Where Young Sheldon’s Family Is During Big Bang Theory

Young Sheldon‘s Coopers are all scattered during the events of The Big Bang Theory. As part of Sheldon’s origins story, Young Sheldon properly introduces his family from Medford, Texas. While the socially inept genius gets so close to his friends in Pasadena that they are practically his family, he does have his own biological clan, who, for the most part, love and support him. In Young Sheldon, they become central figures in shaping Sheldon’s childhood up until he moves to Pasadena, California to start his post-graduate studies at Caltech, as seen in The Big Bang Theory.

When Young Sheldon was conceived, its primary idea was to be an origins story for Sheldon. Soon after, however, it became clear that the rest of the Coopers are also great assets to the show that can be focused on. Each member was interesting enough to carry their own storylines and arcs. So, instead of always being supporting characters in Sheldon’s adventures, CBS gradually shifted some of the spotlight to other members of the clan. As they have grown in popularity, there are understandable queries as to where they are during the events of the nerd-centric sitcom.

5 George Cooper

Lance Barber

Long before he was cast as Sheldon’s dad, Lance Barber had already appeared in The Big Bang Theory back in season 5, albeit playing a different character — Leonard’s bully in high school, Jimmy Speckerman. This remains one of the most interesting quirks in the sitcom universe, as CBS hasn’t acknowledged or even tried to comment on the matter. That being said, because George had already died before the events of The Big Bang Theory started, he is the only member of the Coopers who doesn’t physically appear in the nerd-centric sitcom.

While he never visits Pasadena during The Big Bang Theory, Sheldon’s father has an established image before he debuts in Young Sheldon. Sheldon and Mary like to talk about him, unfortunately, in the most unflattering way. He is described as a no-good father — something that Young Sheldon constantly debunks. CBS was able to find a way, however, to bring George to the nerd-centric sitcom. During the one-time The Big Bang Theory and Young Sheldon crossover, Jim Parson’s Sheldon watches an old videotape of his dad, which helps him move forward with his Super Asymmetry paper.

4 Mary Cooper

Zoe Perry

Mary is the very first member of the Cooper family to appear in The Big Bang Theory, debuting in season 1, episode 4 “The Luminous Fish Effect.” In the outing, she visits Pasadena after Leonard seeks her help with Sheldon’s work woes. After that, the Cooper matriarch would return to The Big Bang Theory multiple times over its 12-year run for various reasons. At one point, she has a run-in with Leonard’s parents and becomes smitten with his father.

Despite that, Young Sheldon‘s Mary is still more fleshed-out and grounded. Thanks to her consistent guesting stint, The Big Bang Theory establishes that Mary still lives in Texas, albeit alone as both Georgie and Missy have also moved out. She remains a devout Christian and is arguably worse for it. She’s also busy socializing having been widowed for years.

3 Georgie Cooper

Montana Jordan

Often overlooked in Young Sheldon is Georgie. It was his primary conflict during the show’s first season, as he dealt with being in the same class as Sheldon. Over the years, however, Mary and George’s firstborn has been able to develop his own identity, eventually becoming one of the most interesting players in the prequel. Georgie is the last Cooper family member to appear in The Big Bang Theory. He didn’t debut until The Big Bang Theory season 11, just before Amy and Sheldon’s wedding. Before that, he was busy taking care of Missy and Mary on the heels of George’s unexpected death, while also building his own business.

Aside from having his hands full, Georgie’s absence from the earlier seasons of The Big Bang Theory is due to his falling out with Sheldon. The brothers harbored grudges towards each other for years due to a communication problem. Georgie didn’t feel like Sheldon appreciated everything he sacrificed for the family — things that the socially inept genius didn’t know about because Mary didn’t tell him.

2 Missy Cooper

Raegan Revord

After Mary’s visit to Pasadena in The Big Bang Theory season 1, Sheldon’s twin sister Missy follows suit, appearing in episode 15, “The Porkchop Indeterminacy.” Prior to her appearance, she had already been mentioned in the pilot episode, but Leonard, Howard, and Raj assumed that she would be as socially inept as her brother, so they didn’t pay any attention to her. After Missy’s The Big Bang Theory debut, she wouldn’t appear in the show until after a decade, returning to Pasadena to attend Sheldon and Amy’s wedding. By then, she is pregnant with her second child but is on the cusp of separating from her husband.

As Young Sheldon‘s storytelling progressed, it became increasingly clear that Missy is the best Cooper in the show. George and Mary’s only daughter has proven time and again that not only is she fiercely loyal but also highly dependable. Granted that she can be too stubborn for her own good, she has always been there for her family whenever they needed her. It’s clear during her first appearance in The Big Bang Theory that she and Sheldon didn’t regularly keep in touch, but considering everything she went through as a kid growing up with her twin, it is impressive that she didn’t harbor any grudge towards Sheldon.

1 Meemaw

Annie Potts

He may have a soft spot for his mother, but Sheldon and his Meemaw arguably have a much closer bond — at least that’s what The Big Bang Theory insinuated. Connie Tucker was first mentioned in season 2, episode 17 “The Terminator Decoupling,” followed by an appearance in season 9, episode 14, “The Meemaw Materialization,” when she came to Pasadena to meet her grandson’s then-girlfriend, Amy. Admittedly, the nerd-centric sitcom’s version of the character is quite different from its spin-off, although it doesn’t reveal much about Meemaw’s life after the events of Young Sheldon. It’s established that she remains in Texas after Sheldon moves to California, however.

In Young Sheldon, since Sheldon’s family lives just across the street from his Meemaw, she’s a constant figure in their lives. The prequel has even tackled her personal arc, which primarily revolves around her love life. While she only appears in The Big Bang Theory once, not even attending Sheldon and Amy’s wedding, there’s no news of her passing throughout the events of the mothership series. This means that it’s likely that she continues to live in Texas following her one-time trip to Pasadena.