Warning! Spoilers ahead for Young Sheldon season 7, episode 9.
Sheldon’s future in Caltech includes a plot twist in Young Sheldon season 7, which also somehow cheapens the prequel’s only The Big Bang Theory crossover. Considering their placements in the timeline, it was difficult to stage a crossover between the shows despite existing in the same universe. Still, the writers and CBS found a creative way to do just that during the nerd-centric sitcom’s final season, as Sheldon was at the lowest point of his professional life. It was a way for the network to strengthen the narrative connection between the projects, in light of The Big Bang Theory‘s ending.
The Young Sheldon series finale is about to stage another crossover with the appearance of Jim Parsons and Mayim Bialik as Sheldon and Amy. However, before that, the spinoff has reduced what made The Big Bang Theory season 12, episode 10, “The VCR Illumination” special. On the outing, a discouraged Sheldon was about to give up on his bid for the Nobel Prize in Physics. The Big Bang Theory season 12 was dominated by this Sheldon arc, which was divisive. Regardless of how it was handled, however, it’s difficult to argue against the importance of George in its resolution.
In Young Sheldon season 7, episode 9, “A Fancy Article and a Scholarship for a Baby,” the boy reclaims his place as the show’s lead. After Sheldon helps with Meemaw’s latest crisis, it’s his turn to deal with his issues, as the time comes for him to choose his post-grad school. For The Big Bang Theory fans, it shouldn’t be a surprise that he chooses to go to Caltech, since the character ended up also working in the academic institution after he finished grad school. As it turns out, however, Sheldon’s choice wasn’t as straightforward, since he initially chose to go to MIT.
George does accompany Sheldon to Boston to make an ocular inspection, but the horrid winter turns them both off, hence why they both choose Caltech in California. Before he made the decision, he was contemplating staying at East Texas Tech to be close to the family. That’s when George brings out his sports coach persona by comparing the Ivy Leagues to the Major Leagues and Sheldon’s current school to a D-level institution. Before the Cooper patriarch can continue, however, Sheldon asks him not to “make sports analogies” during the process.
Interestingly, Sheldon looks genuinely stressed about having to choose his post-grad school. Since he doesn’t like change, he was willing to stay behind and keep on attending East Texas Tech. The whole process humanizes the character, which is very important, considering how annoying he has become in recent years. His comment about George’s sports analogies effectively shows how much the dilemma is weighing down on him. That being said, stopping his father from making the comparison negatively impacts how George helped him refocus and pursue his bid for the Nobel Prize in “The VCR Illumination.”
In the Young Sheldon and The Big Bang Theory crossover, Sheldon found an old locker video of his dad rallying his football team. Using sports talk to hype them up despite the possibility that they wouldn’t win was enough for the socially-inept genius to not give up hope on his and Amy’s Super Asymmetry paper. Sheldon dismissing how George uses sports to convey his advice in Young Sheldon season 7 diminishes the impact of the Cooper patriarch’s message in The Big Bang Theory crossover.