The end of The Big Bang Theory

I just finished watching the final season of The Big Bang Theory, and as usual, they do a wonderful job throughout, where they continue their string of funny, heart warming, creative, and insightful seasons.  The show gives us a glimpse into the nerdy world of science and imbues that world with a sense of humanity by filling out some wonderful characters that live in it.  I did think it was a little unrealistic how so many of the guys in the show ended up with such amazing wives, but it is nice to see the characters grow and have their lives get better, and I did like how the show ended on high note to wrap everything up.   Plus, with most everyone in a relationship you get to the see the writers go wild with all the funny things that can happen with your romantic partner in the course of everyday life.

I also thought that, as a part of their legacy, there was a real chance that the show could have an important impact on society.  For example, ten to fifteen years after Will and Grace came on the air, we made dramatic progress on marriage equality for gay couples, and getting to know someone who was gay through a TV show probably played a key role gaining greater social acceptance.  Around the same time, That 70's Show started running, and this show was groundbreaking in the way it portrayed pot smoking as a fun and relatively harmless way to spend some time as a high school student. About ten to fifteen years after that show first aired, we also made tremendous progress on legalizing marijuana and reducing the stigma associated with that drug.  The United States has always had a problem where smart kids are often picked on and bullied when growing up in school, and maybe The Big Bang Theory will humanize the world of the smart kids, and allow them to gain greater acceptance and experience less hostility from their classmates.  There is real power in syndication, and perhaps The Big Bang Theory will not only have entertained us with great skill for 12 years but also improved the lives of the people they set out to portray in the real world as well.