With some fans feeling a huge wave of disappointment ahead of the Season 7 finale, Young Sheldon’s best ending has easily already aired. 

Though there’s still a month to go until the Young Sheldon Season 7 finale — and, therefore, the ultimate goodbye — but there’s still a lot to be resolved. So far, all we know about the finale is that Jim Parsons and Mayim Bialik will appear as adult Sheldon and Amy Cooper… but that’s pretty much it. Other storylines, such as George’s death and Sheldon’s start at Caltech, are likely to be resolved, but that’s speculation.

With so few tangible details to go on, the rumor mill has been not-so-quietly churning out potential finale ideas. Will we see Sheldon’s future kids? Will George actually die onscreen? Is the entire prequel just a made-up story in Sheldon’s head? One thing we do know for certain is that a fully-fledged The Big Bang Theory reunion won’t be happening — which might be the one thing fans wanted all along.

As a bridge between the end of Sheldon’s childhood and the beginning of his adult years, tying the Big Bang story fully together surely seems like the obvious route to take. However, there’s no confirmed involvement of Leonard, Penny, Howard, Raj, and Bernadette as Young Sheldon draws closer to its finale. That said, fans will know that, technically, this has already happened in the second season and it was hands-down the show’s best finale of all time.

Young Sheldon Season 2 had the best finale of all time

Episode 22 of Young Sheldon Season 2, titled ‘A Swedish Science Thing and the Equation for Toast’, saw Sheldon invite all of Medford High to a 5am listening party of the Nobel Prize announcements. Unsurprisingly to everyone except Sheldon, nobody turns up, leaving Sheldon feeling more alone than he ever has. The final scene of the season shows the baby TBBT cast, each indulging in their own unique pursuits, with adult Sheldon voicing that his fears of being an outsider forever weren’t necessary.

Even for fans who have never seen the main series, it’s an incredibly touching moment. Up until this point, Sheldon has largely been chastised for his differences rather than embraced — or even really acknowledged. He’s regularly bullied in high school, his siblings can’t wait to see the back of him, and his adult family flits between tolerance and complete disbelief. Before Sheldon can grow as a character, he needs to be embraced… and this is his crowning moment.

Fans typically haven’t kept quiet about how much Sheldon is “hated” in his own show. With his behavior often grating while dominating other compelling storylines, viewers have quickly lost patience for the man who gave the world the story they can’t let go of. In the Young Sheldon Season 2 finale, compassion starts to shine through, making the genius Cooper the most human he’s ever been. While we know how Sheldon met The Big Bang Theory cast in the main series flashbacks, watching their unconscious connection form perfectly reflects the heartwarming tone that the prequel series sets up.

Season 7 could be setting up for a painful goodbye

However, this isn’t amazing news for Season 7 because Young Sheldon Season 2 absolutely nailed its parting episode. Everything else has paled in comparison since. The show arguably peaked five seasons too early with its final goodbye — unless it can now be incredibly efficient at answering questions. Even so, what lies ahead is bound to be painful, and probably not in a soft, tear-jerking, emotional way.

Now that the impact of a Big Bang Theory reunion is out the window, the Young Sheldon Season 7 finale can only go one of two ways. It will either choose to hone in on George’s death, which is something fans don’t really want in the first place or show us Sheldon’s happy adult life with his family and kids. Either option leaves a slightly unsatisfying taste, not really committing to the details that made the prequel so beloved in the first place.

There’s no getting away from it — the Young Sheldon Season 7 finale is going to be a painful one. Regardless of how it’s handled, George won’t be there to see the best moment of Sheldon’s young educational life, and the Cooper family’s future will be tinged with sadness. It’s a decision that cannot be reversed or forgotten, arguably taking the focus away from the person who should be front and center, whether it’s popular or not. It’s a missed opportunity to not properly acknowledge The Big Bang Theory one last time and one that Young Sheldon blew far too soon.

While you wait for the next episode, you can catch up with our other Sheldon content, like our Season 7 theories, filming locations, how to watch Season 7 outside the US, and when Season 7 will be coming to Netflix.