfying and wholesome. The characters are all seen congregating in Leonard and Sheldon's apartment as they had done many, many times before. The characters had reached big milestones in the final season, and there was a lot to talk about and celebrate. Although it is the end, there is a sense that the characters will continue on in their lives even though the show does not continue to follow them.
As much as the finale seemed happy, the interactions between the characters Sheldon and Penny were tough to watch knowing that the pair were not on good terms in real life. Moments between them that should have been meaningful were at risk of being overshadowed by the drama unfolding behind the scenes.
Luckily, in the end, Cuoco forgave Parsons in order to maintain professionalism throughout filming and work towards creating the ending that the series deserved, even if it was bittersweet for her and other cast members. Years later, the pair have reconciled much to the delight of fans.