Throughout all 12 seasons of its existence, The Big Bang Theory has become one of the most polarizing shows to divide viewers. Fans of the comedy have been nothing but loyal. Other people, however, have shared their opinions on how much they dislike it for whatever reason. Back in August, creators Chuck Lorre and Bill Prady had announced that the longest-running multi-camera series would officially come to an end.

The news was a shock to fans who knew that each episode raked in over a million viewers. Ratings were not an issue, but the longevity was to one actor in particular, Jim Parsons, who plays the role of Sheldon Cooper.

“There was no factor; there was no situation that I was like, ‘Well, I’ve had enough of that.’ No. There was nothing like that. It was just…when you know, you know. And you’re susceptible and thrown around by the whims of your own existence and getting to a certain age and your life changes and suddenly you just think different,” he said. “It has been fascinating to think about who I was 12 years ago. And sometimes when I have trouble learning a line or saying a line of Sheldon’s right now, it’s hard to know why specifically. But it’s like, you’re not the same person you were. There is a possibility that this actually became more difficult for you in a way. And I don’t know what that means but it’s like you just change.”

There was no changing Parsons’s mind who stood by his own decision.

“It was the first time in my life of doing this show that it occurred to me that I might want to not do another contract after [season] 12 was up,” Parsons said. “I don’t know if it’s because I’m an Aries or just because maybe I’m in touch with myself. Whatever it is, once I had that thought, I was like, ‘Well, that’s your answer.'”

With Parsons leaving the show, Chuck Lorre did not want to continue telling stories without one of its main leads.

“I couldn’t wrap my head around the idea of going on without the whole ensemble — and the whole ensemble is why we succeeded,” Lorre told THR. “In pulling it apart and re-approaching it as a fraction of what it was just never felt right to me. I’ve seen other shows try and fail to take a character out of their realm and carry on. And maybe Frasier is the only thing I could think of off the top of my head where it really did work, thanks to the lightning strike of David Hyde Pierce.”

Sheldon Cooper’s presence on the show serves as the focal point for a lot of different storylines that play out between characters. Fans would most certainly find the show somewhat unfulfilling even if the dynamic amongst the main cast was still strong.

The two-part series finale will air on Thursday, May 16 at 8/7c on CBS.