Young Sheldon May Be Canceled, But CBS Isn’t Done—Here’s How Season 8’s Story Lives On!

Months after it ended, CBS offers a sneak peek at what Young Sheldon season 8 would have become if it continued. It’s no secret that Young Sheldon‘s cancelation wasn’t rooted in the lack of interest from the public. Aside from maintaining its spot as TV’s number 1 comedy, it also posted show-high ratings during its final year. Normally, that would have been enough motivation for a renewal, but because of its The Big Bang Theory ties, CBS had no choice but to pull the plug on Young Sheldon, as Chuck Lorre and his producers opted to honor the established canon.

There were primarily two reasons from the continuity on why Young Sheldon ended when it did. Two of the biggest Cooper family incidents took place in 1994, which was when the show ended, per The Big Bang Theory. Firstly, the death of George Cooper, and secondly, Sheldon’s move to California to begin his post-graduate studies at Caltech. Both plots happened in the emotional Young Sheldon finale. That said, considering the show’s success, there were calls for it to move forward. That clearly didn’t happen, but CBS has recently teased what season 8 would have looked like.

Georgie & Mandy’s First Marriage’s Continues The Coopers’ Story After Young Sheldon

The Coopers Have Been Involved In Georgie & Mandy’s New Life

The story of the remaining Texas-based family members continues via Georgie & Mandy’s First Marriage. Born out of the unexpected success of Georgie and Mandy’s romance in Young Sheldon, the sequel spinoff follows the couple as they navigate their new life as an accidental couple and parents to Baby Cece. Granted that the focus of its storytelling has shifted to the McAllisters as the new extended cast, the fact that the couple’s love story started with Young Sheldon makes it a follow-up project.

Beyond its primary story, however, Georgie & Mandy’s First Marriage also occasionally features the Cooper family. Its pilot, “6:10 to Lubbock,” brought back Mary and Meemaw, and the next week, “Some New York Nonsense,” Missy returned. For what it’s worth, their appearances are always welcome, especially considering the way Young Sheldon ended. Aside from helping the new show be more enticing for those who loved its parent series, all three women are only a short drive away from Georgie and Mandy. Not having them around would be more suspicious.

Georgie & Mandy’s First Marriage’s “Thanksgiving” Teases What Young Sheldon Season 8 Could Have Looked Like

The Coopers Are Still Grieving

The best Cooper reunion, however, happened a few episodes in the freshman series, via Georgie & Mandy’s First Marriage episode 5, “Thanksgiving.” While they previously made cameos, it wasn’t until the holiday special that Mary, Meemaw, Missy, and Georgie all shared the screen again since the Young Sheldon finale. In the outing, the McAllisters invited the Coopers to spend Thanksgiving after Mary claimed that she didn’t want to celebrate the holiday because of George’s death.

The outing is a tease of what Young Sheldon season 8 could have been like — with the family still coping with their grief over the death of their patriarch and getting used to not having Sheldon around. Georgie & Mandy’s First Marriage was able to inject some humor into the narrative via the McAllisters and even Dale, but for the most part, it was quite difficult to watch Mary struggling with not having George around and Georgie having to carry the burden of being a son/brother and husband/father.

Although Missy’s storyline was a bit more lighthearted, there’s something heartbreaking about watching her seemingly happy when a previous episode established her anguish over George’s death. If Lorre and his team decided to continue with Young Sheldon season 8, episodes would be more or less like Georgie & Mandy’s First Marriage‘s “Thanksgiving” — with the focus on the Coopers, while the McAllisters are incorporated, considering that the couple and Baby Cece live them. The writers may try to make it lighter, but that would feel inappropriate given the circumstances.

Should CBS Still Do Young Sheldon Season 8 Despite Georgie & Mandy’s First Marriage?

At This Point, It’s Unlikely To Happen

Georgie & Mandy’s First Marriage is still far from the success of The Big Bang Theory and Young Sheldon, but it’s already on the right path. It debuts to strong ratings. Considering this, it’s safe to say that it’s only a matter of time before it is awarded a renewal. The back half of its freshman year is already confirmed to feature the return of the Coopers and other familiar characters, not to mention the hopes of seeing Sheldon again. With that, the chances of CBS doing Young Sheldon season 8 are very slim to none.