CBS’ Young Sheldon, a prequel to The Big Bang Theory, was one of the most heartfelt sitcoms that aired on television in the last decade. As such, it came as a surprise to many, even cast member Annie Potts (who portrayed Connie Tucker), that the series would come to a close so soon in Season 7. No matter how many memes X (formerly known as Twitter) can conjure up about Sheldon Cooper’s (Iain Armitage and Jim Parson) “end of life” as he walks off into the California Institute of Technology’s (aka Caltech) sunset, Young Sheldon had a place in people’s hearts.
Not only was the child genius’ fixation on alternate universes and Star Trek ironically adorable for a good few seasons, but the Cooper family was an honest reflection of a household in the American South. The two-part series finale, titled “Funeral” and “Memoir,” circles back to what made viewers fall in love with the Coopers in the first place, while also juggling a heavy loss. Here, Sheldon, Missy (Raegan Revord), Georgie (Montana Jordan), Mary (Zoe Perry) and Connie prepare for George Cooper’s (Lance Barber) funeral.
It was revealed that George died from a heart attack at the end of the previous episode. Now, the family has to pick up the pieces and reconfigure the puzzle of their life without George. When it comes to sitcom finales, the death of a beloved main character is more often than not a recipe for a depressing disaster. But amid the tears, and it’ll be hard not to produce any, Young Sheldon finds the “bazingas” to keep moments light enough for a content conclusion.
Young Sheldon Navigates Grief in Humorous Fashion
The Series Finale Bears the Weight of George Cooper’s Death by Balancing Pain and Playfulness
Young Sheldon star Raegan Revord promises fans that they will be happy with how the final episodes wrap up the show’s many storylines.
Showrunner Steve Holland took creative liberty in Season 7 to retcon a substantial turning point in Sheldon’s life: George having an affair with another woman. The affair turned out to be a misunderstanding that Sheldon would never come to realize. Despite this major change in the lore, George’s death was always set in stone. This was something written in The Big Bang Theory bible, and it can’t and shouldn’t be undone. How Young Sheldon would handle such a dark event in its own final stages of life was the ultimate test.
The final two episodes shined a spotlight on the different ways people handle grief in their life. Mary threw herself into religion, Georgie stepped up in his father’s place and Missy lashed out. To Missy’s anger, Sheldon shows no emotion as he theorizes different alternative universes where his final words to his father were more satisfying. All of their responses and coping mechanisms fit the type of people Young Sheldon meticulously crafted for seven seasons.
The humor rises in inappropriate moments where outsiders stumble on their apologies or misunderstand their place in the Cooper house. When Coach Wilkins (Doc Farrow) sobs in Mary’s arms, declaring that George wasn’t just his “white best friend” but his real best friend, there’s a sigh of relief that the finale wouldn’t just be a giant dark cloud. As any sitcom would, Connie insults George’s love for brisket and beer in a tasteless, but wholesome eulogy. The eulogy is the best time to ironically get the laughs out, and Young Sheldon plays it perfectly.
In one of Sheldon’s hypothetical alternate universes, perhaps the death of George jumpstarted a version of Young Sheldon with a separate premise. Although Young Sheldon ended where it needed to, the finale shows there’s still so much more it could’ve offered by continuing the story without George. For example, there’s a rising conflict between Mary and the twins as she forces them to get baptized, something the atheist Sheldon and defiant Missy are against.
This difference of opinion delivers a sterling memo of how religion plays into the grieving process. For some, like Mary, religion is a safety blanket. For others, like Sheldon and Missy, thoughts and prayers are just empty words. Out of all the shows airing today, it’s strange and pleasantly surprising that Young Sheldon has one of the most profound representations of religion in Southern American society today.
Young Sheldon’s Finale Gave Sheldon Cooper the Attention He’s Been Denied for Some Time
Young Sheldon’s Protagonist Experiences Sincere Maturity in the Past and Future
Ever since Season 6, Young Sheldon ironically pushed its main eponymous character into the backseat. In the meantime, other Cooper family members took his spotlight. Georgie and Mandy’s (Emily Osment) age-inappropriate relationship as they grew their own family was just one of many more interesting storylines than Sheldon’s failing social life at college. But with the return of Jim Parsons and Mayim Bialik as middle-aged Sheldon and his wife, Amy Farrah Fowler, Young Sheldon remembers why it’s named after the stilted genius.
The finale frequently cuts forward to Sheldon and Amy as he writes his memoir, and she fails to get him ready for his son’s hockey game. After the third or fourth cut back to the older characters, there’s an annoying feeling that The Big Bang Theory actors returned for nostalgia’s sake. But the slow-burn pays off when the past and future stories connect as a lesson of parental sacrifice. Like his parents did for him, Sheldon must put aside his own beliefs to raise his children with unconditional love.
Amusingly enough, Sheldon already made a sacrifice for Mary when he agreed to get baptized. The finale builds up to Sheldon’s realization that, despite their differences, he would’ve never succeeded without Mary or George’s support. Sheldon lives in regret of not repaying his father, but he still has a chance to repay his mother by giving her religious contentment. Even if Sheldon has many more years of egotistical righteousness ahead of him, it’s gratifying to see a moment of growth as he puts others’ well-beings before his own in honor of his parents.
Young Sheldon’s Finale Doesn’t Rely on the New Spin-Off to Work
Georgie and Mandy’s First Marriage Takes No Precedence as Sheldon Cooper Heads off for New Beginnings
Georgie & Mandy’s First Marriage co-creator and executive producer shares the inspiration behind the upcoming Young Sheldon spinoff.
It’s become a somewhat irritating practice nowadays for shows expecting to widen their universe to use their finales as a set-up for future spin-offs. Rarely do any of these cases feature finales with solid conclusions. In light of this, there was a resounding worry that Young Sheldon‘s finale would be overwhelmed by set-ups for the upcoming Georgie and Mandy’s First Marriage.
The newlyweds already took up a good chunk of the seventh season with in-law quarrels and secret baby baptisms. Georgie and Mandy still have a role to play in the finale, but thankfully, it’s at a minimum to keep the focus on Sheldon and the other supporting characters. Any hint of a spin-off doesn’t even exist in either of the finale’s two episodes. This keeps the allure alive and well for what’s to come in the fall of 2024.
That being said, Georgie’s growth since the first season was well-earned. He matured from a delusional teenager fantasizing over celebrity crushes to a man who not only steps up in his respective household, but in his father’s shoes. Montana Jordan has always been self-assured in his role as Georgie, but the finale is a testament that he can co-lead a series with TV darling Emily Osment. All the child actors of Young Sheldon, in general, grew into seasoned actors who will hopefully do great things beyond the CBS comedy. Iain Armitage already has an impressive résumé with Young Sheldon and Big Little Lies, and Raegan Revord displays the emotional diversity in the finale to guarantee her several roles in the future.
With such a tremendous responsibility on its shoulders, the Young Sheldon finale hits the right notes to close this chapter. The reveal that the series is actually Sheldon’s memoir is a nice touch that affirms the titular character isn’t an entirely reliable narrator. When Sheldon arrives at Caltech in the final scene, alone and with an oversized briefcase, he tells a stranger, “I’m exactly where I’m supposed to be.” It’s the rare instance where the main character ending up alone assures hope for his future, while also appreciating the past that got him here. Live long and prosper, Young Sheldon.
All seven seasons of Young Sheldon are available to stream on Netflix, Max and Paramount+. A spinoff titled Georgie and Mandy’s First Marriage will premiere in fall 2024 on CBS.
