Wow. What a year for TV. From "Lucifer's" epic comeback on Netflix to surprise cancellations and the subpar writing on "Game of Thrones," 2019 has not held back on the disappointments - and the victories - it has given to its avid TV fans. "The Big Bang Theory" provided one of the greatest triumphs of it all, capping out the series with a bang worthy of the title.
I've been a longtime fan of the series, albeit removed since season 9 (and with a drop-in during season 11 for Sheldon & Amy's lovely wedding). I began watching as an eighth grader in middle school. I vividly recall shivering fevers away on the couch as I fought a three-week battle with pneumonia, consuming episode after episode. I quickly evolved into a "Big Bang Theory" 'superfan,' obsessing over spoilers and character arcs, joining the lovely TBBT forums (which are sadly no longer as active as I remember them being, in later and much more infrequent visits) and even pumping out a few fanfictions (contact me if you're curious). I ended up relocating to Virginia halfway through my sophomore year of high school, and I soon fell out with the series. I disagreed with the writing choices, the way they were doing things. Jokes became tired and mean-spirited, and I chose to move into something more palatable for me: "Lucifer," which carried the same dark humor but in a different package. This turned into "Game of Thrones," then Westworld, and etc. So you can imagine how strange it was for me, having been gone so long and so far removed, to return many years later to say good-bye.
It was a perfect sendoff. I winced at some of the same, tired old jokes, being delivered (Sheldon so bad but we keep bowing to his wishes, how funny, hahaha). But I was happy. I was glad Sheldon and Amy were happily married (the old Shamy shipper in me was happy to see Sheldon so comfortable wearing his wedding ring), and even happier to see them get the Nobel prize they'd strived for the entirety of the show. I was happy to see Leonard and Penny get the smart, beautiful babies they deserved, and Howard and Bernadette navigating parenting. Stewart was a welcome face, and Raj was just as endearing as ever. The conflict at the end, and how his friends refused to abandon Sheldon and Sheldon's subsequent growth and understanding of how selfish he's been, coupled with his beautiful speech, all made a resounding impact on me. The ending scene, with all of them sitting together, as they always had done, brought tears to my eyes. It was the perfect ending. I always said this show was the 'Sheldon Show' - about his growth, his pain, and his mistakes. He finally grew and became the man he could be.
"The Big Bang Theory" got me through some really tough stuff. Through familial hardships, illness, and a cross-country move, it was there for me. Although I fell out later on in life, I wanted to come back, to get some closure. During those years that I've been with the show, I grew up. I learned to drive. I moved across the country. I graduated from high school. I made varsity rowing. I made friends and lost some. I went to UVA. I traveled the world. But most importantly, I found myself. "The Big Bang Theory" will always be a part of what shaped me. Thank you, writers. Thank you, actors. Thank you to everyone who made the show great. Eighth grade me, so many years ago, could have not dreamt this day to be a more perfect one. You'll always have a place in my heart.
