We knew this moment was coming and still we lived in naïve hope that it wouldn’t actually happen, that they would just alter the storyline and rewrite the history of the Cooper family. After all, it would not be the first time Young Sheldon altered facts which had previously been established in The Big Bang Theory. However, when it comes to George’s fate nothing was rewritten or altered. Our hearts shattered when Coach Wilkins and Principal Petersen arrived at the Cooper's doorstep, delivering the devastating news of George's fatal heart attack. The entire family is in shock. Sheldon's sudden need to sit down and the expression of profound emotional pain on Mary’s, Connie’s, and especially on Missy’s face, broke my heart almost more than the news of George’s death itself.
"A New Home and a Traditional Texas Torture" - YOUNG SHELSON,
Pictured: Raegan Revord, Annie Potts and Zoe Perry. CBS ©2024 CBS. All Rights Reserved
Up to this point the episode maintained a light tone, there was no big foreshadowing other than what we knew from watching The Big Bang Theory. As Sheldon prepares to leave for California, Mary insists on taking a family picture, a moment they are all preparing for just before receiving the devastating news.
George was actually genuinely happy at the beginning of episode 12 since he was on the verge of receiving an attractive job offer as a college coach in Houston. This would not only mean George gets his dream job but also that the family will do better financially. Mary and Missy were even in favor of moving cities right away. Only Sheldon was not ready to let go, not that this surprised anyone. It was already enough change for him that he was about to move to California, now his parents were going to move as well?! And on top of that the house, including his precious room, likely would be sold?! These looming changes feel entirely unacceptable for the teenager!
"A New Home and a Traditional Texas Torture" - YOUNG SHELSON,
Pictured: Lance Barber and Montana Jordan. Bill Inoshita/Warner Bros. ©2024 Warner Bros. All Rights Reserved
However, by the end of the episode, all their plans had fallen through and yet everything is drastically different from how it used to be. The Cooper family's world had completely fallen apart.
It seems almost trivial to discuss episode 11 now, as its events hold no real significance for the final three episodes. The storyline involving George's fear of Mary wanting another baby and his secret vasectomy, feels out of place, especially given the subsequent turn of events in episode 12. It's unclear why the creators settled on the secret vasectomy plot right before killing off George. Did they hope it would soften the blow of his death if they depicted him in a less favorable light by showing he underwent a vasectomy without talking it over with his wife first? Another possibility is that they wanted to mislead viewers into expecting he would suffer the heart attack during the vasectomy, only to deliver a different, unexpected outcome with George's death in the following episode.
Given the recent developments, it will be intriguing to see how the final two episodes maintain the show's comedic essence despite the devastating heartbreak the Cooper family is experiencing.
Did George’s death surprise you or were you expecting it? Let us know below what you think of the episodes!
