George Sr.’s death is easilyYoung Sheldon‘s most emotional moment, and it managed to be impactful despite fans knowing it would happen before the series’ conclusion. However, it might’ve been even more impactful had one massive scene featuring Jim Parsons not been cut. Now, with Parsons supposedly out on ever reprising the character again, I fear the franchise missed its chance to retcon Sheldon’s conflicting thoughts about his father.
Young Sheldon Has A Script Featuring A Conversation Between Adult Sheldon And George Sr.
Pull up any episode of The Big Bang Theory with an HBO Max subscription, and it won’t take long to get the sense that Sheldon didn’t like his father all that much. Now, we’ve learned from Young Sheldon: The (Juicier-Than-Meemaw’s-Brisket) Inside Story of the Hit Comedy that YS found a way to retcon that, in a scene that fans ultimately never got to see (via TVLine).
The book details the penultimate scene, which begins with Jim Parsons’ Sheldon reuniting with George Sr. in the Cooper family living room. Sheldon sits next to his father and talks about all the life events he’s missed, including his marriage to Amy.
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George apologizes to adult Sheldon for not being the best father, and Sheldon admits he relates to his father now that he has a son, named Leonard, whom he struggled to connect with. George shares his wish to have lived longer to see the man Sheldon has become, and the former boy genius agrees with the sentiment.
Why I’m Upset About Young Sheldon Cutting This Scene
Sheldon’s relationship with his father is one of Big Bang Theory‘s biggest issues. Sheldon doesn’t speak fondly of his father as an adult, and he even claimed his father cheated on his mother. This sentimental moment showing Sheldon’s change of heart could’ve gone a long way to retcon those previous scenes, long before TBBT‘s writers ever knew what would happen in Young Sheldon.
Now, with that scene never happening, it feels as though there is some unresolved tension that any future show has to address. For example, would Iain Armitage’s Sheldon need to show some resentment toward George Sr. in conversation should he ever guest star on Georgie & Mandy’s First Marriage?
It’s a shame Young Sheldon had a chance to close the loop on what now feels like the biggest plot hole in The Big Bang Theory universe, albeit one that the spinoff created by making George Sr. a likable guy. It’s one of those details I wish I never heard about as a fan, because now, I’m just stewing over it not happening.
I guess I can take solace in the notion of someone on the writing staff seeing the value in a reunion between Sheldon and George, and possibly for the same reasons I expressed. Now, it appears it’s up for future chapters of Big Bang to possibly close the loop on this, or less ideally, the franchise could also just continue to ignore it.
Young Sheldon remains in syndication on several networks and is available to stream on HBO Max. I love rewatching old episodes when they come on, though I’m not sure I’ll be watching the penultimate episode anytime soon in light of this recent revelation.
