Just a Plot Inconsistency? The Real Reason George Is So Likable on Young Sheldon

Summary

• On TBBT, George is the only family member that Sheldon has mostly negative memories of.
• Young Sheldon's George is one of the most likable characters on the show.
• Sheldon may have exaggerated his father's faults, but has reconsidered his opinion of him with age.

Sheldon's family members have been important supporting characters on The Big Bang Theory throughout its impressive twelve-season run. His mother, grandmother and siblings visited him from time to time, providing a deeper look into Sheldon's personality and some background to the character. And while his relationships with them were troubled, TBBT's Sheldon seemed much harsher toward his late father George, whom he described in a truly unflattering way.

On Young Sheldon, however, George is one of the main fan favorites, with his easy-going demeanor and wonderful sense of humor. Sure, this may seem like inconsistent writing and a major departure from TBBT canon, but there's a very logical explanation for it.

Sheldon's Faulty Perception

Although Young Sheldon follows a very young version of Dr. Cooper, he's the one who narrates the show and guides viewers through the story. More importantly, it's his more grown-up post-TBBT version, which is why he gives a different assessment on the spin-off than he does on the main show.

In other words, TBBT's Sheldon was still too immature and inexperienced to look at his childhood and family in an unbiased way. As a result, many of the things we see in Young Sheldon don't match up with the character's earlier stories. And his father George is a prime example.

A Rather Partial View

In Young Sheldon, it's clear that the boy and his father were very close, even though they constantly struggled to see eye to eye. For this reason, Sheldon was prone to vilify his father, who, unlike Mary and Meemaw, didn't coddle him and indulge his whims and antics.

As a result, Sheldon came to see his father as an antagonist who was dismissive of Mary and hostile to him, and who had alcohol problems and affairs. Meanwhile, this is simply not the case in Young Sheldon, where George is portrayed as a caring father and husband who is willing to give up his own desires to provide for his family.

Sure, he makes fun of Sheldon, argues with Meemaw and drinks beer after work, but it's not nearly as bad as TBBT's Dr. Cooper would have you believe. And while George had a very affectionate friendship with Brenda Sparks, they never indulged their impulses to become more than just friends. Obviously, the mature narrator, Sheldon, realizes that he was wrong to think so little of his father and corrects himself by telling a more unbiased story about young Sheldon.

Episode 3 of Season 7 of Young Sheldon will premiere on February 29.