The Big Bang Theory, the hit sitcom that premiered on CBS in late 2007, told the tales of a group of scientist friends who made millions laugh as they navigated their lives between work, comics, sci-fi series, video games, and dealing with the quirks of Sheldon Cooper (Jim Parsons), the theoretical physicist who always struggled to relate to others.
The series ended in 2019 after 12 seasons on air, and its success was so immense that it inspired a prequel called Young Sheldon, which aired from 2017 to 2024, focusing on the young version of the main character during his school and college years until he finally reached Caltech.
The long-running sitcom is considered one of the best in its genre in recent decades. The Big Bang Theory came to an end in May 2019 when the 12th season concluded. With this installment, the show adequately wrapped up the respective arcs of each character, but there was one in particular whose fate was never revealed by the CBS series, even though his development was always on the producers’ minds.
Fans will remember that Howard Wolowitz (Simon Helberg) always lived with his mother, Mrs. Wolowitz. A character who became an icon of the sitcom. Although she never appeared on screen, she was always yelling at her son from various corners of the house until she finally passed away in season 8.
Sam Wolowitz left his family when Howard was 11 years old according to The Big Bang Theory’s story
According to The Big Bang Theory’s stories, Howard Wolowitz’s father, Mr. Sam Wolowitz, remained off-screen throughout the 12 seasons of the series. The show only referenced him, and fans only learned that he had abandoned his son when he was just a child. Simon Helberg told The Press Association in a previous interview that his character deserved to explore this part of the story related to his family in depth, but it never happened.
“I think it would be nice to meet his father,” Helberg said. “I don’t write the show, I don’t create any of those aspects, so I get a script, open it, and find out his father abandoned him. It’s interesting. I can’t wait to see what they have for us”.
The truth is, the fate of Howard Wolowitz’s father was never revealed by The Big Bang Theory, although it was hinted at once. The series only revealed that Sam Wolowitz left the family when his son was 11 years old. Unfortunately, the series also deprived viewers of the opportunity to know what happened to him, despite giving them hope. This will go down in history as one of the unanswered questions left by the successful series.