'Big Bang Theory' Finale Will Leave One Long-Running Mystery Unanswered

As Big Bang Theory comes to a close, fans will still be left with one unanswered question: what is [...]

By Victoria Moghaddami

As Big Bang Theory comes to a close, fans will still be left with one unanswered question: what is Penny's last name?

Executive Producer Steve Molaro said they didn't want to jinx their luck, so we may never know what it was or would have been.

According to E News, "We got nervous and superstitious about giving her [a last name]," Molaro said at the show's Wondercon panel. "It will always be Hofstadter."

Hofstadter became her married name when she tied the knot with longtime, on-and-off boyfriend Leonard.

At one point in time, co-creator and executive producer Bill Prady said fans would eventually find out what her last name was. On the flipside, Kaley Cuoco, who plays Penny, said she hoped the name would never be revealed.

"It's kind of a personal thing," she said. "It feels like a jinx. We haven't said it for so long. I feel like if we said it, the world will explode."

We may never know the name but Cuoco says she has "an idea" of what it would be in her head.

On the contrary, in 2018 the actress was a guest on The Talk and had a much different answer.

"I'd like to learn Penny's last name," she admitted as a wish heading into the final episode, adding that she would also like the "elevator to be fixed." At this point, who wouldn't like to see them use the elevator for once.

Here's the good news, creators of the show still haven't finalized the finale so nothing's off the table.

"There are still pieces of the [finale] we have to figure out," Prady said. "We know some of the 'what.' We don't know all of the 'how.'"

What you can expect to see is a heavy focus on the main characters.

"I don't want to rule anything out for the finale," showrunner Steve Holland mentioned. "But [the finale] will focus on our [main] characters."

Don't expect anything too outlandish though, BBT may stick close to their roots as much as possible — for the audiences' sake of course.

"There's a lot of talk about wanting to feel that the gang's world will continue as viewers know it to to be," Prady said. "Of all the feelings we've talk about that's the one that we all like."

As a result of character development, the ending the creators had in mind years ago is much different than the one they have in mind now.

"If we'd been talking about what the finale would have been five years ago, I think it would have been different," Holland added. "We've hit so many milestones with the characters and still managed to find new stories for them because they have kept growing and changing."

There's already talk of a reunion but the cast and crew aren't thinking that far ahead just yet.

"You can't approach a reunion before you've even said goodbye," Prady said.

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