Young Sheldon season 6 dove headfirst to show Missy’s rebellious teenage phase, but the steps that led to it had already started to be set up in season 1. The Big Bang Theory having Georgie briefly hint at Missy being a “dumb teenager” at the end of season 11 already guaranteed Missy’s rebel phase would have appeared in Young Sheldon. Missy’s rebellion was always foreshadowed in The Big Bang Theory as related to George’s untimely death. However, Young Sheldon season 6 dispelled that notion after showing that Missy started misbehaving well before George’s death, with small teases and hints of Missy’s future transgressions appearing in Young Sheldon season 1.

Evidence of Missy’s disregard for rules appeared even before stealing George’s truck and attempting to drive away with Paige in Young Sheldon season 6, episode 16. Her unexpected attendance at frat parties already raised alarms in Young Sheldon season 6, episode 13, but it evidently became less important given Sheldon’s worry for Paige and Paige’s erratic behavior due to her loneliness. Still, Missy’s escapades with Tonya cemented her rebellious phase, as not only did she continue to misbehave despite being caught, but she also went on ignoring her family, stopping only when the Young Sheldon season 6 ending’s tornado forced her and George to reconcile.

Missy Was The Cooper Sibling Most Dismissed In Young Sheldon Season 1

Young Sheldon season 1 famously disrupted the Coopers’ balance with Sheldon skipping ahead to reach his older brother Georgie’s year, leading to the two being in the same class. This prompted George to focus on Georgie and his negative feelings following the other students picking at him because his younger brother was a genius and skipped ahead, given George’s job as a football coach. Similarly, Mary coddled Sheldon and tried to make sure everything was okay with him, because of his major move to high school, and because she was worried he would have been alone and without friends at his new school. This left Missy often isolated.

George focusing on Georgie and Mary channeling all her attention toward Sheldon left Missy on her own, with her insights often dismissed, especially by Mary. Not only did Young Sheldon season 1, episode 2 highlight how Mary couldn’t find compliments to pay Missy except about her “pretty hair,” but it also predicted Missy’s future rebellion when Mary asked her why she was being a brat and Missy proposed as an explanation the possibility she was “crying for attention.” Only Meemaw seemed to have noticed Mary and George’s never-ending focus on Sheldon, and her taking Georgie and Missy out for ice cream in Young Sheldon season 1, episode 4 proved that.

Missy’s Past & Georgie’s Baby Had Her Take A Back Seat In Her Parents’ Eyes

Sheldon’s requirements and challenges took all of Mary and George’s attention, leaving little of it to his siblings, who usually thrived with less supervision because they were free to do what they wanted. However, the groundbreaking events of Young Sheldon season 6 like Sheldon’s trip to Germany and Georgie and Mandy’s pregnancy left Missy even more isolated. That might have meant more freedom, but it also sadly reminded her that her parents sometimes forgot about her, and no event was more evident of that than her being left waiting for someone to pick her up from school when everyone was at the hospital for Cece’s birth.

Her wit, emotional intelligence, and ability to get by alone proved that throughout Young Sheldon Missy is the smartest Cooper kid. Nevertheless, Missy’s capability to face difficult situations like Paige’s behavior at the frat party or complex discussions like that with George about his unusual relationship with Brenda Sparks shouldn’t mean that Missy must rely only on herself. While letting Missy think something like that was never in Mary and George’s intention, their focus being either on Mandy giving birth or their bickering because of Pastor Rob and Brenda in Young Sheldon season 6, episode 14 still made Missy feel forgotten, as only Connie mentioning her reminded them of Missy.

Missy’s Tragic Fate Is The Only Constant In Young Sheldon & TBBT

Missy made such a mark on The Big Bang Theory seasons 1 and 11 that her character easily became one audiences were more interested to see in the TBBT prequel Young Sheldon. However, the sad thing in common that Missy in The Big Bang Theory and Missy in Young Sheldon have is their being often dismissed by those closest to them. Whether it’s Georgie assuming he would be the smartest Cooper after Sheldon not taking her at all into consideration or Mary not rewarding Missy’s audacious wit, how most of the Coopers dismiss Missy is obvious in Young Sheldon.

That was unfortunately the case also in The Big Bang Theory. Sheldon trying to decide for Missy who would have been a better partner in The Big Bang Theory season 1, episode 15 evidently proved he wouldn’t have considered her wishes had she not reminded him that it was her life, thus her choice. However, Mary dismissed Missy too in The Big Bang Theory season 11, episode 24, either by trying to cover up her separation from her husband or refusing to consider her input as valid. This reiterates that Missy’s tragic fate of being dismissed is unfortunately the same in both The Big Bang Theory and Young Sheldon.