We are barely days away from the one-hour, double-episode series finale of the beloved CBS comedy series, Young Sheldon. A prequel of the iconic sitcom, The Big Bang Theory, Young Sheldon, in its seven-season run, has earned the right to step out of its predecessor's shadow. Ahead of the show's final week, the Cooper family was rocked by the news that family patriarch, George Cooper (Lance Barber) had suffered a heart attack at school and passed away. Since the show's premiere in 2017, Barber has played father to the show's young cast, and now, with George's passing, the actor reflects on the character's relationship with his only daughter.

George had separate relationships with all three of his children. While he bonded with Georgie (Montana Jordan) over football, his son's flaws weren't equally lost on him either. Sheldon's (Iain Armitage) mind made their relationship difficult, and as Missy (Raegan Revord) grew, George had to reinvent their dynamic. Speaking in an interview with TV Line, Barber reflected on the George and Missy relationship, while referencing the pair's first father-daughter date at the Red Lobster, saying:

"I've certainly heard more about that episode than any other. It really touched a lot of people's hearts, and I was so grateful that it was kind if the beginning of that father-daughter relationship they lean into for George and Missy. It was one of my favorite things to play, I'm a father of a son and a daughter, and I have that relationship at home. We saw George really, he's clearly had challenges with Sheldon, but he had other challenges with his daughter, of how to be a good father, and meeting those challenges. And struggling, certainly, with the kind of man he was and from the culture and era that he was from, to have that kind of relationship with his daughter. It was one of the most beautiful things that I got to do on this show for sure."

Everything Has Changed on 'Young Sheldon' With George's Passing

George's challenges with Sheldon could affect his son going forward, but not through any fault of his. The morning of his passing, George's farewell is not acknowledged by Sheldon, and given the boy genius' reaction to the news of his father's passing, it becomes clear he could have done better in his relationship with his father. "It was purposely a banal nothing moment in Sheldon's life that he will struggle with," co-creator Chuck Lorre said about that moment. "Because he learns it's the last time he'll ever see his father. He will live to regret that moment in his life where he'll say, 'I could have done that better.'"

With George having passed away, the series is coming to an end and Sheldon is moving to CalTech in search of that Nobel Prize. Our collective attention now shifts to the next series in the Big Bang universe, Georgie and Mandy's First Marriage. After a hopefully, uplifting series finale that will feature an appearance from the older version of Sheldon (Jim Parsons) and his wife Amy (Mayim Bialik), the Coopers should return in the upcoming spin-off show as Georgie and Mandy (Emily Osment), try to make their marriage work. Osment had previously teased Mandy's evolution highlighting a desire to "go back to school" and not being content with being "a stay-at-home mom."

The final episode of Young Sheldon airs on May 16, and you can stream previous episodes on Paramount+.

Young Sheldon

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This television series is a prequel to a popular sitcom, focusing on the childhood of a gifted young boy in East Texas. Navigating school and family life with a unique intellect far beyond his years, it humorously explores his early endeavors to be understood by his conventional family and classmates.

Release Date

September 25, 2017

Creator

Chuck Lorre & Steven Molaro

Cast

Annie Potts , Iain Armitage , Wallace Shawn , Jim Parsons

Main Genre

Comedy

Seasons

7

Network

CBS

WATCH ON PARAMOUNT+