Although one line in Young Sheldon’s series finale could have implied that Leonard died after The Big Bang Theory ended, this was not the only way that the line could be interpreted. Young Sheldon’s series finale brought back Jim Parsons’s Sheldon when the spinoff flashed forward to the future and revealed Sheldon writing his memoirs. Although Sheldon’s narration was ever-present throughout the spinoff, this was the first time that The Big Bang Theory hero’s older self was seen onscreen in the series. The episode’s main storyline resolved the unfinished arcs of Young Sheldon’s cast of main characters.
Meanwhile, the subplot featuring Sheldon’s older self sees his wife Amy convince him to attend his son’s hockey game. Initially, Sheldon showed no interest in the event, insisting that his memoir would be much more important. However, reflecting on the many sacrifices that his parents made for him led Sheldon to realize he wanted to learn from them. For all The Big Bang Theory’s jokes about George Sr., Sheldon’s parents did all they could to provide for their kids and Sheldon appreciated it. He ended up attending the game, but not before referencing The Big Bang Theory‘s heroine.
Major spoilers below for anyone who hasn’t yet watched Young Sheldon’s series finale on CBS or with a Paramount+ subscription, so be warned!
For seven memorable years, Young Sheldon’s creative team filled out the backstory of The Big Bang Theory’s resident genius Sheldon Cooper, and the tragi-comic culmination was reached in the CBS show’s two-part series finale. The first part followed up on George Cooper’s long-anticipated death with his funeral proceedings, while the second part featured the heavily hyped on-screen reunion between former co-stars Jim Parsons and Mayim Bialik. But it’s what the prequel series didn’t show that has sparked curiosity, specifically when it comes to the fate of Johnny Galecki’s Leonard Hofstadter.
Understandably, a series devoted so largely to Sheldon’s life doesn’t necessarily owe fans any updates for other Big Bang Theory characters, but co-creators Steve Molaro and Chuck Lorre definitely knew that fans of the flagship sitcom have always pored over the follow-up show for connective tissue. And I know I’m not the only one who was hoping for a Leonard-flavored breadcrumb in the final episode.
While nothing in the installment “Memoir” directly revealed anything doom-laden about Leonard, a few clues indicate that the beloved character is out of the picture, whether it be due to death or perhaps a divorce from Kaley Cuoco‘s Penny. Let’s go over what we know to try and figure things out, since I doubt any kind of confirmation will come up in Georgie and Mandy’s upcoming spinoff.
Penny Was Namechecked, But No Mention Of Leonard
When it comes right down to it, the biggest piece of evidence pointing to Leonard’s current whereabouts is arguably the lack of evidence within not just the finale, but all of Young Sheldon’s run. Even though Leonard and Sheldon’s friendship developed after his coming-of-age teen years depicted in the dramedy prequel, it’s always been just a little odd that Jim Parsons’ Sheldon never once name-dropped his brainy bestie in any narration.
It might not be as odd if Young Sheldon was completely bereft of Big Bang Theory references and returns on the whole, but the show had already featured Mayim Bialik’s voiceover in the past, and also brought Simon Helberg’s Howard back in the middle of its run. But the kicker here is that Penny’s name does come up in the series finale, so the writers could have easily worked in a nod to Leonard’s current situation within that same line of dialogue.
