dex14

Already renewed for 3 more seasons, into its 10th season.

Coladar1

Bleh. I defended this show earlier in the year as seeming as fresh as ever. Man was I wrong. It's gone downhill hard in just a few months. They've got themselves so enamored with turning this into the Coupling romance show and forgetting the core concept that... well, it sucks.

I don't watch this show to see yet another 30 minute love fest about relationships and all their funny hijinks. This show has totally, totally abandoned the "nerds being nerds" concept.

Last week - Howard's mother moves in. Hijinks ensue!

Penny and Leonard - engaged! Aww...!

And now giving Raj a woman to get it on with? Really? Give me a ****Ing break. You know what, some people just don't have the qualities for a relationship. Raj is absolutely one. The shyness, but more than that, he's been a complete and total @$$#ole to every woman he did talk to.

I watched this show because it was something different, almost unique. Now, however, it's but a pale imitation of its former self. This show right now seems like a prime example of what happens when the writing staff writes according to the wishes and whims of fans.

fumanstan

I think the show is still pretty good

Lord Zarak

Yeah, I'd rather the characters never grow and keep repeating the same Star Wars jokes.

While not every episode is a winner, the changes to the show have usually been good in the long run. Amy is a terrific addition, and two of the show's best moments involve her (the tiara and her fake enthusiasm for the Xbox/PS4 debate). Howard's mother moving in is something that can happen to any couple and will undoubtably push Howard and Bernadette. We've all been tired of Raj's quest for love so now they finally give us something different. The weakest change would be that Penny and Leonard have been doing the Ross/Rachel thing long enough. I hope they find a creative spin on it.

Besides, there were two episodes this season dedicated to Star Wars, so it is not like they've abandoned the nerd angle.

Coladar1

Well, there are other ways of growing besides turning it into another romance central show. Jesus, BBT this season is Friends with comic books. There are other ways of 'growing' besides having everybody end up with their perfect soulmate and focusing solely on their relationships. You say keep repeating the same Star Wars jokes, but that's better than the same tired relationship crap every other comedy has devolved into.

But let me offer an alternative, with the knowledge that Raj and the redhead plotline is the major issue I've got with this season. Why not have Raj be gay? Literally every episode in the show for the first few seasons sure pointed that way.

Having him end up with a beautiful woman in a lovey dovey relationship is pandering. I mean come on, isn't it enough of a stretch having had Sheldon become 'involved'? That one, they somehow - impossibly - managed to make work. There are other ways of exploring a character as they age over many years without having them all fall back on pairing up and living happily ever after - like exploring how *not* having someone eats away at them, as they watch other folks enjoying love and happiness.

Or like Howard and the ISS, this show could focus more on the world of academia and scientific research for yucks. The competitiveness, the strange quirks of the genius minds, etc.

Why is it every new cast member this show brought on was a woman to pair up one of the men with? Why not new folks with a focus on their work life? Because all four guys happily (coincidentally) enough work at the same place.

Or create a secondary setting of the crazy comic/fanboy world - either a cast of nuts at the comic shop (They already have Stu who's underutilized and an awesome character all his own), attending cons and cosplaying lunatics...

There's a million possibilities besides turning this into another soap opera romance where "everybody lives happily ever after. The end." To me, that's the most unoriginal, repetitive thing *any* show could do.

fumanstan

Raj was always more metrosexual then gay, especially since they show him pining after women and talking about sleeping with them.

Mikael79

Same here. I laugh every episode, and often. It's a friggin' comedy, and I don't need every show to make monumental progression with the plot and characters.

starseed1981

I couldn't agree with this statement more. Imho, the show is still one of the most consistently entertaining things on TV.

mphtrilogy

comfort food

can't watch true detective and fargo without a little BBT

fumanstan

To be fair, I can easily see how they could have set up more interesting situations to continue the show and don't necessarily disagree that adding the girls adds to the wider appeal of the show. But I don't think it's suffered from it at all, and they've done a good job mixing the nerd humor with the relationships established. We're just seeing man-children growing up, and Howard/Bernadette has been a good example of that and one that I think a lot of people can relate to with girlfriends/significant others that think your hobby is childish

Can't please everyone, I suppose.

astrochimp

Excellent finale.

hanshotfirst1138

Christine Baranski is always hilarious .

JZ1276

I agree with whoever says the romance/relationships are killing the show. Seems comedies always boil down to this main character falls for this other main character / get married / have babies. It's boring and generic. These "nerds" now all have hot girlfriends (except Sheldon of course, only because he doesnt want one) and it's ruining the dynamic of the show.

The Howard / Bernadette thing is OK. It's fine for one of the characters to finally get a chick...but ALL of them?? Not to mention all smokin hot women way too good for them? There are other ways of making them grow up, not to mention landing yourself a hot piece of ass doesnt automatically mean you've gown up.

mnementh

Even Stuart now has Howard's mom.

fumanstan

I thought the finale was pretty crappy and not particularly funny. The last bit with Amy was hilarious to me though.

MFRONE

This is like the 3rd or 4th straight season that ended without a cliffhanger. Their season finales are always so boring.

Jason

Why does a sit-com need a cliffhanger? Or a moment-defining season finale?

Charlie Goose

This is at least the fourth time a character on TBBT has gone on a long journey during the season finale.

Where is Sheldon going? Just random train rides?

Timber

I thought it was okay. Needed more Emily, or any Emily at all. Sick of the overused Howard's mother. Thought they were setting it up so that Stuart moved in with Sheldon which would have bee horrible even though I'm a Stuart fan.

starseed1981

Awesome finale. We need more Stewart....and Raj's girlfriend for that matter.

General Zod

I enjoyed the finale. One of the things I like about this show is that it is a comedy and it doesn't take itself seriously. Glad to see all the characters having fun. And I think the pairing up has been pretty good. I guess I don't see a need to nit-pick this show because it's just a comedy unlike something like Game of Thrones which is more of a drama and it's designed to be analysed and given some more though. BBT is about 30 minutes of mirth (although now in re-runs there will be 30% less mirth).

I also hope there's a bit more Stuart in the show.

madcougar

I found the last few episodes a bit stale. This one was better than the last few however. I wonder how they're going to keep the gang together once Penny and Leonard hook up.

Mr. Salty

I would hardly say any of these relationships involve "perfect soulmates." Far from it. The comedy is based on how mismatched everyone is.

The show also is a long way from focusing solely on their relationships. A cursory glance at the season's episode guide proves this. Sure, there are more relationship episodes than there were when then series started (kind of like real life), but there were a couple of Professor Proton episodes, the scavenger hunt, a couple of episodes where Sheldon accidentally makes a scientific discovery that turns out to be wrong, the episode where Leonard has to return a long overdue video, the Christmas episode that looks at the group without Sheldon, two or three episodes about Penny's acting career (with the NCIS appearance and the gorilla movie), SHeldon being forced to take time off from work, the ComiCon episode with James Earl Jones, the new dining room table episode, Sheldon seems his mother having sex, the Xbox/PS4 episode.

But, you know, you see what you want.

I agree, that would have been an interesting way to go. But then you'd be complaining episodes about Raj's gay relationships.

Which is the basis for the show and how they met and became friends. It's like complaining that everyone on "Cheers" hung out at the same bar.

That would be a completely separate show.

I don't think it's unreasonable to expect four well-employed and reasonably attractive guys (despite their massive social awkwardness) to find girlfriends over a seven-year period, especially given how shaky at least half of those relationships are.

hanshotfirst1138

Poor Amy . So lonely and horny. She deserves better.

"I've decided to let Penny live here one day a week for a trial period."
What an asshole.

Glad to see Raj finally get some . Hope they'll keep Emily around. A four couples dynamic could get a little crowded, but it'd be better than having Raj be the third wheel all the time. So what about Penny's career. Is she ever going to get an acting job? Or is she just going to siphon off of Leonard even more now that they're getting married? Maybe Sheldon will come back and have undergone actual character development! Unlikely though. Glad to see Stuart actually happy for once.

UAIOE

Part of me hopes Penny does just siphon off Lenard. It was always annoying hearing her whine about not getting acting gigs, getting one, then whining about how crappy and terrible it is.

I'm still not sure why Raj was gloating about getting some. He's got action before, and he's never gone on about it *that* much in the past.