Young Sheldon to Bring Back Big Bang Theory Character in Final Season
A Young Sheldon EP confirms one character’s return for the final season and how that may connect to The Big Bang Theory.
Per TVLine, the Big Bang Theory prequel’s final episodes were addressed in a new interview with Young Sheldon executive producer Steve Holland. He confirmed that Season 7 will bring back Tam, a childhood friend of Sheldon Cooper who was first introduced in the second episode of Young Sheldon. Played by Ryan Phuong, who was 15 at the time and has since turned 22, Tam has not been seen on the show for nearly three years at this point. His last appearance was in Season 4 in an episode that aired in April 2021.
“Tam is going to be back,” Holland said of the big return. When asked if the return of Tam would refer to the story an older Sheldon told about him in The Big Bang Theory, Holland added, “I think where will be a nod to that.”
Tam Appears in Both The Big Bang Theory
Tam is very notable as he was the first crossover character from The Big Bang Theory to pop up in Young Sheldon — other than Sheldon Cooper, of course. The Tam character previously appeared in the final season of The Big Bang Theory where Robert Wu played an older version of Sheldon’s childhood pal. That episode also featured Sheldon (Jim Parsons) explaining to Amy (Mayim Bialik) the backstory of their former friendship and how they had a falling out, recalling how Tam chose to stay in Texas with a new girlfriend rather than move to California with Sheldon as he had promised.
“When I got accepted to grad school at Caltech, I was afraid to move so far away from home, so Tam said he’d move out here with me and be my roommate,” the older Sheldon said in The Big Bang Theory. “Anyway, Tam stayed with her in Texas and I had to move out here all by myself… It was [scary]. I was lonely. And I thought I’d never make a friend again — and for a long time, I didn’t.”
The Big Bang Theory episode also revealed how Tam would eventually marry his girlfriend in Texas. They also had children, and the series suggested that one of Tam’s sons was actually considering attending Caltech. Given the tease from Young Sheldon’s EP, it would seem that the final season of Young Sheldon may see Tam’s girlfriend and future wife brought into the picture for the first time.
