When The Big Bang Theory ended on May 16, 2019, it marked the end of one of the best sitcoms network TV had ever put together. Fans had fallen in love with Penny, Sheldon, Raj, Amy, Leonard, Howard and Bernadette. They’d captured our attention for 12 seasons, following the characters through jobs and relationships and lots of nerdy things in between. Then, in 2018, Jim Parsons decided he was ready to leave in what would become a memorable piece of TV history.
The TBBT cast all posted after the final episode taping in early May of that year, but before the final line had been spoken and the final clap had been heard in the studio, they'd undergone a table read. Footage of that read went viral recently, and it eventually made its way to Kaley Cuoco's own Instagram, where she responded.
It’s unclear if the cast was in shock when Parsons reached out to the studio and told them Season 12 would be his last, though he indicated later he'd felt an inkling in advance. Cuoco didn’t address this in her recent post, though reports at the time indicated “Warner Brothers and CBS wanted to sign for about two more years.” So, while Parsons was ready, It doesn't seem like the majority of people who were involved in the sitcom went into the series expecting Season 12 to be its last, which is one of the reasons that last table read was likely so hard.
People had a little time to process, but I wonder if anyone outside of Parsons really had time to get used to the idea of the show ending before they had to say goodbye. I remember at the time how abrupt the whole thing felt, even though there was a bit of a gap between the announcement and the actual wrap-up. Still, there doesn't seem to be any long-term hard feelings, as Cuoco reunited with Jim Parsons as recently as 2024.
What is clear from the video is how emotional the main cast was about the series ending. Melissa Rauch, Kaley Cuoco and Kunal Nayyar are openly bawling as the final Big Bang Theory scene – a moment where the gang eats Chinese takeout together, mirroring the premiere episode – gets read at the table. This video really tugs at the heartstrings and it’s easy to see why Kaley Cuoco drew attention to it when it came up on her own newsfeed.
My other big takeaway is that I think it's so cute how Ms. Cuoco's algorithm still feeds her Big Bang content, at least from time to time. It’s clear she’s still connected to the series and the fans that made her a household name, and I, for one, can’t wait to see what she does next. (Spoiler: she's sticking with drama for now.)
