Spoilers for The Big Bang Theory are below.
Some TV shows go to rather insane extremes to withhold information from viewers about future episode details, especially when it comes to the way a season finale will wrap up, double-especially when it’s a cliffhanger. But we all know that The Big Bang Theory showrunner Steve Molaro doesn’t waste too much brainpower on that kind of thing, since he knows people are going to be watching no matter what happens. And he’s now shared that this week’s season finale will use the introduction of Leonard’s father to end things on a strange and awkward note. Here’s the inciting incident.
An unexpected attraction springs up between [Leonard's]father and [Sheldon’s] mother. There’s a shared dislike of Beverly and a genuine fondness for each other. Leonard’s father, as it turns out, is a pretty charming guy.
So you see, this isn’t any curiosity-consuming cliffhanger like The Walking Dead and other popular dramas would put into play, but rather an amusingly damning circumstance that could totally change up the character dynamics. Because, if it wasn’t already obvious, Alfred Hofstadter and Mary Cooper getting together for some romance could potentially result in Leonard and Sheldon being stepbrothers one day. And even though the dynamic would basically stay the same, I’m not sure Sheldon’s personality is equipped to take on an additional descriptor. But even if that doesn’t happen, it’s still weird when your friend’s parent is boning your parent.
This possible new fling would result from another statement of love, as it will be Leonard and Penny’s re-wedding for family and friends that brings out both Mary, played by the always great Laurie Metcalf, and Alfred, a debut performance from the equally always great Judd Hirsch. (Molaro told EW that Hirsch could have very well been actor Johnny Galecki’s father.) An abundance of tension between Alfred and Leonard’s mother Beverly (Christine Baranski) will be one roadblock in the ceremony, but it will be what apparently brings the two parental figures together. As far as where that will lead, we’ll have to wait until Season 10 to find out. Or possibly before that when Molaro explains it all in interviews. Either way, the weirder the outcome, the better. Just lookit them lovebirds.
The Big Bang Theory has offered up a ton of family-related storylines and appearances this season, from Sheldon’s Meemaw appearing for the first time to Howard and Bernadette’s pregnancy. Neither this core group of characters nor the show itself are getting any younger, so it’s as good a time as any to pull out all the stops where familial storylines can go. Especially if it means more Laurie Metcalf and Judd Hirsch coming back in the Season 10 premiere and beyond.
The Big Bang Theory’s season finale will air on Thursday, May 12, on CBS.
