Before Chuck Lorre‘s Young Sheldon premiered, most fans had a fairly narrow view of Sheldon’s father, as Sheldon’s comments painted him as a distant parent who cheated on his mother. While this didn’t matter much during The Big Bang Theory’s run, which had several other characters to juggle, the decision came back to haunt Lorre once the spin-off commenced, which lent more depth to George.
Reflecting back on it, Lorre expressed regret over this decision in The Big Bang Theory, stressing (via TV Line):
Eighteen years ago, when we were writing and producing ‘The Big Bang Theory,’ it seemed like a good idea to imagine that Sheldon’s childhood was deeply disrupted by the loss of his father. No one could have thought that someday we would regret that decision. That someday is now.
It’s easy to see where Lorre is coming from, as Sheldon’s remarks about his father in the parent show forced them to retcon the revelation about his dad cheating, which originally contributed to this three-knock rule.
Why the George Retcon in Young Sheldon Was Necessary?
Instead of doubling down on the TBBT narrative, the final season revealed that it was actually a misunderstanding on Sheldon’s part. Although he believed he had walked in on his father with another woman, the woman in question was, in fact, his mother in a German dress and wig.
Although some viewers have argued that the show should have stuck with TBBT’s version of events, doing so would have undermined seven seasons of George’s growth. While he isn’t without flaws, the spin-off portrayed him as a devoted father, and undercutting years of development in favor of a single TBBT anecdote would have felt jarring and unfair to his character.
If anything, this paints Sheldon as an unreliable narrator, and given his lack of emotional intelligence in the spin-off, his narrow overview of the events does seem on brand for the character.
Chuck Lorre Was Against Ending Young Sheldon With George’s Death
George’s death was always going to be a hard pill to swallow, and initially, the writers planned to place both his passing and the funeral in the final episode, which makes sense, as it would have tied back to the parent show seamlessly.
George Cooper Sr. in Young Sheldon | Credit: CBS
However, Chuck Lorre was firmly against ending the series on such a tragic note, given that the spin-off’s mostly uplifting tone. This ultimately led to George’s death being placed in episode 12, thus allowing viewers to fully absorb the tragedy. Executive producer Steve Holland recalled (via Variety):
I think it was Chuck [Lorre, executive producer] who said, “This is mostly a positive, uplifting show. Let’s not leave the audience deep in their grief. Let’s watch the family start to piece itself back together, and let’s end with a little hope.” So then that re-shifted when we were going to do it.
Lorre was proven to be right, which is reflected in the final season’s reception, as choosing not to pursue the cheating storyline ultimately allowed George to maintain his dignity, making his fate all the more emotionally resonant.
Share your thoughts on George’s character below!
Stream Young Sheldon on HBO Max (USA).
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