The Big Bang Theory was one of the biggest sitcoms on television through the 2000s and 2010s. Airing for 12 seasons from 2007 through 2019, the show spawned a prequel spin-off, Young Sheldon, which led to its own sequel spin-off, Georgie & Mandy’s First Marriage.
Running gags were par for the course in The Big Bang Theory, and one of these was the elevator in the building where Sheldon (Jim Parsons), Leonard (Johnny Galecki), and Penny (Kaley Cuoco) lived. It was always out of service, resulting in the residents having to travel on multiple flights of stairs to get to and from their apartments. However, there’s an interesting backstory to the elevator in The Big Bang Theory and a surprisingly deep meaning as a plot device.
The History of the Elevator and Cause of Its Malfunction

As noted, from the very first episode, the elevator in the building was out of service. This appeared to be a temporary thing. After all, it’s common for elevators to stop working and require servicing in buildings from time to time.
However, as the episodes and seasons went on, the elevator was perpetually covered with caution tape, and it was noted as not being in service. This became a running gag on the show, as the main characters never seemed phased by having to take the stairs. They sauntered home and immediately walked up the multiple flights of stairs, often not even bothering to check the elevator because they knew it wouldn’t work. They would have conversations as they ascended (or descended), which were often key scenes in each episode.
Sheldon first claimed that the elevator, built in 1852, had been out of order since 2003. But the truth is revealed in another episode. Leonard admits that he was working on an experimental rocket fuel formula, and it started to explode. He tried to get it out of the building through the elevator, and when Sheldon closed the elevator door to contain the explosion and keep them both safe, it caused the damage.

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While fans rarely see other residents or guests in the building, there were a few instances when people tried to take the elevator only to realize it didn’t work. This included Zack Johnson (Brian Thomas Smith), Beverly Hofstadter (Christine Baranski), and Ramona Nowitzki (Riki Lindhome). Howard (Simon Helberg) once tried to fix it but quickly gave up.
That leads to an interesting question: given all the skills and knowledge the main characters have in science, engineering, and physics, it’s a wonder none of them offered to fix the elevator. The fact that Leonard and Sheldon caused the malfunction in the first place, however, could explain that. They didn’t want to get more involved, considering they were already to blame. What’s more, elevator repair technicians have specific skills, and the building likely requires having someone trained to do the job.
It’s also worth noting that a non-working elevator in a building that is supposed to have one would have raised flags. Someone surely would have spoken up as the months, even years, went by. A broken elevator for that long poses serious accessibility issues, not to mention likely violates building codes.
How did anyone move in, after all, and get their furniture and boxes up to their apartments? What happens when someone buys a new TV or couch? It’s possible there was a working service elevator in the building that was available for use only in these instances and for those with accessibility issues.
The Resolution To The Elevator Story

The elevator was never used throughout the entire series (until the end), but there are times when it was involved in the plot. It was in a dream sequence, for example, when Leonard imagines ripping the warning sign off the door, grabbing the elevator cable, and descending down it with Penny in his arms as she kisses her hero.
In another, Sheldon searches for an annoying cricket at the bottom of the shaft and ends up stuck there in the dark when his flashlight dies. Once when drunk, Leonard drops a wine bottle down it to guesstimate the height from the fourth floor. It was about 30 feet. In another episode, Leonard pulls the door to look for a scavenger hunt clue.

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It’s not until the penultimate episode of the series, “The Change Constant,” Season 12, Episode 23, that the deal with the elevator is finally solved. Sheldon and Leonard are on the ground floor when the elevator dings and opens to reveal Penny inside. She makes a flippant comment about how long it took to fix, understating the inconvenience not having an elevator caused over the years.
By the final episode, Season 12, Episode 24, entitled “The Stockholm Syndrome,” the elevator is officially fixed and in working condition. It’s just in time as the gang tries to squeeze inside with all their luggage to head to the airport. Once they realize it’s too small, they put the luggage in the elevator and use the stairs as they always had to meet their bags and suitcases on the ground floor.
The Significance Of The Broken Elevator

While some view the broken elevator as nothing more than a running gag, it has a lot of significance. The Female Gaze points out that forcing the characters to use the stairs helped define their key character traits “in ways that are quick and easy for the audience to absorb.”
This includes seeing Leonard, for example, struggle with his asthma after climbing so many flights, further solidifying the fact that he’s unathletic, out of shape, and the complete antithesis of the men Penny dated in the past. His mother, Beverly, instantly passes judgment against the building and its residents when she sees the broken elevator, standing and staring at it in disbelief. Sheldon and Amy have many arguments and disagreements while walking up and down the stairs, while Sheldon and Penny share important conversations while doing the same. Seeing them walking and talking is far more engaging than sitting dormant whenever they have a crucial, or even meaningless, conversation.
The explanation for the elevator issue also suggests why Leonard might feel in some way indebted to Sheldon. He literally saved his life. It could explain why Leonard has never rushed to move out and abandon Sheldon, despite his many quirks. He feels a sense of obligation to his friend for what he did on that fateful day.

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This isn’t just speculation. The show’s writers have confirmed it. As per CinemaBlend, the broken elevator was an intentional and necessary plot device that “serves a really important purpose for the show,” said writer Steve Holland. At WonderCon, Bill Prady said the writers came up with the concept of giving the characters a place to walk and talk.
They considered an outside spot for conversations as was done in Dharma and Greg, but found that it was “just too much real estate.” Instead, they considered, “What if they always had to walk up the stairs?” It was important, he added, for characters to have conversation in motion. Sure, the gang often conversed while eating take-out in the living room. However, a more dynamic situation was needed to offset this more stationary one.
Finally, the fact that the elevator is fixed for the last few episodes and highlighted in two significant scenes is a nice way to wrap up the show and some of its ongoing storylines. It provides a feeling of finality and closure.
Despite how minor or insignificant the broken elevator might have seemed in the grand scheme of things, it was a larger part of bringing The Big Bang Theory story together and getting fans acquainted with the characters and their dynamics in a way that was so subtle yet important to their development.
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The Big Bang Theory

Release Date

September 24, 2007

Network

CBS

Cast

Johnny Galecki
, Jim Parsons
, Kaley Cuoco
, Simon Helberg
, Kunal Nayyar
, Melissa Rauch
, Mayim Bialik
, Kevin Sussman
, Carol Ann Susi
, John Ross Bowie
, Laura Spencer
, Wil Wheaton
, Brian George
, Christine Baranski
, Brian Posehn
, Laurie Metcalf
, Joshua Malina
, Ian Scott Rudolph
, Aarti Mann
, Brian Thomas Smith
, Alice Amter
, Pamela Adlon

Seasons

12

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