[fowtowmowcow]

That's only one plausible ending to the universe, while perhaps favored, certainly far from being determined.

Then there's handwaving about given a large enough time scale energy should randomly concentrate enough to 'restart' the universe or something silly along those lines.

For myself I like the notion of the universe starting from a breaking of symmetry of whatever base form of energy the universe is built out of.

This allows for scattering of information, increasing diversity and complexity of the system, while also not adding or creating any new energy.

So if the universe can start in a place of equilibrium I'd imagine after heat death leads to a static state then 'restarting' is possible since it's happened at least once.