Warning! Spoilers ahead for the Young Sheldon finale.
The Young Sheldon finale ends Sheldon’s childhood in Texas, but it also includes new revelations about the future of The Big Bang Theory franchise. After seven years, Sheldon and the Coopers’ collective story wraps up with an emotional last hour. On the heels of George’s death in Young Sheldon season 7, episode 12, “A New Home and a Traditional Texas Torture,” his family is left to deal with the aftermath of the unexpected loss during the first half of the send-off. Young Sheldon‘s finale half hour, on the other hand, is devoted to tying as many loose narratives as possible.
When The Big Bang Theory ended in 2019, it was also still very popular, but it ended because Jim Parsons already wanted to leave. Things are different for Young Sheldon, however, since the main cast has been vocal about wanting to continue doing the spin-off, but the established canon forces it to wrap up. It came a long way from being primarily known as a spinoff to becoming TV’s number 1 comedy. As such, there is pressure to deliver a satisfying Young Sheldon swan song. Since it also ends in a significantly shorter year, the back-to-back episodes are packed with storylines.
Losing a family member is always difficult. George’s death was dreaded for so long, but Young Sheldon season 7 made it so much more difficult, considering the trajectory of his and the Coopers’ lives before he passed away. Unsurprisingly, the Coopers struggle in the aftermath of George’s death, as it shows how each of them copes with their grief. Mary functions on auto-pilot, Meemaw starts drinking more, while Georgie takes care of everything that he can. Sheldon remains clueless on how to process his grief and regret, while Missy lashes out.
As spoiled by the Young Sheldon season 7, episode 13 title, the finale features the funeral service for George. Almost every single prominent guest star on the show attends the service, which includes an open casket viewing of him. Missy, Georgie, and Mary say goodbye to him before it gets closed, but Sheldon remains stunned. He refuses to look at him and even makes a speech, although, in the flashforward sequence, Jim Parsons’ Sheldon admits that he regrets not saying goodbye to George properly. Mary breaks down during her tribute, however, prompting Meemaw to rescue her and continue it.
Adult Sheldon’s scene in the Young Sheldon finale confirms a long-standing theory about why he is recalling the events of his childhood. Since its inception, the socially inept genius has been narrating some of the bigger events of years in Medford, Texas. As insinuated by the Young Sheldon season 7, episode 14 title, “Memoir,” Sheldon has been working on his memoir. It’s unclear, however, if it’s an official project that will be published, or if it’s purely for his personal use.
Almost a month since George died, the Coopers move on with their lives in the Young Sheldon finale, although not everyone is doing it at the same rate. Each member of the clan has their own coping method, with Mary doubling down on her faith in an attempt to deal with the loss of her husband. She goes to church multiple times a week, dragging the twins with her. This explains why Mary is so obsessed with her religion in The Big Bang Theory.
While Mary sinks herself into her religion, she becomes more adamant about forcing the same mindset on her kids. She coerces Sheldon and Missy to get baptized in an attempt to save their souls. As expected, both decline, which makes their mom more distraught than when George died. Due to an earnest plea, Meemaw convinces the twins, but Missy backs out at the last second, triggered by Pastor Jeff’s platitude about her dad’s death. But, Sheldon continues it because he wants to do it for his mom.
The Young Sheldon finale offers some much-needed post-The Big Bang Theory updates, including Sheldon and Amy moving out of their Apartment 4B unit. Penny’s old single flat was too small to have an extra room for an office, not to mention for a family of at least four people. Per the send-off, the couple lives in a craftsman bungalow in the future but remains in the Pasadena area. Interestingly, however, there are a lot of items from Apartment 4A in their home, such as the couch and the atomic structure.
Before Mandy came into his life in Young Sheldon season 5, Georgie dated several girls, but he had a special connection with Veronica, who was essentially his first love. Now that he’s married, the topic of who she was is brought up during the family’s last dinner scene in the prequel when Sheldon and Missy discuss her existence. Mandy is more intrigued than jealous, however, especially when the twins mention that Veronica looks just like her. It’s curious if this is a subtle set-up for Veronica’s return in Georgie and Mandy’s First Marriage after just disappearing in Young Sheldon.
Despite hopes that the Young Sheldon finale can double as a The Big Bang Theory reunion, that doesn’t happen. No one else from the Pasadena gang appears in the prequel’s send-off other than adult Sheldon and Amy. That said, Young Sheldon has also established that the couple is still good friends with Howard, and by extension, Bernadette, as well as Penny and Leonard. Although, since they moved, it isn’t as easy to hang out with their friends anymore. Raj is the only The Big Bang Theory character who hasn’t been accounted for in Young Sheldon.
After Young Sheldon, Georgie and Mandy’s story will continue via Georgie and Mandy’s First Marriage. Despite the format change, it’s essentially a sequel series. This means that Mary, Missy, and Meemaw can appear in the offshoot at any time. While the chances of them being series regulars are slim to none, the Young Sheldon finale leaving all their arcs open-ended effectively mandates them to return in the new series. Granted that they all appeared in The Big Bang Theory, all three were already significantly different by then. The writers need to properly wrap up their Young Sheldon arcs.
Over the years, Young Sheldon has outgrown its original premise as Sheldon’s origins story. In the last few seasons, he has been cast aside, with some of his arcs less compelling than his family’s. The Young Sheldon finale, however, brings back the focus on him when it ends with the boy genius making his way to Caltech, beginning his Pasadena journey. This is the first time that Sheldon returns to his eventual place of employment since he and George visited it several years ago. The Young Sheldon‘s final shot properly transitions its headliner to his life in The Big Bang Theory.