Despite how jampacked it is, the Young Sheldon finale is still able to answer one lingering character exit mystery that almost spelled the end of the Coopers. Preceded by George’s death due to a heart attack, the final hour of the hit CBS comedy focuses on the Coopers dealing with their grief over the massive loss of their family. Considering how beloved the clan patriarch has become, Chuck Lorre and his writers’ job was cut out for them to properly deal with the tragedy. Luckily, they accomplish this, with George’s funeral becoming The Big Bang Theory universe’s best episode.

While George’s death dominates the Young Sheldon finale, there are still so many other storylines that the series-capper ends up tackling for a satisfying send-off to the Coopers. The list includes transitioning Sheldon into his new life in Pasadena, California, while also setting up the next spinoff in The Big Bang Theory franchise — Georgie & Mandy’s First Marriage. Considering everything that’s happening, several smaller moments often get overlooked, although they have massive implications for the show. The best example of this is how the Young Sheldon finale answers a lingering question about the most puzzling disappearance in the prequel.

Missy And Billy’s Conversation Finally Reveals Where Herschel Went

Brenda Sparks’ Ex-Husband Was Last Seen In Young Sheldon Season 2

The Coopers deal with George’s death differently. While Sheldon has a difficult time coming to terms with the loss, while Georgie, Mary, and Meemaw attempt to move forward, Missy resorts to lashing out. Considering her close relationship with her dad, this is understandable. However, this isolates her from the rest of the family, resulting in a brief but illuminating conversation with Billy Sparks, revealing what happened to his dad and Brenda’s ex-husband, Herschel. As it turns out, he just moved to New Jersey, hence why he was never seen anymore after Young Sheldon season 2.

How Herschel’s Disappearance Almost Destroyed The Cooper Family

Brenda’s Divorce Led To Her Seeking Comfort From George

Even when Herschel was around, his interactions with the Coopers were limited in Young Sheldon. The character only appeared 5 times. Sheldon’s family’s main point of connection was always through Brenda and Billy. That being said, the Sparks patriarch leaving his family had an indirect impact on George and Mary’s marriage. Being dumped by Herschel for another woman motivated Brenda to proposition Sheldon’s father in the Young Sheldon season 4 finale. The pair eventually got closer in season 5, as George also dealt with marital issues with Mary, which became much more serious with the arrival of Youth Pastor Rob.

Brenda herself admitted to Mary after their big confrontation while Mandy was in labor in Young Sheldon season 6 that she was lonely after Herschel left. This was the reason why she developed some kind of friendship with George. Unfortunately, The Big Bang Theory prequel failed to show if Sheldon’s parents had a proper conversation about the issue. In any case, Young Sheldon ended up retconning George’s cheating scandal. Whether their relationship was just really platonic or not doesn’t really matter. None of the subsequent issues that followed would have happened if Herschel had stayed married to Brenda.