The Big Bang Theory was not just a regular comedy series; it was a cultural phenomenon and a lifesaver for nerds like me. The show represented introverts and gave us a voice that was heard by millions around the world. Sheldon, a genius but socially awkward scientist, was the heart of the show.

The CBS sitcom initially revolved around Sheldon, his roommate Leonard, their friends Howard and Raj, and Penny, a waitress who moves into an apartment across the hall from Sheldon and Leonard.

The Big Bang Theory was a massive hit, both financially and critically. During its twelve-season run, the show averaged over 16 million viewers per episode and peaked at over 20 million viewers during season nine. Jim Parsons, the actor behind Sheldon Cooper, won four Primetime Emmy Awards and one Golden Globe Award for his role in the show.

Unfortunately, nothing good lasts forever; The Big Bang Theory ended with a grand finale in 2019. Sheldon wins a Nobel Prize, he is happily married to Amy, and ends up with a loving group of friends.

Surely, Sheldon has found his fairy tale ending, right? Only, we didn’t want him to end up becoming a regular 9-to-5 guy.

Where Did The Series Go Wrong?

If you binge-watch the series from season one, you may notice a dramatic turn in the show’s tone in season eight. That’s where the writers shift the theme of the show from “Sheldon against the world” to “Sheldon adapting to the world.”

In later seasons, there are many instances of Sheldon apologizing to other characters, even for things that he has no control over. You will notice that, with the series’ progression, the episodes become less interesting as the plots abandon the nerd culture to focus on the characters and their relationships. Instead of the guys attending comic book conventions, they start going to fake prom nights. Sheldon also got a driving license – the no-driving was supposed to be one of the few constants in his life.

Sheldon is not an ordinary genius; he has eidetic memory and can also recall memories from when he was two months old. The show even jokes that his childhood idea about reusable rockets was stolen and used by Elon Musk to revolutionize the space industry.

Sheldon is supposed to be a prodigy, the man who is a step forward than everyone in the human evolutionary cycle. Yet, they make him share a Nobel Prize with someone, even though it was his wife, Amy – that’s like a half-victory for a character like Sheldon. Shouldn’t he wait to win another joint Nobel Prize before celebrating?

Let’s face it, Sheldon is the heart of the gang; the group wouldn’t have met each other if they didn’t know Sheldon. Besides, he was also the reason behind the show’s massive success. Jim Parsons’ iconic acting takes much of the credit. But, starting from season nine, his character was sidelined to explore other characters. And, it would have been the right decision to do so in the case of any other show.

But The Big Bang Theory isn’t your average slapstick comedy, and Sheldon isn’t just a replaceable character. We didn’t want to see Sheldon become a responsible adult; we wanted him to come up with a theory so radical that it could add him to the likes of Sir Isaac Newton or Albert Einstein. Sadly, we see him get awarded with a half-Nobel Prize, which should be an underachievement for a person like Sheldon.

How To Fix ‘The Big Bang Theory’ Ending

In earlier seasons, Leonard mentions on several occasions that Sheldon was destined to be a supervillain. He even expresses that Sheldon was a “lab accident” away from becoming one. So, as a die-hard fan of The Big Bang Theory, the perfect ending to the show was to turn Cooper into some kind of supervillain. While this would have pushed the show into full science-fiction territory, TBBT had always flirted with comic-book absurdity.

After Amy dumps him (possibly in season eight), Sheldon finally has a mental breakdown. He realizes that he was never meant to be in a relationship and that science was his one true love. As his narcissism goes off the charts, Sheldon starts believing in his moral superiority to others. He eventually becomes a rogue vigilante who is more of an evil supervillain than an anti-hero.

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But, becoming a villain is not enough for Sheldon; he overthrows the US government and starts ruling the world. He begins to execute his vision: a world that operates solely on logic and science. While he plans to build a world that resembles Vulcan, Spock’s home planet, he turns Earth into an Equilibrium-like world, where citizens are punished for harboring emotions. Meanwhile, the rest of the group (Penny, Leonard, Howard, and Raj) use science to become a team of superheroes, who work to restore the world order and defeat Sheldon.

Imagine this was the ending to The Big Bang Theory. It could have served three purposes:

1) Fulfilled Leonard’s prophecy

2) Kept the storyline open for a spin-off series

3) Ended the series in fewer seasons.

Moreover, this ending could also be fitting for their comic book and superhero obsession. The ending didn’t need to be perfect, but it could have been much better than the showrunners managed to pull off.