‘The Big Bang Theory’ winter finale reaction: Where does the focus go from here?

At the end of Thursday night’s new episode of “The Big Bang Theory,” we had a moment that really felt as though it was a long time in the making: Sheldon and Amy finally consummating the relationship. We’ve taken note of the reaction from most of the internet to the story, and it seems largely positive. While we did have some significant concerns going into this that the show would try to change Sheldon as a character too much, we felt like it was not only a perfect button for the arc about the breakup, but it also showed significant growth in him as a person that he would consider just what someone else wanted from him for a change.

So now that this moment has happened, it appears that the folks behind the scenes are ready to let some other characters have the spotlight for a while. This is something that showrunner Steve Molaro specifically touched on in a postmortem article on TVLine:

“I think we will move on [from Sheldon and Amy sleeping together] until the next time we talk about it … It’s a chance for us to take a little breather from the weightiness of the Sheldon-Amy relationship and put the spotlight on some of the other amazing relationships and characters that we have on our show.”

We suggested in an article earlier today that maybe this is time that the show focuses more on Raj and Emily, given his reckless decision to stay with her earlier this season out of fear that he would end up alone. It’s not a great reason to stay with someone, but it is a clear reflection of his character and what we’ve seen of his journey so far.