The Big Bang Theory: 10 Problems It Faces Moving Forward

4. The Domestication Conundrum

A lot of the more well used sitcom setups will often follow a set path. For the “Young group of friends” show, the standard procedure is for the characters grow up and become more settled as the series winds down. Coupling, Rules Of Engagement, and Friends all ended on two of the characters having children. But The Big Bang Theory has done that with at least two seasons to go.

One of the strengths of The Big Bang Theory was that lesser seen plots like a high stakes paintball game or a robot fight were entirely plausible. It was nerdy guys goofing around. But now that everyone bar Raj is in a relationship, there’s less room for those stories. Even an episode set around going to Comic-Con was partly about relationship mind games between Leonard and Penny.

Seasons 9 and 10 had the slow burning story arc of Leonard and Sheldon’s superfluid experiment and the persistence gyroscope project, but apart from that, the storylines were pretty domesticated. Pregnancy, living arrangements, and relationship woes. All standard sitcom fare. With the gyroscope story over, Season 11 has a clean slate for some more science/geek culture orientated storylines. But with another engagement presumably on the horizon, we wouldn’t be so sure.