Lance Barber gets a Young Sheldon send-off after George’s death. Despite his image in The Big Bang Theory, Sheldon’s father is undoubtedly one of the best parts of the family comedy-drama. He was flawed but dedicated to the kids and Mary, which made him relatable. While he did have his lapses throughout Young Sheldon‘s run, he was beloved, so although his death was long-expected, it was still gut-wrenching to watch the Coopers learn of his passing. George’s death happened off-screen, but immediately after his final scene, the cast and crew of the show celebrated Barber’s contributions to the show.
As shared on Instagram by director Alex Reid, the Young Sheldon team prepared a great send-off for the actor on set as he wrapped his time in The Big Bang Theory prequel. Check out the image below:
In the image, Barber is seen in front of a spread that has a cake that reads RIP — a reference to George’s death in Young Sheldon season 7, episode 12, “A New Home and a Traditional Texas Torture.” The event was laid out in the backyard set of the Cooper family home.
Young Sheldon was able to find a way to retcon George’s cheating scandal, and similarly, it could have ended without tackling his death. The prequel could have ended before the tragedy, ensuring that the show leaves the Coopers complete. Unfortunately, Young Sheldon‘s sequel, which is titled Georgie and Mandy’s First Marriage, makes it impossible to escape the incident because of when it lands in the timeline. It would be unfair to burden the offshoot with confirming his demise when it couldn’t even tackle it. Now that George is dead, the Young Sheldon finale is left to tackle its aftermath.
Thanks to the Young Sheldon series finale trailer, it’s confirmed that Barber will have more appearances left in the show. However, it will be via flashbacks and alternate reality visions from Sheldon, who is still coming to terms with the unexpected death of his father. Beyond that, there will be a funeral service for the character, and depending on how Young Sheldon wants to deal with it, the show can feature George in his casket. Those will be the only ways that Barber can reprise his beloved role despite his fate in season 7, episode 12.
After Young Sheldon, it’s unclear if there’s any other opportunity for Barber to play Sheldon’s father. While the Cooper patriarch played a big part in Georgie’s upbringing, it’s highly unlikely that it will devote time to revisiting it — unless the sequel show wants to strengthen its ties to its parent series. Perhaps Georgie also has some of those home videos of his dad like Sheldon did in The Big Bang Theory.
Source: Alex Reid/Instagram