# Big Bang Theory -- Conclusion Airs Tonight, May 16, 2019! **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [May 16, 2019, 1:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/big-bang-theory-conclusion-airs-tonight-may-16-2019/834053 "2019-05-16T13:53:40Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 7
**Author:** ![SlackerInc](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/slackerinc/32/275_2.png) [@SlackerInc](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SlackerInc)\ **Post date:** [May 22, 2019, 6:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/big-bang-theory-conclusion-airs-tonight-may-16-2019/834053/121 "2019-05-22T06:07:47Z")
> [@Exapno\_Mapcase](#): > > Chuck Lorre has created two separate shows so popular that the regulars wound up with million-dollar-an-episode paychecks. Has anyone else in television ever achieved that? Norman Lear? Aaron Spelling? (At least maybe if we correct for inflation.) ---
**Author:** ![Annie-Xmas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ecc23a/32.png) [@Annie-Xmas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Annie-Xmas)\ **Post date:** [May 22, 2019, 1:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/big-bang-theory-conclusion-airs-tonight-may-16-2019/834053/122 "2019-05-22T13:49:29Z")
You don’t think Jim Parsons has a great run ahead of him? He is great and makes everyone else look good. I hope he concentrates on Broadway shows. ---
**Author:** ![GuanoLad](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guanolad/32/42_2.png) [@GuanoLad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GuanoLad)\ **Post date:** [May 22, 2019, 2:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/big-bang-theory-conclusion-airs-tonight-may-16-2019/834053/123 "2019-05-22T14:31:40Z")
I think Jim Parsons is a one trick pony. His portrayal of Sheldon was all down to the writing, and very little to do with him. Any half-decent actor could have done what any of them did, and only Mayim Bialik gets my respect in terms of performance talent, which she showed consistently. She never fell back on character tics to get laughs. ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [May 22, 2019, 2:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/big-bang-theory-conclusion-airs-tonight-may-16-2019/834053/124 "2019-05-22T14:36:12Z")
I disagree. I didn’t like the character of Sheldon (and refuse to watch the spinoff) but I thought Parsons nailed the character perfectly. Some of his silences were worth more than a page of dialog. ---
**Author:** ![KneadToKnow](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kneadtoknow/32/3999_2.png) [@KneadToKnow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KneadToKnow)\ **Post date:** [May 22, 2019, 2:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/big-bang-theory-conclusion-airs-tonight-may-16-2019/834053/125 "2019-05-22T14:45:55Z")
> [@Cayuga](#): > > Yes, it was Raj I skipped. I’ve been feeling bad about it for days. It’s hard to see him sitting on the floor all the way at the end. ---
**Author:** ![FairyChatMom](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fairychatmom/32/21906_2.png) [@FairyChatMom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FairyChatMom)\ **Post date:** [May 22, 2019, 2:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/big-bang-theory-conclusion-airs-tonight-may-16-2019/834053/126 "2019-05-22T14:57:30Z")
> [@Annie-Xmas](#): > > You don’t think Jim Parsons has a great run ahead of him? He is great and makes everyone else look good. I hope he concentrates on Broadway shows. I think he may be criticized if whatever he does next isn’t Sheldon, because that’s what some people will expect. But if he’s smart and has a good agent, I can see him doing quite well for himself. ---
**Author:** ![Dewey\_Finn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dewey_finn/32/4222_2.png) [@Dewey\_Finn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dewey_Finn)\ **Post date:** [May 22, 2019, 3:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/big-bang-theory-conclusion-airs-tonight-may-16-2019/834053/127 "2019-05-22T15:08:07Z")
> [@KneadToKnow](#): > > > [@Cayuga](#): > > > > Yes, it was Raj I skipped. I’ve been feeling bad about it for days. > > It’s hard to see him sitting on the floor all the way at the end. Personally, I’d hate to eat sitting on the floor like that. I don’t particularly like trying to eat sitting on a sofa. If I were them, I would have bought and used a proper table years ago. (Certainly now that they’ve got Nobel Prize money, they should be able to afford one.) ---
**Author:** ![The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/the_other_waldo_pepper/32/12370_2.png) [@The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Other_Waldo_Pepper)\ **Post date:** [May 22, 2019, 3:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/big-bang-theory-conclusion-airs-tonight-may-16-2019/834053/128 "2019-05-22T15:19:20Z")
> [@FairyChatMom](#): > > I think he may be criticized if whatever he does next isn’t Sheldon, because that’s what some people will expect. Per IMDB, seems what’s next is a Netflix production of THE BOYS IN THE BAND, with him and Zachary Quinto and Matt Bomer and Andrew Rannells and so on reprising the roles they played on Broadway, which strikes me as an interesting choice that could neatly sidestep a number of potential problems. ---
**Author:** ![KneadToKnow](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kneadtoknow/32/3999_2.png) [@KneadToKnow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KneadToKnow)\ **Post date:** [May 22, 2019, 3:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/big-bang-theory-conclusion-airs-tonight-may-16-2019/834053/129 "2019-05-22T15:20:12Z")
> [@Dewey\_Finn](#): > > Personally, I’d hate to eat sitting on the floor like that. I don’t particularly like trying to eat sitting on a sofa. If I were them, I would have bought and used a proper table years ago. (Certainly now that they’ve got Nobel Prize money, they should be able to afford one.) They tried in one episode. I can’t remember off the top of my head, but I’m betting Sheldon put a stop to it. ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [May 22, 2019, 3:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/big-bang-theory-conclusion-airs-tonight-may-16-2019/834053/130 "2019-05-22T15:25:56Z")
> [@GuanoLad](#): > > I think Jim Parsons is a one trick pony. His portrayal of Sheldon was all down to the writing, and very little to do with him. Any half-decent actor could have done what any of them did, and only Mayim Bialik gets my respect in terms of performance talent, which she showed consistently. She never fell back on character tics to get laughs. Yeah, Parsons isnt suited for much else. Galecki has shown he do do a variety of roles. ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [May 22, 2019, 3:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/big-bang-theory-conclusion-airs-tonight-may-16-2019/834053/131 "2019-05-22T15:26:01Z")
He did. ---
**Author:** ![Dewey\_Finn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dewey_finn/32/4222_2.png) [@Dewey\_Finn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dewey_Finn)\ **Post date:** [May 22, 2019, 3:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/big-bang-theory-conclusion-airs-tonight-may-16-2019/834053/132 "2019-05-22T15:32:44Z")
> [@DrDeth](#): > > > [@GuanoLad](#): > > > > I think Jim Parsons is a one trick pony. His portrayal of Sheldon was all down to the writing, and very little to do with him. Any half-decent actor could have done what any of them did, and only Mayim Bialik gets my respect in terms of performance talent, which she showed consistently. She never fell back on character tics to get laughs. > > Yeah, Parsons isnt suited for much else. Galecki has shown he do do a variety of roles. Is it that or is it that we’re all so used to seeing him in this role that it’s going to be hard to see him in something else? Is he typecast, in other words? ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [May 22, 2019, 3:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/big-bang-theory-conclusion-airs-tonight-may-16-2019/834053/133 "2019-05-22T15:36:50Z")
> [@Dewey\_Finn](#): > > Is it that or is it that we’re all so used to seeing him in this role that it’s going to be hard to see him in something else? Is he typecast, in other words? His resume was thin before BBT. Who knows, maybe. But look at the cast of Seinfeld, how many were really successful afterwards? Same with Friends. ---
**Author:** ![Dewey\_Finn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dewey_finn/32/4222_2.png) [@Dewey\_Finn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dewey_Finn)\ **Post date:** [May 22, 2019, 3:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/big-bang-theory-conclusion-airs-tonight-may-16-2019/834053/134 "2019-05-22T15:43:48Z")
In all three cases (as well as the cast of Two And A Half Men), the cast made so much money that they may have chosen to step back from regular roles. I think David Schwimmer directs plays now or some such thing. ---
**Author:** ![Exapno\_Mapcase](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/exapno_mapcase/32/1051_2.png) [@Exapno\_Mapcase](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Exapno_Mapcase)\ **Post date:** [May 22, 2019, 4:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/big-bang-theory-conclusion-airs-tonight-may-16-2019/834053/135 "2019-05-22T16:00:09Z")
Parsons deserved becoming the center, even the star, of the show. I also feel that he’s in danger of typecasting right now, especially for television. Turning to Broadway would seem to be the best move. OTOH, He’s in an interesting point of potentially being a gay icon who does not fit the television stereotype of gay actors being flamboyant or stylish. As programs evolve to make gay characters the norm rather than tokens he may flourish in those roles. ---
**Author:** ![Annie-Xmas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ecc23a/32.png) [@Annie-Xmas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Annie-Xmas)\ **Post date:** [May 22, 2019, 4:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/big-bang-theory-conclusion-airs-tonight-may-16-2019/834053/136 "2019-05-22T16:18:16Z")
> [@GuanoLad](#): > > I think Jim Parsons is a one trick pony. His portrayal of Sheldon was all down to the writing, and very little to do with him. Any half-decent actor could have done what any of them did, and only Mayim Bialik gets my respect in terms of performance talent, which she showed consistently. She never fell back on character tics to get laughs. Nonsense. Even the writers and producer Chuck Lorre himself admit that Parsons acted like Sheldon during his audition. He just nailed the role, and a lot of Sheldon was created by Jim Parsons. > [@Chuck Lorre](#): > > Jim was one of the most startling auditions I’ve ever seen in my life. He walked in with this fully realized character. His body language, his gestures, his pauses, his hesitations, his inflections. Everything was so beautifully crafted that he killed it. He just killed the audition. He walked out of the room, and I said to the casting director, Nikki Valko, ‘Ask him to come back. I want to see if he can do it again!’ It was so startling, we were clearly in the presence of brilliance. ---
**Author:** ![Dewey\_Finn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dewey_finn/32/4222_2.png) [@Dewey\_Finn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dewey_Finn)\ **Post date:** [May 22, 2019, 4:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/big-bang-theory-conclusion-airs-tonight-may-16-2019/834053/137 "2019-05-22T16:22:25Z")
Perhaps some think that Jim Parsons is just being himself when he’s playing Sheldon Cooper, but from seeing him on talk shows, he’s not. His real personality is quite a bit different. ---
**Author:** ![Wheelz](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wheelz/32/5718_2.png) [@Wheelz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wheelz)\ **Post date:** [May 22, 2019, 4:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/big-bang-theory-conclusion-airs-tonight-may-16-2019/834053/138 "2019-05-22T16:43:24Z")
Think about how difficult it must be to play a character who annoys the hell out of all the other characters, yet whom viewers still want to watch week after week. That’s gotta be an amazingly hard line to walk. Had Sheldon been in the hands of a lesser actor, I doubt the show would have lasted two seasons. ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [May 22, 2019, 4:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/big-bang-theory-conclusion-airs-tonight-may-16-2019/834053/139 "2019-05-22T16:44:43Z")
> [@Dewey\_Finn](#): > > Perhaps some think that Jim Parsons is just being himself when he’s playing Sheldon Cooper, but from seeing him on talk shows, he’s not. His real personality is quite a bit different. Yeah? John Wayne wasnt really John Wayne either. ---
**Author:** ![Annie-Xmas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ecc23a/32.png) [@Annie-Xmas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Annie-Xmas)\ **Post date:** [May 22, 2019, 4:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/big-bang-theory-conclusion-airs-tonight-may-16-2019/834053/140 "2019-05-22T16:50:50Z")
**GuanoLad** , you praise Mayim Bialik, and did she have most of her scenes with? Jim Parsons as Sheldon Cooper. The interplay between those two was even more amazing, considering she is a devout Jew and he is gay. And has never been in the closet. Parsons has a great acting future ahead of him. You read it here first. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/big-bang-theory-conclusion-airs-tonight-may-16-2019/834053.md?page=6) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/big-bang-theory-conclusion-airs-tonight-may-16-2019/834053.md?page=8)