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Young Sheldon, the prequel spin-off to The Big Bang Theory, is considered one of the best coming-of-age reality TV series. For seven seasons, Young Sheldon chronicled the early years of Sheldon Cooper, a child prodigy who grew up to be a brilliant physicist.
Iain Armitage played the lead role of younger Sheldon, while Jim Parsons, who appeared as adult Sheldon in The Big Bang Theory, narrated the series.
Disclaimer: The following article is based on the writer's opinions. Reader discretion is advised.
Young Sheldon put the spotlight on a child who was "different," and viewers saw how this affected not just the child but also his family. Sheldon was a prodigy, but he was also a vulnerable child trying to navigate a world that didn’t understand him.
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It was always canon in The Big Bang Theory that Sheldon lost his father as a teenager. However, the full emotional weight of that fact didn’t truly hit me until I watched a 14-year-old Sheldon grappling with that loss in Young Sheldon in real time, with all the confusion, pain, and vulnerability that came with it.
Young Sheldon season 6 foreshadowed George's impending death
In Young Sheldon season 6 episode 16, A Stolen Truck and Going on the Lam, George and Mary had a dark conversation on their way to get Missy after she stole George’s truck so she and Paige could run away to Florida.
When Mary told George they would not get divorced, he responded:
"Yeah, over my dead body!"
Mary agreed that was exactly how their marriage would end. In the finale of season 6, when George was shielding Missy from the storm in Medford, she had a breakdown and began apologizing to him for her rebellious phase.
While Missy and George were able to reconnect during their heartfelt exchange in A Tornado, a 10-Hour Flight and a Darn Fine Ring, Sheldon never got that same closure. He continued to carry the belief that his father was cheating on his mother, leaving their relationship unresolved at the time of George’s death.
Also read: After watching You season 5, I felt relieved to see Joe Goldberg behind bars
I never thought Sheldon could make me emotional, but Young Sheldon proved me wrong
The signs were there. George’s death was foreshadowed throughout the episodes leading up to it in season 7. But nothing prepared me for the moment it happened, or for the raw, emotional side of Sheldon that left me in tears.
After George's death, Sheldon faced a reality that no amount of intelligence can shield him from: the fragility of family. The emotional armor he wore in adulthood made sense then. His quirks and punchlines were his coping mechanisms.
Sheldon’s inability to process emotion, his awkwardness with grief, and his deep need for routine were not just part of his charm. They were scars that he was trying to hide behind a shell he had made on his own.
I realized that behind the equations and eccentricities, there was always a boy who lost his father too soon, who didn’t know how to process it, and who built a brilliant but emotionally armoured life around that pain.
Young Sheldon is available to stream on Netflix and Max.
