Young Sheldon season 5 casting news about Wyatt McClure becoming a series regular hints at an ongoing mystery from The Big Bang Theory finally getting answered. CBS’ premier sitcom won’t be back until the first week of October, but during its hiatus, there have been some developments regarding its ensemble. That includes the confirmation that Billy Sparks will be appearing more frequently in Young Sheldon season 5.
As with Sheldon’s family, Billy was first mentioned in The Big Bang Theory during one of Sheldon’s many rants about his old life in Texas. That said, he never physically appeared in the original show. So, when CBS greenlit Young Sheldon tackling the character’s childhood, it made sense that the prequel properly introduced his neighbor. As the Coopers’ neighbor, Billy has appeared several times throughout the offshoot’s run thus far. Even his parents, Herschel (Billy Gardell) and Brenda (Melissa Peterman) also factored in several narratives. Considering what went down in Young Sheldon season 4 finale, they might be more prominently featured in moving forward.
If George (Lance Barber) does begin an affair with his newly-single neighbor, then it makes sense that Brenda appears more frequently. Interestingly, however, it’s her son, Billy, who’s set to be a series regular in Young Sheldon season 5. While it’s difficult to predict what it means for George and Brenda’s teased dalliance, it could be used to resolve a lingering mystery from The Big Bang Theory. Sheldon revealed in the original show that Billy is one of the constant bullies of his childhood, but, that’s not really the case in the prequel. While they’re not exactly friends, Billy is usually slow but harmless. In fact, he hasn’t really had any mean streak; if anything, it’s Sheldon’s who’d been rude and dismissive to his neighbor. The Herschels splitting up could result in their son becoming disagreeable and bad-mannered as a way to cope with the changes in his life. This is similar to how Paige (McKenna Grace) acted up when her parents went their separate ways.
Young Sheldon could even use Billy as an indication of his mom becoming more negligent, as she, too, copes with Herschel’s disappearance. While the Coopers, Sheldon in particular, seemed to be totally unaware of his dad’s affair before discovering it, Billy might be the only one who secretly knows about George and Brenda’s romance. Because of that, he decides to take it out on Sheldon by bullying him. Since Georgie (Montana Jordan) is significantly older and Missy (Raegan Revord) can defend herself, their socially inept genius becomes Billy’s best target. This effectively explains Sheldon’s disdain for his neighbor in The Big Bang Theory. Otherwise, it doesn’t make sense that he’s furious with him if they maintain their current dynamic considering that Billy isn’t currently mean-spirited.
This opportunity offers Young Sheldon the chance to reconcile one of the persisting continuity issues it has with The Big Bang Theory. It’s no secret that the prequel spin-off is infamous for going against the established canon. In recent years, however, it has been more diligent in strengthening its ties with its parent series, and taking this storytelling chance could only further help that cause.
