Ending a hit series, especially after a long, successful run is never an easy thing to do. You can soar in the brilliant way that shows like MASH or Newhart have (the former with the emotionally raw end of the Korean War and the doctors of the 4077th going their separate ways; the latter suggesting the entire series was a figment of Bob Newhart’s character’s imagination from his previous series); disappoint as Seinfeld and Smallville did (Jerry and the gang end up in jail as a result of their not caring for others; Clark Kent reveals himself as Superman in such a way that viewers asked, “We waited 10 years for that?”); or confusing (The Sopranos, whose abrupt cut to black had millions wondering, “Did the cable just go out?”). Well, now it’s The Big Bang Theory‘s turn.

Fans are wondering exactly how they’re going to bring the show to a close after 12 seasons, but Jim Parsons, Kaley Cuoco, and Johnny Galecki have their own thought — which just happens to be the same one — which they shared with Entertainment Weekly.

Jim comes right out and says it: “The elevator. Definitely. That’s one of my wishes for the final episode, that the elevator gets fixed, at least for a minute, and then we get stuck in it.”

big-bang-theory-elevator

(Photo Credit: Warner Bros)

Sounds good to Kaley, who responds, “It would be a great show ending for me.”

Johnny, while in agreement about the elevator, is more concerned that there be a number of emotional moments for the entire cast, because, as he says, “None of us are going to be able to keep from crying during the last taping. We’ve got to justify it in the writing somehow.”

We’ve known pretty much from the beginning of this season that this would be the show’s last year, with CBS making the announcement in late August. Shortly thereafter came word that the reason the show was ending is that Jim Parsons was ready to move on (though one assumes he’ll still be narrating Young Sheldon). There had been rumblings of a possible BBT spinoff, but nothing has come out of that (at least not yet).

The only thing that executive producer Steve Holland says about the finale is, “Everyone has such specific ideas about what they think the end of the show should be. We know what we are driving towards and where we want to land.”

And, naturally, he’s not saying a word.