Things Fans Want To See In The Big Bang Theory Spinoff

When "The Big Bang Theory" closed out its twelfth season with a two-hour, two-part finale, most plot points were pretty neatly wrapped up. 

Penny and Leonard are depicted as living a happily married life, waiting for the arrival of their first child. Sheldon and Amy also eventually wed, but their road to marriage isn't quite as blissful — largely due to the personal journey that Sheldon goes on throughout the series. The finale finds Amy confronting Sheldon about his sarcastic behavior while undergoing the makeover transformation she's always deserved. Meanwhile, Howard is a firmly loyal husband and a great dad to his two kids, while Raj's romantic airport rendezvous doesn't go as planned.

Even though the elevator is finally fixed, that doesn't necessarily mean the present timeline of "The Big Bang Theory" is complete. Speaking to Variety in 2019, the show's co-creator Chuck Lorre spoke about how the team was instrumental in shaping the positivity of the finale. 

"It feels not like a finale so much as a transition," he said at the time. "Life goes on. We're leaving them, they're not leaving us. We're not blowing the show up at the end. We're just moving away." 

As the series closed on the gang sitting on the sofa, eating takeout food, it feel like a goodbye so much as a "see you soon."

Perhaps more than most shows, "The Big Bang Theory" is almost defiant in its plotholes; how Sheldon, Howard, Leonard, and Raj met, for instance, is a key contender for explanation. 

While die-hard fans will recall that the story of how the quartet first met was briefly explored in "The Staircase Implementation" (Season 3, Episode 22), with Leonard talking Penny through their backstory alongside the infamous breaking of the building elevator, some seemingly intentional wiggle room was maintained. According to Leonard, he and Sheldon meet first, in a chance encounter springing from Sheldon needing a new roommate. Though previous tenants warned Leonard against Sheldon's personality, they'd pair up and eventually meet Raj and Howard through their work at the University.

With the foursome's initial meeting resulting in them sitting on the sofa playing video games, it could be argued that there is missed potential in exploring their collective backstory. Viewers such as Reddit user BlueOrtensias cite first-time meetings such as Amy and Sheldon as the moments they truly fell in love with "Big Bang," possibly proving that the original friendship group didn't push hard enough.

An idea like exploring the meeting through the eyes of the other three, shifting the friendship's beginnings from supporting flashbacks to a present focus could be an intriguing way to tell an origin story in greater detail.

Though it's only fleetingly referred to across different points of "Big Bang," Caltech is a huge part of what makes the show so uniquely itself. As shorthand for the California Institute of Technology, the references to Caltech in the show are synonymous with Sheldon, Leonard, Raj, and Howard's place of work — The Bridge Physics Building. Locations such as the cafeteria, Sheldon's office, and the experimental physics lab are frequently featured across the 12 seasons, with other staff members varying in levels of importance. Though some fans have been convinced that Caltech was made up just for the show, its rich history and narrative significance make it ripe for a spinoff.

When fans discussed ideas for spinoffs of "Big Bang," they sometimes focus on one name in particular: President Siebert. As the head of the university, he has undoubtedly seen big social and academic changes — including the arrival of the apartment-dwelling scientists. There's a lot of scope for many existing side characters to be included (including lesser-known faculty members such as Professor Finkleday and Elliot Wong), but a Caltech-focused spinoff would set the stage.

Though it might have come as a shock to longtime "Big Bang" fans, Sheldon did have a key friend in his youth who wasn't included in the main body of the show. 

The prequel "Young Sheldon" introduces viewers to a boy called Tam, who instantly bonds with Sheldon over shared interests — especially their love of comics. While the pair are both outsiders, it's arguably Tam who allows Sheldon to embrace his empathetic side, leading by example with his good nature and kind heart. Despite his influence on Sheldon's young life, Tam was never mentioned in the main show until "The Tam Turbulence" (Season 12, Episode 4), when he made an unexpected visit.

It doesn't take a hardcore fan to realize that Tam's existence was probably shoehorned into "The Big Bang Theory" at the last minute, meaning there is plenty of work that could be done on his backstory. Some fans have noticed that the two portrayals of Tam don't even quite add up, with others commenting that he is a wholesome addition to both of the shows. 

While it is known that Tam didn't move to California with Sheldon (thanks to an earlier mention in "TBBT"), what happened in the wilderness years has been — thus far — left to the imagination.

Let's face it — the women of "The Big Bang Theory" are continuously looked over. When they're not acting as props for their boyfriends' storylines, they are being subjected to misogynistic jokes in the name of humor. It's Penny that finds herself particularly on the outskirts, surviving on her own in a man's environment until the later introduction of Amy and Bernadette. The joke is sort of on the rest of the cast, given that the trio's friendship not only goes from strength to strength but becomes one of the healthiest relationships that "The Big Bang Theory" has.

While some fans cite Bernadette's changes throughout the show as somewhat annoying, many also agree that "The Big Bang Theory" has continuously done its female characters dirty. Though they are often individually portrayed as manipulative, reckless, and deceptive, each undoubtedly has their own colorful past that has been neglected to be explored. With Reddit user Gsbuie likening the role of women to being a wider problem, perhaps now is the time to set the record straight.

Though Leonard eventually grows into his role of loving boyfriend, husband, and expecting father, the same can't be said for his mother, Dr. Beverly Hofstadter (as portrayed by Christine Baranski). 

Rigid from the outset, she routinely causes arguments and chaos whenever she visits the group, maintaining a standoffish persona while half-heartedly trying to connect with her son's closest friends. Though she does somewhat develop a relationship with Penny — mostly when drunk — Beverly can't help but psychoanalyze everyone with which she comes into contact. Given the stark differences between her and Leonard, the Hofstadters getting the "Young Sheldon" treatment is surely a road worth traveling.

Even without their own spinoff, fans have called both Beverly's parenting style and scientific experience into question. The fact that she turned Leonard into her own science experiment is no secret, meaning exploring the ins and outs of Leonard's childhood could turn the "TBBT" franchise down a darker, perhaps more grown-up path. Some viewers have argued that Leonard's parental history should have looked completely different from what it actually was, with the lack of love within the Hofstadter family remaining a point of fascination. On top of that — who wouldn't want Emmy-winning meme queen and beloved star Baranski to get more airtime?

Given how Season 12 leaves viewers wondering what the future holds for the gang, the most obvious route for a spinoff would be to explore future generations. 

While Howard already has his two kids to think of, it's Leonard and Penny who hold the biggest sense of mystery, as viewers know nothing about their expected child. As Reddit user JackFisherBooks points out, comments about the gang's future children have already been made in the past, making the possibility of seeing if they were right all the more satisfying.

Some viewers have made it clear that a "TBBT" series following the new generation is something they would love to see; others have gone further by developing their own ideas. Reddit user QueenRatigan wants the focus to be on Halley and Michael as teenagers, while Rosemoorstreet suggests that the best storyline could come from the Wolowitz and Hofsteder children being smarter than the Coopers. Considering how unique their personalities are, following Sheldon and Amy's possible children would also be an intriguing avenue to follow, with some fans particularly interested in how that future might turn out.