The Big Bang Theory's Final Scene Was Almost Centered Around The Elevator
The set of "The Big Bang Theory" has become every bit as legendary as the cast that occupies it. Most fans of the long-running sitcom can perfectly picture Sheldon Cooper (Jim Parsons) and Leonard Hofstadter's (Johnny Galecki) apartment in detail in their minds, and the same goes for the hallway outside it. Arguably the most memorable feature of the hallway is the broken elevator, which sits squarely in the middle of the set for the entirety of the show. It's perpetually out of order, so the cast constantly has to climb multiple sets of stairs to get home — something that the series finale finally fixed, but it almost happened at a different time.
In author Jessica Radloff's book, "The Big Bang Theory: The Definitive, Inside Story of the Epic Hit Series," producers Steve Holland and Steve Molaro shared that series co-creator Chuck Lorre planned to end the series focused on the broken elevator. It was finally repaired after so many years out of order. "As we got closer, I think you could feel people expecting it. We wanted to do it, but we wanted to try and catch people off guard," Molaro explained in the book. The plan was to have the final scene of "Big Bang" be the big elevator moment, but luckily Lorre pivoted to a moment with the entire cast. Lorre made the right call, as ending with the elevator scene would have felt a bit off.
The elevator getting fixed catches everyone off-guard
The gang discovering that the elevator has been fixed is a big moment on "The Big Bang Theory." The scene occurs in Season 12's "The Change Constant," an episode that shows Sheldon freaking out about all of the big changes happening around him. Sheldon doesn't like the status quo being disrupted, so pressing the elevator button, expecting it to be broken only to find Penny standing inside, adds to his existential woes as it's another example of unexpected change.
"The Constant Change" is the penultimate episode of "The Big Bang Theory," so there's a sense of finality in the air. Throughout the series, the broken elevator trope enhanced the characters and storytelling; for example, it established Leonard as being unathletic and it's the cornerstone of his and Sheldon's friendship, as they were the ones who originally broke it. The elevator getting fixed brings some closure to the series, and it's a bittersweet moment.
That said, while the aforementioned elevator scene arguably enhanced Sheldon's story toward the end, some fans believe that it should have been fixed much sooner as Sheldon isn't the type of guy to let these things slide.
How did Sheldon never see to it that the elevator was fixed?
The actors behind "The Big Bang Theory," the characters within it, and the fans that love it could all more than likely share a few words about the iconic Sheldon Cooper. He's memorable, to say the least, with a personality that's entirely unique — for better or worse. One of his most prominent characteristics is that he's a detailed person, and when something is amiss, he's quick to voice his concerns to the necessary parties as often and loudly as possible. Therefore, it's reasonable to wonder why he didn't make a bigger fuss over the busted elevator over the years.
This is something that doesn't sit right with "Big Bang Theory" fans and Reddit user u/strayed_18, hence why they created an entire thread about it. In response, folks from all over the site's "Big Bang Theory" community came up with some reasons why he likely didn't go out of his way to get the elevator repaired. For one, he and Leonard broke it in the first place, with a rocket made by the latter exploding inside of it, so it would be wise not to draw attention to it. Then there's the fact that Sheldon is claustrophobic, which is probably a factor in why he doesn't badger the owners of the building about it.
Others mention that the long, drawn-out conversations the characters on the show have in each episode as they climb flight after flight of stairs is in the very DNA of the show.