The Best Possible Way Young Sheldon Could Approach George Sr's Death

Summary

• After episode 4, there's just one more big event Young Sheldon has to deal with.
• According to Dr. Cooper's stories, George is going to die soon.
• There are two completely different ways the show could approach this tragedy.

In the latest, fourth episode of Young Sheldon Season 7, it was finally revealed that Sheldon's father George never cheated on Mary, as we were led to believe by Dr. Cooper on The Big Bang Theory. Instead, Shelly walked in on his parents having intimate role-playing, which he misinterpreted as an act of infidelity because he did not recognize his own mother. Now that that elephant in the room has been addressed, there's just one more major event this season that viewers are dreading.

From Dr. Cooper's TBBT childhood stories, we know that George died when Sheldon was fourteen, just before he left for CalTech. Since the boy is almost that age, and since Season 7 will be Young Sheldon's last, it's inevitable that the tragedy will happen in this installment. But how would it be best to approach this somber event?

The Sooner the Better?

Due to the 2023 strikes, Young Sheldon Season 7 premiered just last month and is set to have only fourteen episodes, instead of the usual twenty-something. In this light, it's clear that there's less time for the story to unfold. And perhaps, George's death should occur mid-season for it to be properly processed by the characters and the audience.

In other words, it would be heartbreaking if YS Season 7 ended on such a bleak note, leaving the rest of the Cooper family and the viewers in the limbo of the tragedy. There should be enough time to deal with George's death, to accept it, and to learn to live on. But is it the best way to approach it?

Off-Screen In Memoriam

Still, the death of a main character – and the most beloved one at that – seems too somber for a warm and fuzzy sitcom like Young Sheldon. Maybe there's no best way to approach the tragedy, which means it shouldn't happen this season at all.

Sure, it's important to maintain the integrity of the plot, but that doesn't necessarily mean the audience has to be immersed in the tragedy. George could die offscreen, and Dr. Cooper, narrating young Sheldon, could pay tribute to him and talk about his father's death and the enormous impact it had on him and the other Coopers. In addition, Jim Parsons' character could imagine all the things that would have been different in his life and how he would have treated his father differently had he not died.

Anyway, we have yet to see how Young Sheldon will handle George's death. Episode 5 will air on March 14.