How Will Young Sheldon Address George Sr’s Death?
There’s a dark shadow looming over the final season of The Big Bang Theory prequel series Young Sheldon. It isn’t a secret: it’s a detail long confirmed in The Big Bang Theory. But as fans put two and two together about the tragic event, questions about how it will be addressed have arisen.
That moment is George Sr.’s (Lance Barber) death, which had a tremendous impact on Sheldon and the entire family. The Big Bang Theory provides limited details, but given the general timeline and significance of the event in Sheldon’s life, fans are hoping for a fitting send-off for the beloved character in Season 7.
What We Know About When George Sr. Died
Sheldon, played by Jim Parsons as an adult, has referenced his father numerous times on The Big Bang Theory. He said that his father passed away when he was a teenager. In one episode, while speaking with Bernadette’s (Melissa Rauch) father, he more specifically says his father died when he was 14, which would mean George Sr. passed away sometime in 1994.
Keen-eared viewers will have heard Missy (Raegan Revord) playing the song “The Sign” by Ace of Base in a recent Season 7 episode. That song was released in 1993 and released as a single in the U.S. at the end of that year, which means George’s death is imminent. In the final seventh season of Young Sheldon, Sheldon is either 13 or already 14 by the time he travels to Germany with his mother.
Sheldon, played by Iain Armitage in Young Sheldon, doesn’t explain how George dies when discussing his father’s death in The Big Bang Theory. He only cracks jokes about his father’s eating and drinking habits, jesting that the local liquor store owner didn’t take his father’s death lightly.
One thing we do know is that questions will be answered in Young Sheldon, and George’s death will be addressed on the show. Steve Holland, Executive Producer of Young Sheldon, confirmed to TVLine that George Sr.’s death will be a part of the season, but he did not go into detail as to how.
“We are not beholden to every joke that was ever made on The Big Bang Theory , but we do feel beholden to the larger canon and the larger events that shape Sheldon’s life. We want to honor those.”
He went on to say that they will not “sidestep” the tragic event. Meanwhile, Barber himself posted Instagram photos with the cast referencing missing his Cooper kids. Of course, this could have been in reference to anything, even simply filming the final episode. But speculation abounds that it might have something to do with filming scenes pertaining to his death.
How Will George Sr’s Death Be Addressed?
Right now, we can only speculate about how George Sr.’s death will be handled. Considering the show’s tone and the fact that it’s a sitcom rather than a drama, chances are we won’t see George Sr. clutch his heart and collapse. It likely won’t be an emotional or frantic scene like other series, such as Succession.
It may be like The Big Bang Theory when Howard’s mother passed away. He was advised of her passing, dealt with the grief with his friends, and she was honored in an episode. It was a sweet moment, given that the character’s death was due to the actor who voiced her, Carol Ann Susi, passing away in real life.
His death might happen off-screen, potentially a heart attack, given that George already had two heart attacks, the first in Season 1 and the second in Season 5. The episode might focus on Sheldon finding out and trying to process this information and deal with emotions he isn’t used to showing or having. With Parsons voicing the narration of teenage Sheldon’s inner monologue on the show, this will likely provide valuable context as to how Sheldon was really feeling in the moment.
Another prediction is that there may be an episode dedicated to George’s funeral, possibly alongside an episode featuring a wedding between Georgie (Montana Jordan) and Mandy (Emily Osment), so the moment is bittersweet. With those two characters confirmed to be starring in their own spin-off, a wedding between them will likely happen before the show ends.
Parsons has confirmed that he and Mayim Bialik, who played his girlfriend and eventual wife Amy on The Big Bang Theory, will make an appearance on the finale in some way, though it’s not known how. He recently said that it was “more beautiful” than he expected it to be.
Right now, it’s all speculation. Fans know that George’s death is coming but don’t know if it will be towards the middle or end of the series. Nonetheless, whenever fans sit back to watch a new episode, they break out the tissues because they might be needed. Episodes of Young Sheldon Season 7 air weekly on CBS through May 16, 2024. Stream past seasons on Max and Netflix.
