While Young Sheldon season 6 has seen Mary Cooper loosen up a lot, viewers of The Big Bang Theory already know that she will return to her high-strung, close-minded ways sooner than later. The Big Bang Theory and Young Sheldon’s differences make the two shows feel tonally divergent, even though they share a lead character. However, while Young Sheldon is more of a nostalgic family dramedy than a hang-out sitcom, the spinoff’s story is still sometimes shaped by the events of The Big Bang Theory.
For example, while Sheldon’s mother Mary Cooper had begun to seemingly relax in Young Sheldon season 6, The Big Bang Theory’s bitter, judgmental version of Mary proves that she eventually returns to her old ways. This is a shame, as it is fun to see Mary rekindle her romance with George Sr and let go of her hypercritical attitude. Taking a more lax approach toward drinking allowed Mary to bond with Brenda, and reading romance novels helped her become more appreciative of Meemaw’s tastes – but neither of these changes last, judging by the sterner version of Mary in The Big Bang Theory, suggesting any closer bonds Mary forms will be dissolved, and any character development regarding Mary’s seemingly happier and freer state of being will be undone.
How Young Sheldon Season 6 Changed Mary Cooper
In Young Sheldon season 6, George and Mary’s marital woes seemed less intense since Mary began to express more romantic interest in her husband. George was surprised by his wife’s seemingly sudden attraction to him, but this was not the only change Mary has gone through. In Young Sheldon season 6, episode 3, Mary not only reads a romance novel but is inspired to write one of her own. It is a surprisingly uninhibited choice that tracks with Mary’s decision to dance in a bar an episode earlier, and represents a welcome growth for a character whose dislike of fun and frivolity can often be smothering.
The Big Bang Theory Proves Mary’s Character Shift Doesn’t Last
Of course, there is an issue with Mary’s newfound choice to unwind. The Big Bang Theory viewers know that one of Mary’s biggest character traits in Young Sheldon and its predecessor is her unwavering faith, which makes the character something of a moralistic stick in the mud. Mary’s refusal to bend when it comes to her strict, prescriptive interpretation of religion makes her almost as obstinate as Sheldon and sheds some light on where the character’s stubborn worldview stemmed from. As such, while Young Sheldon season 6 is having fun with this lighter, flightier take on Mary, viewers who have seen The Big Bang Theory know that she isn’t a happy-go-lucky, dance-loving, romance novel writer in her later years.
