Bittersweet Bazinga: 'The Big Bang Theory' Series Finale Proved that Science Takes Heart

CBS sitcom The Big Bang Theory took its final bow on Thursday after 12 seasons, meaning it's the end of an era for Penny, Sheldon and Leonard.

The hour-long series finale included a trip to Sweden for Sheldon (Jim Parsons) and Amy (Mayim Bialik) to accept the Nobel Peace Prize in physics, a big reveal that Leonard (Johnny Galecki) and Penny (Kaley Cuoco) were expecting a baby, and culminated in an acceptance speech by Sheldon that highlighted all the ways he truly cared about his friends.

Last month, director Mark Cedrowski discussed the 12th and final season of the CBS series.

“I will say the one thing about how they’ve approached the whole season: When we learned that this was to be the last season…writers have approached it, not so much as the show is wrapping up and we’ll never see them again and the finality of it all,” he said, according to Deadline. “It’s going to be the last episode and it’s going to end, but people’s lives still go on.”

Cedrowski explained that the characters’ story lines will live on long after the show concludes, adding, “The characters will be giving the idea that their lives continue on. It’s not going to be an atomic bomb where things blow up and you never see anybody again.”

Cedrowski's got that right. The show will live on not just in hearts of its fans, but through Young Sheldon, the spinoff prequel.

The finale ended with the gang eating Chinese takeout on the couch just as we've seen so many times before, and you don't have to be a rocket scientist to know that through thick and thin (and through every Star Wars reference and Bazinga!), we'll always have the Big Bang to fall back on.

Fingers crossed for Buffy's safety, though...