Season 6 may have ignored it but Young Sheldon season 7 may still be setting up George’s cheating scandal. The Cooper patriarch turns out to be very different from how Sheldon and Mary described him in The Big Bang Theory. George may not be a perfect father in Young Sheldon, still drinking beer and failing to connect with his kids, but he is far from the negligent, stupid father and husband his son and wife claimed him to be. This makes it much trickier for the prequel to tackle certain stories about him, including his infamous cheating scandal.
The revelation came in The Big Bang Theory season 10, “Hot Tub Contamination,” while Sheldon was explaining the origins of his three-knock habit to Penny. Since then, it has become one of the most anticipated events in Young Sheldon. Per the timeline, the event should have already happened in season 6, but that didn’t pan out. Because of this, there have been assumptions that CBS is skipping the matter; in any case, the prequel hasn’t been faithful to The Big Bang Theory continuity. A new detail, however, hints that George’s infidelity arc will still happen in Young Sheldon season 7.
Young Sheldon’s upcoming spinoff will continue The Big Bang Theory’s destruction of Sheldon long before he and Georgie reunited in the sitcom.
Why Young Sheldon Has Been Trying To Escape George’s Cheating Scandal
George’s cheating incident has clouded Young Sheldon.
As Sheldon’s origins story, earlier seasons of Young Sheldon focused on his story as a boy genius growing up in a middle-class family in Texas. Launching a series with the character at the center proves that Jim Parsons’ was the true lead of The Big Bang Theory. Over time, however, the prequel deviated from its premise and transitioned to be a proper ensemble, meaning that each member of the family started getting their own stories and did not just function as supporting players to Sheldon’s arc. This resulted in a more fleshed-out version of George.
Suddenly, he’s depicted objectively, and being a relatable and grounded father has made George endearing to the public. He has his flaws, but his commitment to providing for his wife and kids has been unwavering. Young Sheldon tackling his cheating incident would totally ruin the character and change the dynamic within the Cooper family, which has been the prequel’s main asset since moving away from only tackling Sheldon’s stories. Moreover, showing the actual incident the way that Sheldon described it to Penny in The Big Bang Theory could be far too dark, even for a family comedy-drama.
Billy Sparks’ Return Paves The Way For George’s Affair With Brenda
Brenda remains George’s best mistress possibility.
While the return of the Coopers on the small screen is still a couple of weeks away, it has already been confirmed that Young Sheldon season 7 will feature the return of Billy Sparks. The Coopers’ neighbor has been mostly used sporadically in the prequel, despite The Big Bang Theory setting him up for a much bigger role. That being said, his return has an indirect effect on the chances of George’s affair still panning out. If the middle Sparks kid is confirmed to make an appearance, then it’s highly likely that his mother, Brenda, will also be involved.
The Sparks’ matriarch has been on the cusp of having an affair with George for a couple of seasons now. If Young Sheldon endeavors to tackle the infidelity storyline, there’s no better set-up mistress for Sheldon’s father than Brenda. It will be more detrimental to George if he ends up cheating with someone random. At least, Young Sheldon has planted plot seeds about his eventual entanglement with Brenda, and it’s almost a payoff to a storyline that has been brewing for a couple of years now. Perhaps, the audience may even be more forgiving, considering the build-up to their relationship.
The Big Bang Theory finale disrespected a particular aspect of Sheldon’s childhood, and Young Sheldon season 7 has one last chance to fix it.
For context, Billy has caught his mom and George sneaking out in the chicken coop before. He also has knowledge of the Cooper patriarch spending time in their home. Granted that Mary has already confronted Brenda over her relationship with George, it doesn’t mean that they’re no longer seeing each other off-screen. Being neighbors makes it extremely easy for them to spend time with each other. Perhaps, Sheldon isn’t the only one who catches them, but also Billy.
How George’s Cheating Scandal Impacts Young Sheldon Season 7
Young Sheldon season 7 will wrap up the Coopers’ Texas story.
Tackling George’s cheating scandal has always been tricky, but it’s going to be more difficult to properly do this time. Young Sheldon will end with a shortened season, which means that there will be limited time to tie all its remaining narrative loose ends. Before it was confirmed that Billy is returning, there was an assumption that George’s cheating would simply be ignored by Young Sheldon, like so many other interesting childhood stories from Sheldon in The Big Bang Theory. However, assuming that it’s going to be revived, there’s no doubt that its fallout will impact the remainder of its run.
Due to the dual Hollywood strikes of 2023, Young Sheldon season 7 will only have 14 episodes.
Its immediate impact will be on Sheldon, who supposedly witnessed his dad’s affair. Currently, it’s unknown if he discussed it with anyone else in the family, but considering that George and Mary stayed together until his death, it’s safe to say that the boy genius kept his mouth shut about the matter. Secondly, it will also set up a much more tragic death for George. The Big Bang Theory and the narration in Young Sheldon have hinted that Sheldon has some regrets over how his relationship with his dad panned out. Now, the prequel can show exactly what those are.
CBS may have been able to get away with not tackling George’s cheating scandal, but Young Sheldon season 7 cannot ignore his upcoming death.
Should Young Sheldon Season 7 Still Tackle George’s Affair?
George’s death is also near.
The reason why Young Sheldon is ending with season 7 despite its popularity is because of The Big Bang Theory canon. Per the continuity, Sheldon leaves Texas for California at 14, which is right about his age in the upcoming season. Since the writers insist that the prequel adheres to the bigger narrative points of Sheldon’s life, it’s mandatory that it also tackles George’s infidelity, considering how big of an impact the incident has had on Sheldon’s life.
It may not be easy to do, but Young Sheldon season 7 should find a way to at least acknowledge that it indeed happened. Otherwise, it would look like Sheldon just lied about catching George in the act of cheating. Granted that the prequel has shown that he has a penchant for lying, this one is far too big of a bluff to make. When tackling the matter, however, the writers must be mindful to not let it overshadow everything else happening in Young Sheldon season 7.
