Jim Parsons captured many hearts back in 2007 when he portrayed the quirky and overly obnoxious theoretical physicistSheldon CooperinThe Big Bang Theory. To everyone’s surprise, including Sheldon’s very own friends, the scientific genius was able to break free from certain quirks, accept a handful of people into his personal life, and eventually get married to an equally eccentric woman. For 12 seasons,fans watched Sheldon grow, and there are times when he even catches himself off guard with how much he’s changed. With the creation of the Sheldon-centered spinoff,Young Sheldon, fans of both series cannot help but want to jump intoThe Big Bang Theoryand correct Sheldon on some of the stories he tells about his younger years.
When adult Sheldon talks about his childhood, he primarily focuses on the amount of bullying he endured from his siblings as well as other kids at school. He makes his upbringing sound very isolated due to his IQ being higher than everyone else’s in his life. However, when watchingYoung Sheldon, this does not seem to be the case at all. Sure, in comparison to his family and classmates, he was considered a genius, but he was also raised with a lot of love and compassion.
See for yourself howYoung Sheldonproves that Sheldon Cooper’s childhood was even better than he remembers with these seven examples.
Young Sheldon
WhileJim Parsons' Sheldonis surrounded by friends almost every day of his life, he will often bring up the fact that he did not have any close relationships when he was growing up. This idea of a boy genius being completely isolated by his peers makes a lot of sense. However, when watchingYoung Sheldon, he actually had several friends, and they were really nice to him for the most part.
Tam (Ryan Phuong), for instance, was Sheldon’s very best friend while growing up. When Sheldon (Iain Armitage) was just nine years old and starting high school, Mary Cooper (Zoe Perry) was nervous about her socially awkward baby boy making friends. Happily, in Season 1, Episode 2, “Rockets, Communists, and the Dewey Decimal System,” Sheldon comes across Tam, an equally nervous individual who just wants to survive high school. Tam introduces Sheldon to comic books, they regularly chat at school, and Tam even gets a seat at the Cooper dinner table for a rather awkward evening.
Then there is Dr. Sturgis (Wallace Shawn), Sheldon’s very first college professor, who develops a close relationship with the boy genius. The two bond over their love of science and the fact that Sheldon is well beyond his years when it comes to wondering about how things work in the universe. Dr. Sturgis even introduces Sheldon to an equally bright and young student, Paige Swanson (McKenna Grace). Some thought that Paige was the closest thing to a girlfriend that Sheldon would ever get, but happily, that did not prove to be the case when adult Sheldon later met Amy Farrah Fowler (Mayim Bialik).
One of thebiggest issues fans have with the continuitybetweenThe Big Bang TheoryandYoung Sheldonis the way Sheldon’s father is portrayed. InThe Big Bang Theory, Sheldon and his mother (Laurie Metcalf) talk about how his dad was an alcoholic who could not hold a job. There are even a few instances where he is called a cheater and a liar. Now, with Mary’s rage and Sheldon’s father having passed away without being able to tell his side of the story, fans simply believed that Sheldon’s father was just not a great guy. However, looking at how George Cooper Sr. (Lance Barber) is with his family inYoung Sheldon, it seems like the whole script has flipped.
Throughout the spinoff series, George Sr. is portrayed as a hard worker who loves his family. Sure, he enjoys the occasional beer, and he does not always understand what Sheldon is interested in or why; however, there is no doubt that he loves his wife and kids. There was a brief instance where George was seeking out companionship with someone of the opposite sex, but nothing ever came of that. The big “cheating scandal” that Sheldon recalls from his childhood was actually his mother, Mary, role playing to spice things up in the bedroom with her husband. In all, George Sr. was not the horrible father that older Sheldon remembers, but from a child’s perspective, paired with his mother’s way of telling stories, it does make sense for Sheldon to have blocked out most of the good memories he had with his dad.
Is Young Sheldon More Popular Than The Big Bang Theory?
Young Sheldon is a huge hit on streaming, but is it more popular than its juggernaut predecessor, The Big Bang Theory?
5Georgie Prevented Sheldon From Being Bullied
All throughoutThe Big Bang Theory, Sheldon will talk about his family, and we even get to meethis mother, sister, and Meemawfor a few instances. However, Sheldon’s relationship with his brother, from his perspective, has always been a bit rocky. When we finally meet George Jr. (Jerry O’Connell) in Season 11’s “The Sibling Realignment,” he is just as upset as Sheldon about their dynamic. Leonard (Johnny Galecki) tries to get the two to reconcile, but when George Jr. explains that he was always looking out for his younger brother when they were kids, he says his biggest hangup with Sheldon is that the latter never appreciated or noticed his efforts.
When Leonard manages to bring the Cooper brothers together once more, they finally hash out their issues, and Sheldon realizes thatGeorgie never had an easy life either. It’s comforting to know that the two were able to put certain things behind them, but with ten years of silence, it is also a bit heartbreaking to know what could have become of their relationship.
4Missy Deeply Cared About Sheldon
It is expected thatsiblings will not always get along, and when twins have opposite personalities, the home can seem like a complete war zone. When we first meet Missy (Courtney Henggeler) inThe Big Bang Theory, she is immediately cracking jokes to her brother’s friends about spending nine months with her legs wrapped around his head. Sheldon, knowing exactly what she means, does not find this amusing, and his friends are in utter shock until they realize she means they shared a womb long ago. For the most part, Sheldon usually doesn’t talk negatively about his sister, other than he is clearly the smarter of the two. However, it would do the science genius some good to remember just how many times she was there for him when they were children.
InYoung Sheldon, Missy (Raegan Revord) naturally makes jokes at Sheldon’s expense, but when she sees that he is clearly upset with something, she is always there to support him — even if it means just giving him a new perspective on a problem. When Sheldon has an issue with a neighbor, Missy steps in. When Sheldon gets chewed out by his father for disassembling the refrigerator, Missy was there to hug and comfort her brother.
3Mary Always Accepted Sheldon’s Quirks
Between Mary and George Sr., Mary was most certainly the one to try to make Sheldon feel as if he was no different from anyone around him. In theYoung Sheldonpilot episode, when George complains about Sheldon wearing mittens to hold hands for their daily prayer before dinner, Mary is quick to shut down his negativity towards their son. While George Sr., Missy, and George Jr. had no problem commenting on Sheldon’s quirky behavior,Mary was always there to support himthe best way she knew how, even if that meant she did not get to be the physically affectionate and lovey-dovey mother that she so desperately wanted to be to her youngest son.
InThe Big Bang Theory, Sheldon has a fairly decent relationship with his mom, and he will only really comment in a demeaning manner about her being a religious fanatic. However, if he could go back in time and see how much she did for him, he might gain a newfound respect for her. InThe Big Bang Theory’s Season 4, Episode 14, “The Thespian Catalyst,” Sheldon actually breaks down in tears while putting himself in his mother’s shoes during an acting exercise with Penny (Kaley Cuoco). Sheldon thinks about what it would be like for his mother to lose him all of a sudden, and he realizes that he wouldn’t want to be apart from her at such a young age, even if it were to save the universe.
The 10 Saddest Episodes of Young Sheldon
As Young Sheldon prepares to end, these are the 10 saddest episodes of the series, that are sure to break your heart.
2Sheldon’s Parents Really Didn’t Fight That Much
According to Sheldon and his mother inThe Big Bang Theory, it seems like Mary and George Sr. were constantly at odds with one another. Of course, his drinking and infidelity likely played a role in all of their arguments. There is even a moment in the comic book store whenRaj (Kunal Nayyar) and Howard (Simon Helberg)are fighting, and Sheldon erupts and storms out. Leonard then explains that Sheldon does not like it when people fight because it reminds him of his childhood. However, taking a look at how Mary and George Sr. acted around one another inYoung Sheldon, it seems like they usually managed to keep their tempers under control.
Sure, there were plenty of stern one-liners and awkward silences, but raising three children with very different personalities on top of constantly being under financial stress is pretty much a recipe for arguments. If Sheldon could have seen the more intimate conversations and moments between his parents, especially after they reconciled from their emotional affairs, he would likely have a very different take on how much they loved one another.
If there is anything that can bring a smile to Sheldon’s face other than comic books, it is trains. Sheldon, in both series, absolutely loves trains and everything having to do with them. If he had not become a physicist, it is likely he would have become a train conductor just for the fun of riding around on the tracks all day. In Season 4 ofYoung Sheldon, he actually manages to get his very first job (which is actually more of a volunteer position) at the Lone Star Train Museum. Sheldon is over the moon to share his knowledge and love of trains with everyone that dares to walk through the door. Unfortunately, due to his I’m-smarter-than-you attitude, his perfect day came to an end after just one shift.
If thetimelines matched a bit betterbetween the run ofThe Big Bang TheoryandYoung Sheldon— that is, if the spinoff came before the original — then it is likely that adult Sheldon would fondly look back on that day when he got to fully feel like an expert in his field despite his young age.Young Sheldonis currently streaming on both Netflix and Max.
Young Sheldon Ending Questioned by Star: ‘We’re Number One…Who Cancels This?’
Annie Potts and other cast and crew from Young Sheldon discuss the news of its seventh and final season.
