Did This 1 Sheldon & Mary Storyline Seal George’s Fate in Young Sheldon?

1 particular plot with Sheldon and Mary in Young Sheldon season 7 may have likely caused George’s unexpected death. The Young Sheldon finale wrapped up with Sheldon’s move to California for his post-graduate studies at Caltech, per The Big Bang Theory‘s official canon. However, before the boy genius wrapped up his childhood in Texas, it was preceded by a tragedy with the death of his dad. While the incident was long-established in The Big Bang Theory, details about it were unclear, including how exactly he met his end. Young Sheldon answered that question, but it also posed a new mystery.

George’s death happened at the very end of Young Sheldon season 7, episode 12, which was essentially the show’s penultimate offering. The outing was largely lighthearted and happy, with Mary’s husband getting an offer for his dream job. The family was more or less supportive, which made George’s sudden demise more disheartening. While his health issues had always been present in Young Sheldon, the heart attack that killed him may be something that was caused by Mary and Sheldon spending the past summer away from home and in Germany for the boy genius’ academic grant.

George Was Left With His Unhealthy Habits While Mary & Sheldon Were In Germany

Without Mary, George Was Able To Indulge

Young Sheldon had subjected George a couple of times to a health scare. In season 1, he was rushed to the hospital by Mary, which left the kids with Meemaw. A few years later, he also had another incident following his borderline-inappropriate encounter with Brenda Sparks. Despite being a football coach, it was no secret that George had a weak heart, and while he used to indulge in unhealthy habits like drinking and binge eating, Mary was usually there to caution him. The Cooper family patriarch would be unhappy about it, but he would also obey his wife.

With Mary gone for a whole summer and Missy left to take care of the house, George was pretty much free to lean into his unhealthy habits. During Georgie and Mandy’s shotgun wedding, he was clearly out of breath as they rushed to the courthouse. Granted that everyone was running, but he was the only one who was severely struggling. It was an indication that George was in worse shape than before when his wife and son traveled to Germany for the summer.

George’s Unhealthy Habits & Additional Stress Likely Caused His Young Sheldon Death

The Cooper Patriarch Was Also Stressed

George’s unhealthy habits made his health worse, but it was also exacerbated by the other stressors in his life throughout Young Sheldon season 7. For starters, he had to deal with the whole family after the Medford tornado forced Meemaw, Georgie, and Mandy with them. Secondly, Mary’s sudden desire for a kid forced George to have a vasectomy, and while it was rare that the procedure could lead to heart failure, it could have still contributed to George’s health secretly deteriorating. Young Sheldon primarily played this arc for laughs so it was easy to miss.