George Sr’s Death May Have Been Confirmed For Young Sheldon Season 7

Young Sheldon’s new update may have confirmed George’s death in season 7. Sheldon’s father is one of the most interesting figures in The Big Bang Theory universe. He’s the only member of the Cooper family who never appeared physically in the nerd-centric sitcom because he was already long dead before the events of the show started. Despite this, he was already a well-established character before Lance Barber debuted the role in Young Sheldon back in 2017 thanks to Sheldon and Mary regularly sharing stories about him when he was still alive in Texas. This, however, resulted in numerous plot inconsistencies between the series.

Coming into Young Sheldon season 7, several plot lines are expected to play out to properly wrap up the Coopers’ story. George has a couple of narratives that have long been gestating but haven’t paid off. Timeline-wise, his intriguing cheating scandal should have already gone down in season 6, but it was ignored altogether to focus on the stories of the Cooper kids, while also maintaining the integrity of its storytelling. Whether it’s finally tackled in the shortened Young Sheldon season 7 is currently uncertain, especially since time is running out for the Cooper patriarch, who is slated to meet his end fairly soon.

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Young Sheldon Season 7 Will Tackle Sheldon’s Story Until He’s 15

Iain Armitage is already 15 years old, but Sheldon is just turning 14 in the spin-off.

Plot details about Young Sheldon season 7 are scant but co-creator Chuck Lorre has recently opened up their decision to finish the show despite its continued popularity. The Big Bang Theory prequel has become TV’s number 1 comedy, even posting show-high ratings in season 6, making its cancelation surprising. For Lorre and his team, however, they believe that tackling Sheldon’s story until he’s 15 years old is enough story for Young Sheldon. For context, Iain Armitage is already 15 years old, but Sheldon is just turning 14 in the spin-off. The physical discrepancy between them is getting more substantial, so they can’t further prolong the show’s time in the air.

How Young Sheldon chases its target ending age for Sheldon is currently uncertain. One way to do that is to do a time jump, but considering how eventful his and the Coopers’ overall year is when he’s 14 makes this tricky. To deliver a satisfying send-off to the show, it must tackle all important moments in the clan’s history that were previously established in The Big Bang Theory. On top of that, Young Sheldon also needs to address the several existing lingering plot points in the prequel. That includes Georgie and Mandy’s upcoming wedding after they got engaged in the season 6 finale, as well as Missy’s expected redemption arc.

George Dies When Sheldon Was 14 Years Old (Per Big Bang Theory)

George’s Young Sheldon season 6 arc was primarily about his rekindled relationship with Mary.

Despite some contradictory remarks from Sheldon claiming that his late father died when he was 15 years old, The Big Bang Theory canon primarily adheres to the idea that George died when he was 14 years old. Specific details about how he passes away haven’t been revealed, but considering his multiple health scares throughout the run of the prequel, there’s an assumption that it’s probably due to another heart attack. Lorre’s quote about Young Sheldon following Sheldon until 15 years old somewhat confirms that the prequel offshoot will indeed tackle George’s death.

There hasn’t been any indication that this tragedy is being set up. Much of Young Sheldon season 6 focused on the Cooper kids’ respective stories. Meanwhile, George’s arc was primarily about his rekindled relationship with Mary after she departed from her church, and then their subsequent marital issues after learning about their respective relationships with Brenda Sparks and Pastor Rob. In any case, given the nature of his passing, Young Sheldon isn’t required to do a lot of set-up for the tragedy. The show may treat it as some sort of a plot twist, despite being long expected, and pull it off at the most unassuming moment.

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Why Young Sheldon Cannot Skip George’s Death

The Big Bang Theory and its prequel have contradicting takes on the Cooper patriarch.

Admittedly, it is a big risk to tackle George’s death. Similar to CBS dancing around his cheating scandal, the plot may be too dark for what’s supposed to be a lighthearted comedy. It’s no secret that The Big Bang Theory and its prequel have contradicting takes on the Cooper patriarch. While Sheldon and Mary relentlessly badmouthed him, the spin-off consistently contradicts their claim that he was a no-good, lazy father. Sheldon did mellow down when it came to his father in the one-time crossover between the shows, suggesting that the nerd-centric sitcom’s previous harsh depiction of the character was inaccurate.

George has endeared himself in Young Sheldon, so seeing him die will be extremely sad. While the offshoot has skipped so many things in Sheldon’s childhood, the loss of his father shouldn’t be one of them. Firstly, it destroys The Big Bang Theory canon beyond repair, since CBS maintains that they exist in the same reality. Secondly, George’s survival will alter the Coopers’ history. His death was a vital point in the family’s story that set up so many of their futures. Not adhering to what has been previously established in continuity will mean that Young Sheldon‘s Cooper family has a different future from its The Big Bang Theory counterparts.

How George’s Death Impacts Young Sheldon Season 7

Each Cooper family member has a different type of relationship with George

George’s death will have a massive impact in Young Sheldon season 7. That being said, when exactly it happens in the upcoming year will dictate how it will affect the show’s storytelling. If George dies fairly early, then it will loom large over the rest of the show’s run. It will be difficult to move forward without exploring the grief that the Coopers will feel upon losing their patriarch, especially since each member has a different type of relationship with George. Going this route risks clouding the remaining episodes of the series, which will make it difficult for it to return to its usual lighthearted tone.

Meanwhile, if Young Sheldon waits until the very end of the show to tackle George’s death, then the show won’t have any chance to bounce back from the tragedy. It’s a guaranteed sad finale, which is uncharacteristic for a comedy series. The upside is, at least the series can spend as much time as they can with George before his inevitable death. In addition to that, they can also anchor Sheldon’s move to California as a tribute to his dad, whom he visited Caltech for the first time with.