Young Sheldon Season 7 Contradicts TBBT’s Versions of Sheldon & George Sr
Young Sheldon season 7’s sweet version of George Sr contradicts a famous Mary Cooper quote from The Big Bang Theory about Sheldon and his father.
Mary’s claims from The Big Bang Theory were completely debunked by Young Sheldon season 7, but the spinoff may have a justification for this strange change. Like a lot of sitcom spinoffs, Young Sheldon has taken some major liberties with The Big Bang Theory’s canon. Almost everyone in Young Sheldon’s cast of characters differs notably from their earlier incarnations in The Big Bang Theory, whether it is the spinoff’s less judgmental version of Mary or its more carefree, rebellious take on Meemaw. This approach ensures that Young Sheldon doesn’t feel too much like a carbon copy of its predecessor.
That said, sometimes Young Sheldomns’s retcons of The Big Bang Theory are too blatant to excuse. Young Sheldon season 7 revealed that Sheldon’s father never cheated on his mother, a misunderstanding that scarred Sheldon for years in the original sitcom. Turning this sad backstory into a throwaway gag was a notable instance of Young Sheldon taking the show’s penchant for retcons too far. Similarly, although Young Sheldon’s season 6 finale showed George Sr’s serious side when he almost lost Missy in a tornado, the spinoff’s final season proves Mary’s comparison between Sheldon and his father was wildly inaccurate.
Young Sheldon Season 7 Proves George Sr Was Rarely Angered
Sheldon’s father was surprisingly laidback
According to Mary in The Big Bang Theory season 1, episode 4, “The Luminous Fish Effect,” Sheldon inherited her eyes, his father’s temper, and “All that science stuff, that comes from Jesus.” The thing is, George Sr is a very understanding guy with almost no temper, which is an impressive achievement considering how chaotic his home life often is. Although Sheldon did inherit Mary’s over-confidence, the temper that he supposedly got from his father is nowhere to be seen in season 7 of the spinoff. Some earlier episodes did see George Sr grow angry, but these were in extreme circumstances.
George Sr was angry with Missy when she took his pickup truck and Paige for a multi-site joyride in season 6, but she was in serious danger during that trip, and he still cooled off fairly fast. Similarly, George Sr initially refused to let Georgie live in his garage after his son dropped out of school, insisting that he live independently as a result of this choice. However, George Sr soon relented on this condition too, and Georgie ended up spending years living in the family’s garage. Like many of the spinoff’s earlier retcons, this inconsistency may be justified by the show.
Mary’s Inaccurate Quote Reinforces A TBBT Theory
Mary’s memory of George Sr was seemingly soured by his sudden death
While George Sr and Mary’s Young Sheldon season 7 story isn’t perfect, it would be sadder if Sheldon’s father had the temper Mary credited him with in The Big Bang Theory. Mary’s memory of her late husband may have been tarnished by his death, with Sheldon’s mother growing to resent George Sr’s sudden exit from her life in the years before The Big Bang Theory. This explains why both Sheldon and his mother complaining of his drinking and philandering, alongside this supposed temper. The Big Bang Theory’s grieving heroes may struggle to remember Young Sheldon’s George Sr as he really was.
