Last weeks’ season finale of Young Sheldon was the perfect companion piece to the series finale of The Big Bang Theory.
Sheldon invites fellow students over to his house to listen to the announcement of the Nobel prize winner in physics together. He and Sturgis set up a huge antenna so Sheldon can pick up radio broadcasts from all over the world. Due to the Nobel being a Swedish award, the announcements are at 5AM CDT. So, Sheldon decides to provide breakfast for all his guests. Missy believes it is ridiculous that her twin brother actually believes anyone will show up at an ungodly hour to listen to “science” on the radio.
Missy: You know what I like about you, Sheldon? You're incredibly smart, but you're also really dumb.
Sheldon: Why would you say that?
Missy: You think people are gonna come here to hang out with you?
Sheldon: Yes.
Missy: To hear about science?
Sheldon: Yes.
Missy: On the radio?
Sheldon: Yes.
Missy: At 5 in the morning?
Sheldon: Yes.
Missy: And you're asking me why you're dumb?
Sheldon: Well, I happen to have a little more faith in the curiosity of my fellows.
Missy: See, you sound smart, but you're still dumb.
In the meantime, Prof. Sturgis is going through quite a big crisis. He is acting in a rather unusual way and Connie is starting to get worried. He weeds her front lawn at night, he writes down equations such as “time + heat + bread= toast” all over her bathroom and he even gets in a fight with the security detail at the university. One of John’s colleagues calls Connie to inform her that John has struggled with mental illness in the past. Apparently, he regularly loses grip of reality. For Connie, this is news. She is also not entirely sure whether to even believe this rumor. After all, that colleague of John keeps trying to hit on her. However, when Sturgis does not show up for dinner Connie is getting seriously worried and decides to go and look for him. His apartment is empty but the door that leads to the roof of the building is open. She thinks the worst and rushes up. She finds him on the roof practicing tai chi and “paying attention subatomic particles”. His rambling scares Connie even more. Then finally, he says something that explains his sudden change of behavior.
Sturgis: “Tomorrow, somebody will win the Nobel Prize (…) and it’s not me.”
He lives and breathes science but he knows he will never win a Nobel. “Lots of talented people don't get recognized,” he said at the beginning of the episode and he could not be more right about it.
Connie talks to him quietly and convinces him to go with her back downstairs.
Sturgis:“It was my dream to win the Nobel, and I'm not going to…I bet Sheldon will.”
Oh, you bet he does! And I do believe Sturgis did contribute to that quite a bit. He was his mentor. None of Sheldon’s family got his love for science, they did not understand his fascination. Sturgis, however, understood perfectly well and helped Sheldon flourish.
The next day, Sheldon is excited for the big announcement but realizes that his sister was right. No one is interested in his Nobel gathering. Not a single person shows up. He is crushed. My heart really broke for him in this scene. This little boy who is so excited about science was left sitting in his garage all by himself listening to one of his favorite scientists lose the Nobel prize. Even though his mother offered to listen to the announcement with him, he feels completely alone and is convinced this is how he is going to feel all his life.
Adult Sheldon: “A primary feature of quarks is that they're always bonded together, but in that moment, I felt like a neutrino, destined to be alone forever.”
Right after we hear him say that we see a young Leonard, then a young Penny, Howard, Raj, Bernadette and eventually young Amy. All his future friends, his future family. And all of them will be there cheering for him when he wins the Nobel prize in Physics.
Thankfully, Sheldon was wrong. He would not be alone forever.
This episode was the perfect addition to
The Big Bang Theory finale and added some more closure to the popular sitcom people have loved for twelve years.
What are your thoughts on the episode? Let us know!
