Warning! Spoilers ahead for the Young Sheldon series finale.

The Young Sheldon finale resolves the last major The Big Bang Theory plot hole concerning Sheldon. It’s no secret that the continuity between Young Sheldon and The Big Bang Theory is riddled with so many plot inconsistencies. Through the years, the prequel contradicted its parent series with various plot lines, and there was once a theory that it was actually set in an alternate universe. In the end, the writers insist that they still share the same reality, hence why Young Sheldon had to end despite still being very successful — something that even Annie Potts has been peeved about.

Somehow, however, it manages to sneak in one last clarification about a confusing Sheldon matter. Originally, Young Sheldon was conceived as a way to further take advantage of The Big Bang Theory‘s popularity, and the easiest way to do that was to explore its most prominent character’s childhood. Considering Sheldon’s penchant for sharing stories from his time in Texas, it was a relatively easy way to launch a spinoff. Young Sheldon filled narrative gaps in The Big Bang Theory‘s storytelling, revealing details about Sheldon’s past, which created confusion about his academic history.

George’s Death Explains Why Sheldon Barely Talked About His College Days

Sheldon Struggles To Process His Grief Over George’s Death.

Considering Sheldon’s intellect, there was always an assumption in The Big Bang Theory that, like most of his friends, he also went to an Ivy League school for his undergraduate. Young Sheldon contradicted that, however, when it was revealed that he opted to go to East Texas Tech for college. This made Sheldon’s mockery of almost every other academic institution, particularly MIT, inconsistent, not to mention puzzling, since he never talked about his own experience. The Young Sheldon finale effectively solves that with the aftermath of George’s surprising death, which leaves the Coopers in shock and grappling for their future.

Sheldon’s time at East Texas Tech wasn’t easy, and capping it off with the death of George fully taints his college memories. As seen in Young Sheldon season 7, episode 12, “Funeral,” he was so stunned about losing his father that he couldn’t even process it properly. If badmouthing George in The Big Bang Theory was any indication, it took him decades before he could finally come to terms with it. So Sheldon opted not to talk about his college days altogether in The Big Bang Theory, just like how he kept mum about George’s cheating story.

How Young Sheldon’s Flashforward Scene Properly Defines George’s Legacy

Adult Sheldon Admits The Truth About George.

Young Sheldon’s depiction of the Cooper patriarch was its biggest The Big Bang Theory plot hole. The prequel contradicted its parent series’ description of him from the get-go, with Young Sheldon season 7 even retconning George’s cheating scandal. Completing the rehabilitation of his image is adult Sheldon’s admission about his dad’s legacy. Confessing to Amy, Parsons’ character says that despite everything his father’s flaws and everything he said about him, George was a good father to him. Unfortunately, while Sheldon is able to come to terms with the reality of his dad, the franchise doesn’t give Mary the same opportunity.