Young Sheldon’s First Big Plot Twist Set Up The Spinoff’s Tragic Ending Seven Years Early

While some elements of Young Sheldon’s plot were set in stone by The Big Bang Theory’s canon, the spinoff didn’t hide its biggest twist even early on. By the time The Big Bang Theory’s finale aired, the show’s first spinoff had already proved popular with audiences. Young Sheldon followed Sheldon’s childhood and adolescence in small-town Texas.

While The Big Bang Theory’s upcoming spinoff, Stuart Fails to Save the Universe, is set to completely rewrite the sitcom franchise’s fictional universe, Young Sheldon sticks close to canon details established by the earlier show. As a result, Young Sheldon’s finale inevitably had to center on the aftermath of George Sr.’s untimely death in Sheldon’s early teens.

George Sr. Had His First Heart Attack As Early As Young Sheldon Episode 3

Viewers Always Had Reason To Worry About The Health of Sheldon’s Father

Since The Big Bang Theory already mentioned that George Sr. died when Sheldon was around 13, longtime viewers always knew that Sheldon’s father would die in Young Sheldon. However, the spinoff never made any attempt to hide this fact from casual fans. On the contrary, George Sr.’s fate was foreshadowed as early as season 1, episode 3, “Poker, Faith, and Eggs.”

In this outing, George Sr. suffers a mild heart attack and is briefly hospitalized. While Young Sheldon’s sitcom tone ensures the event isn’t too devastating, the scene still serves to warn viewers that George Sr.’s health is a major concern. As early as the show’s third episode, it is clear that George Sr.’s heart is at risk.

Georgie & Mandy’s First Marriage breaks a major sitcom tradition, and this makes the Young Sheldon spinoff’s story more subversive and unpredictable.

By subtly drawing attention to this unfortunate reality, the spinoff ensures his eventual death doesn’t come as a sudden shock. However, by staging his first heart attack so early, the show also allowed viewers to largely forget the threat over time.

Young Sheldon Kept George Sr.’s Death Until The Last Possible Moment

The Big Bang Theory Had Already Revealed George Sr. Died During Sheldon’s Teens

This proved a savvy approach, as Young Sheldon left George Sr.’s death until the last possible moment when the show wrapped up. Although Georgie & Mandy’s First Marriage continued the stories of Georgie, Mary, Missy, and Meemaw only a few months after Young Sheldon’s finale, that spinoff still felt like an entirely separate series.

This is because George Sr.’s death represented a meaningful endpoint for Young Sheldon’s story, as it immediately preceded Sheldon’s move to Caltech. The move also happened shortly after Georgie moved in with the McAllisters, meaning the family was already split before the spinoff ended.

Thus, Young Sheldon managed to use George Sr.’s death as a fitting endpoint for the show’s story. This was possible because Young Sheldon foreshadowed The Big Bang Theory’s canonical death as far back as its third episode.