the final season, and much of the season thus far has been devoted to advancing this particular subplot. The pair only took a break from continuing their study when they went on their honeymoon, and now they've settled back in their new life as a married couple in Pasadena, they went back to work.
Sheldon and Amy's work on Super Asymmetry has not been a walk in the park. First, they discovered that a Russian scientist proved it wrong decades ago. They were initially distraught, but an old video of George Sr. (Lance Barber) popped up to give them the inspiration they need to move forward. Once the paper was published, it quickly garnered attention from the field, and not long after that, CalTech was proposing to campaign for a Nobel nomination. They hit another snag when two scientists from Chicago, Dr. Campbell (Kal Penn) and Dr. Pemberton (Sean Astin), accidentally proved their paper - which is a problem, since only three people can be nominated at once for a single study.
Considering the time and effort The Big Bang Theory has devoted to Amy and Sheldon's Nobel bid (to the point that there's barely any time left for other characters), everyone's expecting them to win it. Otherwise, all this build up will be leading to nothing. So what if, at the end of it all, writers execute the ultimate plot twist and have them lose? The storyline has been so drawn out that at, this point, it makes much more sense for the narrative for them to lose.
Amy and Sheldon not winning propels their story forward as it gives them more to do moving forward. Sadly, while whatever they're doing next won't be playing out on screen anymore with Penny (Kaley Cuoco) to there European country for a work trip back in season 3. As for Amy, given how invested she's become with this paper, especially in the last few episodes, she might be more open to the idea.
This gives The Big Bang Theory the perfect endgame for the characters without the need to have a cliche happily ever after. It doesn't mean, however, that Sheldon and Amy will never win the much-coveted Nobel Prize in Physics. As we previously suggested, the best way to wrap up the sitcom considering its current state in of narrative is to do a flash forward scene. At that point, the Coopers may have done something bigger and more significant than their Super Asymmetry paper - perhaps a better version of it as they continue to develop their theories on this particular topic. Maybe by then, they even have kids of their own making it a happier occasion.
The Big Bang Theory season 12 air Thursday nights on CBS.