Young Sheldon Finally Introduces Its Perfect Replacements For TBBT’s Leonard & Howard

Warning! Spoilers ahead for Young Sheldon season 7, episode 5.

Young Sheldon season 7 introduces the original versions of The Big Bang Theory’s Leonard and Howard. After spending the whole summer in Germany to beef up his application for post-graduation studies at Caltech, Sheldon is back in Texas to finish college. After getting re-acquainted with his family, which paved the way for Young Sheldon to retcon George’s cheating scandal story from The Big Bang Theory, Young Sheldon season 7, episode 5, “A Frankenstein’s Monster and a Crazy Church Guy,” has his whole arc take place at East Texas Tech, as he begins a fresh endeavor with brand new friends.

It has been a few years since Sheldon started college at East Texas Tech. Despite having offers from Ivy League organizations such as Yale and Princeton, he opted to attend a local college as a compromise with Mary, who wasn’t comfortable sending him on his own to a different state. Since then, Sheldon’s storylines have been mostly focused on his time at East Texas Tech, but instead of having the typical college experience, he has spent most of his time with teachers like Dr. Sturgis and Dr. Linkletter. That seems to change in Young Sheldon season 7.

Sheldon’s New College Friends Are Exactly Like Leonard And Howard

Possibly still reeling from walking in on his dad at an awkward time, Sheldon has spent the majority of his time at East Texas Tech. After meeting his brand new roommate, Evan, the boy genius, surprisingly, continues to spend time with him. Their friend group expands with the introduction of another member — Joaquin. Interestingly, Sheldon isn’t repulsive with any of them, even joining their computer project that could earn them a lot of money. Despite Evan and Joaquim being new characters, the dynamic feels very familiar, and it’s because The Big Bang Theory previously did it.

Evan and Joaquin are reminiscent of Leonard and Howard. Admittedly, they are not an exact copy of Johnny Galecki and Simon Helberg’s The Big Bang Theory characters, Sheldon’s adult friends have the same signature traits as his new East Texas Tech pals. For starters, Evan is soft-spoken and inviting when dealing with the boy genius, making it easy for George and Mary’s son to socialize with him. Meanwhile, like the Pasadena gang’s engineer and astronaut member, Joaquin has a penchant for girls, although it’s worth noting that sleazy Howard eventually died when he met and fell in love with Bernadette.

Will Leonard And Other TBBT Cast Appear In The Young Sheldon Series Finale?

Both Jim Parsons and Mayim Bialik are confirmed to appear as adult Sheldon and Amy in the Young Sheldon finale. That being said, seeing just the two of them would be a letdown. Arguably, The Big Bang Theory‘s Leonard is more important to the socially-inept genius’ arc than his wife. Unfortunately, with Johnny Galecki still in his acting hiatus, it’s difficult to say if he will appear. As for the rest of the Pasadena gang, it shouldn’t be difficult to recruit most of them, especially since it would mean an impromptu The Big Bang Theory reunion.