The Big Bang Theory: The Change Constant/The Stockholm Syndrome (12x23/24)

Ding dong, the witch is dead! (which old witch?) The wicked witch! Mwahahaha this is the last review for The Big Bang Theory I'll ever have to write!

Cons:

I'm totally willing to indulge in some sentimentality. Twelve seasons is a big accomplishment and so of course we're going to get a lot of sweet, indulgent moments throughout this finale. I can admit that some of them worked perfectly fine. But others... I'm not so sure. See, here's the thing: A plot about Sheldon being selfish and inconsiderate, the others getting upset about it, and then Sheldon apologizing and making a gesture to show how much he really cares, isn't a new idea on this show. It's something they pull off whenever they want to instill some genuine drama into the story. It's like the main conceit of Sheldon's character. I guess it's sweet that he uses his Nobel speech to express his gratitude to his friends, but I'm not entirely sure I felt that the moment was earned. Sheldon's selfishness here wasn't more egregious than usual, and the gang's reactions were only extreme because this is the finale and the narrative needed it to be extreme.

Amy's speech about women in science was sweet on its own, but rings a little awkward in a show so full of sexist behavior. Even here in the finale, Howard has to crack a joke about Bernadette and Penny taking a shower together. I didn't hate the fact that Amy got that moment to shine, but it was a little awkward.

I really shouldn't be surprised that Penny is pregnant. This show disappoints me in pretty much every conceivable way, so the idea of two characters ending the show happily married and yet without children, with no desire for children, was probably too much to hope for. Yes, I know Amy and Sheldon don't have kids, but they seem to want them, and with Penny, we actually got a whole story about how she has decided she doesn't want children. That's a perfectly valid and common choice to make, and I liked that we saw it on this show. So, of course they have to swoop in and change that at the last second.

Since this is a finale, we also have to contend with the things we didn't get to see. After twelve seasons, the only main character to end up single is Raj. Incidentally, he's also the only man of color, and spends most of the show being made to look effeminate in comparison to his male co-stars. I've had big problems with Raj's characterization over the years, and it's odd that his role in the final episode is reduced to a comedy subplot where he ends up meeting Sarah Michelle Gellar on the plane (side note - it was annoying to me that nobody said her real name, and that everyone just kept calling her "Buffy the Vampire Slayer", as if these super-nerds wouldn't know her real name, or as if the audience couldn't be trusted to know this relatively famous actress making a cameo). We also never got a firm resolution to Stuart and Denise, just that they were moving in together. I don't know... at the end of the day, it felt odd that certain characters didn't get the "finale treatment," so to speak. Nothing about Raj's plot thread in this episode felt like it belonged to the last episode ever for him. We didn't even get a mention of Anu. I guess that relationship just ended off-screen. Very disappointing.

Pros:

I like that Amy and Sheldon won the Nobel Prize. This show has a big problem following through with its A-plots, but if there was ever going to be a story big enough to be the final send-off, it would be this major accomplishment for them. I liked the scene at the beginning, with Penny and Leonard so ecstatic and joyous for their friends' accomplishments. That was very sweet, and of course it's sweet that they all decided to stay for Sheldon and Amy's big moment, even when Sheldon was being inconsiderate.

I liked that Howard and Bernadette's final plot thread revolved around them being anxious to be away from their kids. That was a good way of making them feel grounded and sympathetic, which is often something I don't feel for those characters. It was mildly amusing that Stuart was so terrible at babysitting. I also didn't mind seeing the kids in this final episode. It was a good way of remarking on how the episode really is the last one.

While I thought Sarah Michelle Gellar's role here was a little odd, I did think it was funny when Sheldon paused in his speech to ask Raj - "Is that Buffy the Vampire Slayer?" and then she just gives  a little wave. Sheldon's speech was sweet, even if maybe a bit unearned. I particularly liked that he gave everyone their titles, and called Howard an astronaut. That was a subtle nod to the recurring joke of Sheldon never respecting Howard because he doesn't have a PhD.

I liked Amy's makeover, and Sheldon't initial reaction to it, and the fact that Amy decided to feel good about herself and not make it all about Sheldon. Obviously Sheldon was in his head, and undergoing a great deal of stress because of all the changes that came with winning the Nobel. And so Sheldon is predictably rude, but Amy is firm in what she wants and what she likes, and doesn't cave to her husband's unreasonable behavior. It was also nice to see Raj helping out with the makeover, even if I do wish he had had more to do in this finale.

A few other little details I enjoyed: Sheldon and Penny going out for drinks. The two of them have a really compelling friendship that I have actually enjoyed watching over the years. The elevator was funny. That was a consistent gag that provided a unique set piece over the years, seeing scenes as the characters walked up and down the stairs. Pulling that all back to the elevator worked really well for me.

Over the years, I've complained that this show is too low-key, and never takes risks. I will eat my words a little bit here and say that I'm glad this finale didn't try and shake things up too much. Some sitcom finales try to change everything at the last second. Sure, we find out that Penny is pregnant, and Amy and Sheldon win the Nobel... but nobody is moving, nobody is quitting a job or anything crazy like that, so we can imagine that their lives continue to grow and develop over time, but the status quo isn't fundamentally altered. That's kind of refreshing, in a weird way.

And... that's that. For this finale, I will give a score of:

7.5/10

And for the show as a whole? Well... this show is not very funny, and it's frequently insulting and irritating. I'm genuinely relieved that I'll never have to watch it again, and I doubt I'll ever feel compelled to go back and re-watch an episode for nostalgia's sake. All of that compels me to give this show an over-all low score, despite my somewhat fond memories of watching the earlier seasons back in high school.

5/10