Johnny Galecki Disliked Big Bang Theory Finale; Showrunners Admit He Had a Point

It's been four years since CBS' iconic comedy show The Big Bang Theory finished, but many fans still can't let it go! Even though the last few seasons were of lower quality, the finale was not short on satisfying moments and left viewers with a sweet, comforting aftertaste.

Nevertheless, some fans felt that the resolution to some of the storylines was too rushed, and even the show's cast members seem to agree with this sentiment.

Johnny Galecki, who played Leonard on the show, shared his thoughts on the ending of his character's love arc. The actor said that he would like Leonard and Penny to be given more screen time, as Penny's pregnancy announcement in the last episode was too unexpected.

'The pregnancy shocked me,' Galecki said. 'I didn't get it at first.'

According to the actor, Penny shouldn't have gotten pregnant at all — and most fans support Galecki's opinion, knowing that Leonard's girlfriend never wanted to have children in the first place, so her sudden change of heart about the pregnancy was completely out of character.

Galecki also noted that he had been discussing the whole Leonard/Penny relationship with Steven Molaro, one of the showrunners, for years before the finale was actually filmed. The creators' aim was to show that the characters stay together after the show's end, so Penny's pregnancy was apparently used as a surefire device to convey that message.

'The main takeaway is that these friendships will continue; the writers didn't want someone to move away. We wanted to leave the audience with the idea that these friendships and the love that they have continues,' the Leonard actor concluded.

Although this aim was successfully achieved, one of the show's creators, Steve Holland, also thinks that Leonard and Penny's arc was lacking something to feel truly satisfying.

'I wish we had Penny take one more step before we got to the finale. The way the last episodes broke out, we just didn't get there,' Holland said. 'But with that said, I do think it was a great landing place for [Penny and Leonard]. We really wanted to honor that relationship, as well as the "Our babies will be smart and beautiful" line from the pilot as a way to tie it back together.'

Many fans agree that Leonard and Penny's arc could have been handled better — but even with that criticism, the finale was sweet and left everyone convinced that the Pasadena gang and the couples within it will stay together no matter what.

Source: The Hollywood Reporter, TVLine.