Summary
- Young Sheldon is a prequel to The Big Bang Theory, focusing on Sheldon Cooper's childhood as a child prodigy.
- The audience already knows the fate of many Young Sheldon characters from watching The Big Bang Theory.
- Despite viewers knowing the characters' future, Young Sheldon has been a successful show and lasted seven seasons.
Young Sheldon is a spinoff prequel to the popular CBS sitcom television series The Big Bang Theory, meaning that viewers who watched the original show already know the fate of many of the second show's characters, but those who haven't may have questions like "What happens to Georgie in Young Sheldon?". The newer series, which premiered in 2017, a couple of years before The Big Bang Theory ended, focuses on Sheldon Cooper's childhood as a child prodigy. The character was originally played by Jim Parsons, while Iain Armitage portrayed the younger version of the well-known genius in the spinoff prequel.
Aside from Armitage as Sheldon, other Young Sheldon cast members include Zoe Perry as Mary Cooper, Lance Barber as George Cooper Sr., Montana Jordan as George Marshall "Georgie" Cooper Jr., Raegan Revord as Melissa "Missy" Cooper, Annie Potts as Connie "Meemaw" Tucker, and Emily Osment as Amanda "Mandy" McAllister. Thanks to The Big Bang Theory, the audience is aware of what the future holds for most of these characters, and if their stories are uncertain, viewers can get a sense of where they end up by watching the original series.
Young Sheldon Mocked Its Own Biggest Problem (& Explained Why It’s Ending Soon)
Young Sheldon's series finale airs soon, and The Big Bang Theory's spinoff secretly explained why the series is ending despite its popularity.
Sheldon Cooper
Sheldon & Amy Were Awarded A Nobel Prize
Young Sheldon began with Sheldon Cooper at nine years old, starting high school as a freshman. The Big Bang Theory ended with the genius at 39 years old, so there are plenty of years to cover over the two television shows. As a child prodigy, Sheldon entered college when he was 11, graduated at 14, and received his first Ph.D. when he was 16 at the California Institute of Technology (Caltech). Following that massive accomplishment, Sheldon became a visiting professor at the University of Heidelberg in Germany.
Sheldon was also the youngest person to receive the Stevenson Award (at the time). By the time the first season of The Big Bang Theory rolled around, Sheldon was a senior theoretical physicist at Caltech, where he worked alongside his friends — Leonard Hofstadter, Howard Wolowitz, and Rajesh Koothrappali. Sheldon was roommates with Leonard, and he later met and fell in love with Amy Farrah Fowler, a neuroscientist. It took the couple a long time to become official, and they married in the season 11 finale of The Big Bang Theory.
The series ended with Sheldon and Amy being awarded a Nobel Prize for their super-asymmetry theory.
The series ended with Sheldon and Amy being awarded a Nobel Prize for their super-asymmetry theory. Narration in Young Sheldon also revealed that the couple eventually had kids, including a son named Leonard.
Mary Cooper
She Became A Widow & Moved On With Her Life
Sheldon's mother, Mary Cooper, is played by Laurie Metcalf in The Big Bang Theory and by Metcalf's daughter in real life, Zoe Perry, in Young Sheldon. Following the spinoff prequel, Mary becomes a widow when her husband and Sheldon's father, George Cooper, dies following a heart attack. While TBBT painted their marriage as a failure, that was not the case for Young Sheldon. When George died, he and Mary were on good terms, they were planning to move, and then his death left her devastated.
However, after Young Sheldon, Mary moved on with her life. She frequently appeared in The Big Bang Theory when she would visit Sheldon in California or when he would occasionally visit her in Texas. Plus, Sheldon would often talk about her throughout the series. Later in The Big Bang Theory, Mary starts seeing Leonard's father, Alfred, much to Sheldon and Leonard's dismay.
George Cooper Sr.
George Died Before Young Sheldon Ended
George Cooper Sr., played by Lance Barber in Young Sheldon, died in Young Sheldon's final season. The death was bittersweet, and it retconned many things fans expected from The Big Bang Theory. In TBBT, Sheldon talked about how his dad cheated on his mom, how he walked in on him while doing it, and even Mary had bad things to say about George Sr. in the future. None of that happened, as far as Young Sheldon is concerned. George's final episode saw him reach one of his biggest dreams.
George's best friends showed up to tell Mary and George's family that he had a heart attack.
He got a coaching job at a major university. He and Mary talked about it and agreed they should move and take his new opportunity to get to a better place. However, at the highest moment of his life, George's best friends showed up to tell Mary and George's family that he had a heart attack at the school and died. Everyone was devastated by the death, and this marked his heartbreaking end.
The finale did have Sheldon say these were his "memories," so he might have painted his dad in a more positive light when writing his memoir.
What Happens To Every Big Bang Theory Character After It Ends
The Big Bang Theory ends on a high note, with Sheldon and the rest of the Pasadena gang going on to live great lives after the show wrapped up.
Georgie Cooper
Georgie Got Married More Than Once But Struggled To Make Them Work
The eldest Cooper child, George Marshall "Georgie" Cooper Jr., is played by Montana Jordan in Young Sheldon and was portrayed by Jerry O'Connell in The Big Bang Theory. As seen in recent seasons of the spinoff, Georgie dropped out of school when he was 17 years old to work in sales, which set up his future as the owner of a tire store chain, Dr. Tire, as seen in the popular CBS series. Georgie also started dating Mandy McAllister when he was 17 and she was 29 (they both lied about their ages).
She got pregnant, and he later proposed to Mandy, and she said yes. As of the Young Sheldon finale, Georgie and Mandy were still together and raising their daughter, Constance Cooper. However, Georgie's appearances in The Big Bang Theory allude to them getting married and splitting up sometime down the line. He also likely dated and married several other women following his (likely) divorce from Mandy.
The Georgie & Mandy Spinoff Faces The Same TBBT Problem As Young Sheldon
Young Sheldon's spinoff Georgie And Mandy's First Marriage may sound exciting, but The Big Bang Theory already set up the show's biggest problem.
Georgie also resented Sheldon following their father's death since Georgie was left to take care of the family while Sheldon pursued his dreams. However, they later settled their differences in the CBS sitcom series. This story will likely play out in the Young Sheldon spinoff series, Georgie and Mandy's First Marriage.
Missy Cooper
Missy Had Four Kids & Was Married Twice
Sheldon's twin sister, Missy Cooper, is the exact opposite of him. This plays out in both Young Sheldon, where she is played by Raegan Revord, and The Big Bang Theory, where she is portrayed by Courtney Henggeler. Unlike her brother, Missy is not a genius but has a better grasp of social cues. Following the events of the spinoff prequel, Missy gets married twice and has four children. In the pilot episode, Sheldon mentioned that his twin sister worked as a hostess at Fuddruckers.
Young Sheldon is Sheldon Cooper's memoir, so there are plenty of places where he might be improving things.
There are several differences between Missy from The Big Bang Theory and Young Sheldon. TBBT made Missy look unintelligent and not willing to do anything to make things work. However, that is not Missy from Young Sheldon, who is smart (not as smart as Sheldon) and is capable of doing what she needs to succeed. However, as the finale mentions, Young Sheldon is Sheldon Cooper's memoir, so there are plenty of places where he might be improving things to make it better.
Meemaw
It Is Not Known Where Meemaw Is At The End Of Big Bang Theory
Sheldon's grandmother, Connie Tucker, affectionately nicknamed Meemaw, is played by Annie Potts in Young Sheldon and by June Squibb in The Big Bang Theory. Meemaw is Mary Cooper's mother and one of the people that Sheldon feels the closest to in the world. Thankfully, she remained alive throughout the course of the CBS comedy show. She made it to the finale, and she was as devastated about George Sr.'s death as the rest of the family, showing she was close to them all throughout.
But Meemaw only appeared in one episode of TBBT, and she did not attend Sheldon and Amy's wedding in the season 11 finale of The Big Bang Theory​​​​​. There was no reason given for her absence from the wedding, and that is concerning considering how close she was to Sheldon on Young Sheldon. It is likely Meemaw could no longer travel like she used to when Sheldon got married, or she could have ended up being placed in a long-term living facility. Sheldon never mentioned her death, so she is likely still alive.
Young Sheldon’s Most Watched Episode From Every Season
Young Sheldon's most watched episodes prove that the Big Bang Theory spinoff is at its best when the sitcom focuses on comedic plots over drama.