After Young Sheldon, I Fear The Big Bang Theory Universe Has Lost Its Chance For 1 Reveal Despite Its Huge Potential

Now that it has been a year since Young Sheldon’s ending, I fear we are further away than ever from finally seeing one of The Big Bang Theory‘s promises come to fruition. The Big Bang Theory’s finale wrapped up a lot of unfinished plots, even if Raj’s love life felt like something of an afterthought. Sheldon and Amy won the Nobel Prize, the show’s trio of central couples were all happy together, and, in a twist that Vulture’s Kathryn VonArendonk noted felt out of place, Penny even revealed she was pregnant.

However, a year after Young Sheldon’s finale, it is starting to seem less and less likely that fans of the series will ever get to meet Leonard and Penny’s children. Indeed, it doesn’t look like any of the gang’s kids will ever make it to the screen. As implied by the title of Young Sheldon’s spinoff, Georgie & Mandy’s First Marriage is an interquel that focuses on Sheldon’s older brother in the years between Young Sheldon’s ending and his first appearance on The Big Bang Theory.

Young Sheldon’s Ending Never Revealed Sheldon’s Children On-screen

The Big Bang Theory’s First Spinoff Stopped Just Short Of Revealing His Kids

Meanwhile, The Big Bang Theory’s upcoming spinoff seems like a more likely venue for the gang’s children to crop up, but this is unlikely to occur judging by the events of Young Sheldon’s finale. In a move that set the Internet alight with speculation about Leonard’s off-screen fate, Sheldon only mentioned Penny in the spinoff’s flash-forward ending. He noted that he was annoyed by Penny encouraging his daughter’s interest in acting, while simultaneously avoiding attending his son’s hockey game.

This meant that, although their existence was confirmed, Sheldon and Amy’s children never appeared on-screen in Young Sheldon’s finale. This was somewhat surprising at the time but, since only part of the episode was devoted to the older Sheldon finishing his memoirs and bickering with Amy, it also made some sort of sense. After all, viewers hadn’t seen the duo onscreen together in five years, so introducing new characters in the last minutes of Young Sheldon’s finale could have felt rushed and unsatisfying. However, this did mean viewers would need to wait until the next spinoff to meet them.

This wouldn’t be a problem if The Big Bang Theory’s upcoming spinoff had any intention of introducing the gang’s children, but the original show’s history makes this seem vanishingly unlikely. Judging by the evidence provided in The Big Bang Theory, the sitcom has seemingly made a running joke of hiding the gang’s offspring. Bernadette and Howard had a daughter who, like Harold’s mother, never appeared onscreen. Penny didn’t become pregnant until the show’s final episode and Young Sheldon’s finale confirmed the existence of Amy and Sheldon’s children without ever depicting them on-screen.

The Big Bang Theory Kept Howard and Bernadette’s Daughter Almost Entirely Off-screen

The Original Show Kept A Long-Running Gag Alive With This Choice

Bernadette and Howard’s daughter Halley was born in season 10, episode 11, “The Birthday Synchronicity,” but viewers hoping to see her play a role onscreen would soon be let down. Like Howard’s mother, Halley was heard but not seen for the majority of her time in the series. Halley did briefly appear onscreen in the finale, but this was mostly a way of paying off the long-running gag before the show ended for good.

Like Howard’s mother, Ms. Wolowitz, Halley’s presence in the show was defined by her off-screen absence. Howard’s daughter played a supporting role in 19 episodes of the series, from Bernadette discovering her pregnancy to her father helping her with her fear of the dark. Despite this relatively substantial amount of story focus, she received almost no screen time thanks to the show’s homage to Ms. Wolowitz. This means viewers were deprived of any chance to properly get to know the first of the gang’s children, something the sitcom franchise now seems determined to continue.

The Big Bang Theory’s Spinoff Could Introduce The Gang’s Children (But It’s Unlikely)

The Spinoff’s Setting Makes It A Believable Environment For The Gang’s Kids

At first glance, it might seem like Denise and Stuart’s upcoming spinoff from The Big Bang Theory is a perfect opportunity to introduce the gang’s children. After all, the new show is set in The Big Bang Theory’s comic book store, which is a reasonable location for the gang to bring their children. The Big Bang Theory’s heroes could bring their kids to the comic book store in the new show, thus finally facilitating their first onscreen appearances.

However, Stuart and Denise’s Big Bang Theory spinoff is unlikely to pull this off for one major reason. The new show is reportedly distancing itself from the original series, attempting to establish an identity of its own instead of feeling like a mere continuation of the mega-hit. This is understandable, but it means that the spinoff is unlikely to have not only the original characters but also their children appearing in supporting roles.

Only One Big Bang Theory Followup Could Introduce The Gang’s Children Now

One Big Bang Theory’s Followup Could Justify Their Presence

There is still one way for The Big Bang Theory franchise to introduce the gang’s children, but it is one that can not possibly happen for a long time. The original gang could be reunited alongside their kids in a next-generation follow-up a la That ‘90s Show, a sequel series to That ‘70s Show that rebooted the original series one generation later. In That ‘90s Show, the original gang’s children were the main characters and their parents were occasional guest stars, a fun reminder of the original series who never overshadowed the show’s new true heroes.

However, at least another decade would need to pass before this could happen. As of 2025, by now, both Penny and Leonard and Amy and Sheldon’s children could only be around five or six years old at most, since the original show ended in 2019. Even if The Big Bang Theory’s next-generation spinoff played with the numbers pretty egregiously, it would still be hard to see this show happening before at least ten or more years had passed since the original show’s finale.

Luckily, Denise and Stuart’s upcoming Big Bang Theory spinoff ensures the franchise is still alive and relevant, as does the second season of Georgie & Mandy’s First Marriage. As such, a future spinoff of The Big Bang Theory might finally be able to reveal the original gang’s children, even if viewers have to wait another while before the show can pull this off.