Young Sheldon season 7 finally delivered a storyline first introduced by The Big Bang Theory in 2016, and in doing so, it made George and Sheldon’s relationship even more heartbreaking. Focusing on Mary and Sheldon having to reaccustom themselves to life in Texas after the tornado brought on very different routines from what they were used to months before, Young Sheldon season 7, episode 4, “Ants on a Log and a Cheating Winker” seamlessly merged the Coopers’ various storylines back together. However, the episode’s explosive ending showed at last one story only previously heard from The Big Bang Theory’s Sheldon.
Whether from Sheldon or his mother, The Big Bang Theory seldom had kind things to share about George, with the living Coopers’ words portraying him as a good-for-nothing in the sitcom. However, Sheldon in particular had even less positive memories of his father, remembering what could be only described as his worst teachings and clearly recalling one of the most vivid memories he had of him cheating. This impacted Sheldon’s daily life greatly despite most of the TBBT characters and audiences not knowing until late in the series, making Sheldon’s most vulnerable sharing sadly involve his poor relationship with George.
George Not Actually Cheating Makes His Ruined Bond With Sheldon Much Sadder
Sheldon not knowing the truth ruins the last months with his father
The Big Bang Theory season 10, episode 5 simultaneously revealed the reason behind Sheldon’s quirky three knocks on doors and why he held his father George in such low esteem. How affected Sheldon was by what he was sure he had seen resulted in habit changes – knocking three times on doors for people “to get their pants on” – and in not sharing with anyone that he had seen his father cheating, never talking about it with his parents, his siblings or his closest friends until Penny, despite that could have helped him process it.
Young Sheldon finally revealing Sheldon misconstrued what he saw thus makes his difficult bond with George even sadder.
In recalling the event, The Big Bang Theory’s Sheldon explained how in its aftermath they had locked eyes, he ran into his room and they “never, ever spoke of it.” Young Sheldon season 7, episode 4 seemingly dispelled part of Sheldon’s account, but never talking about it adds yet another layer of sadness to George’s last months before his sudden death, as talking about it might have made Sheldon aware that he didn’t witness his father cheating, instead of letting him believe the worst of his father in George’s last months alive and for the rest of Sheldon’s life.
Young Sheldon’s George Twist Is Doubly Tragic (Thanks To The Prequel Show)
Now we feel sorry for Sheldon AND George
The way The Big Bang Theory portrayed George Sr. automatically made audiences feel sympathetic towards Sheldon, especially so after Sheldon shared what shocked him to his core. However, George’s “cheating” story in Young Sheldon season 7 being retconned also makes audiences feel bad for George, as what Sheldon believed was just a colossal misunderstanding. What Sheldon thought he saw undoubtedly impacted him, but it also tragically affected George, whose younger son’s unease must have surely shown in the way Sheldon interacted with George, considering how unable to hide his feelings Sheldon always was.
Not knowing what prompted Sheldon’s behavioral shift because he and George never locked eyes, and even if they did, George wasn’t cheating on Mary when Sheldon walked in on him, makes the change entirely inexplicable for George. Even if Sheldon were to spend more time in college as a way not to deal with what he saw instead of being colder towards his father, his change would still go unexplained. Moreover, while George might not know his end is near, audiences do, making his non-cheating more tragic because based on a misunderstanding George and Sheldon could have easily cleared up.
Future Sheldon Talking With Mary Could Finally Resolve Sheldon’s Tragic Backstory
By revealing it was her, Mary could make Sheldon’s last memories of George lighter
Young Sheldon season 7, episode 4’s ending voiceover confirmed what Sheldon told Penny in The Big Bang Theory season 10, reiterating both how Sheldon’s three knocks routine was born and the fact he never spoke about what he saw with his dad. This way, Young Sheldon maintained the utterly tragic nature of the cheating storyline, making it even sadder after it revealed it was all a big misunderstanding that could have easily been averted or amended. However, Young Sheldon season 7 could still resolve its titular character’s tragic backstory.
While Sheldon cannot talk about what he witnessed with George, thus not regaining the months lost believing the worst of him, he could still talk with Mary. With her being who Sheldon saw George with, she could tell the truth decades later – in a voiceover or during Jim Parsons’ Young Sheldon season 7 cameo – clearing George’s name. Although this wouldn’t delete the time Sheldon saw his father as a cheater, it could make Sheldon’s memories of George lighter in the future, being especially impactful if it were to happen right after Young Sheldon season 7 handled George’s death.
