It’s Time for Young Sheldon to Stand on Its Own in Season 5 md13

Young Sheldon season 5 featuring a lot of The Big Bang Theory Easter eggs and explanations is great, but it needs more than that to be sustainable. It’s been more than two years since the long-running sitcom ended after 12 seasons. Since then, its first and only spin-off has been standing on its own and considering its recent renewal, Young Sheldon will continue to do that at least until the 2024 TV season.

Premiering in 2017, the two sitcoms only co-existed with each other for two seasons before the unexpected cancelation of The Big Bang Theory. Despite technically taking place in the same reality, there were barely any connections between the shows early on — aside from sharing its main lead as a character. While The Big Bang Theory chronicled Sheldon’s modern adventures in Pasadena with his friends, the prequel explores his years living in Texas with his family. The disconnect between Young Sheldon and its parent series didn’t sit well with fans of the original sitcom. So, CBS has been actively integrating fun references and Easter eggs in the offshoot in the hopes that they can win them over.

This has become more noticeable in recent years as the network positions Young Sheldon as its leading comedy. Season 4 opened with a surprise voice cameo from Amy Farrah-Fowler (Mayim Bialik), followed by continued references to the Pasadena gang. Coming into the new year, the spin-off promises more Easter eggs according to show creator Steve Molaro. However, if they want Young Sheldon to further grow in terms of reach and popularity, this won’t be enough. The prequel shouldn’t depend on The Big Bang Theory nostalgia to market itself. Of course, references to the main show are expected; after all, it’s a spin-off. But they should be limited; episodes shouldn’t focus fully on them. Instead, they need to be integrated organically in the arcs that they want to tell.

Young Sheldon‘s storytelling priority should be to build on its own compelling narrative — whether that’s the show’s collective or individual journeys. They did this well with regard to Meemaw’s (Annie Potts) personal adventures, including her dating life involving Dr. Sturgis (Wallace Shawn) and Dale (Craig T. Nelson). This part of Young Sheldon was never mentioned in The Big Bang Theory, that said, it’s still an interesting thing to explore, especially since Sheldon is particularly fond of his grandma. It’s also fun to see the socially-inept genius navigating his relationship with Paige (McKenna Grace). Like Connie’s love life, this part of Sheldon’s childhood was never mentioned in the original series. However, it makes sense that he’d struggle with his complicated relationship with another child prodigy who rivals his intelligence.

This doesn’t mean, however, that Young Sheldon could openly disregard the established canon in The Big Bang Theory. Doing this risks more backlash from fans of the original series who don’t approve of its lax approach to preserving continuity. But there are ways to honor what came before it while also telling a separate narrative that casual viewers can enjoy without prior knowledge of the bigger universe it exists in. That’s the only way Young Sheldon will be able to sustain its current popularity over the next several years.

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