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There’s no turning back now. Thursday’s Young Sheldon used the arrival of Georgie and Mandy’s daughter to get George and Brenda, and Mary and Rob, all in the same room. The result: a blowup between husband and wife that culminated in Mary’s decision to stay with her mother. [pmc_inline_gallery]
The implosion of George and Mary’s relationship comes at an interesting moment in the Big Bang Theory prequel’s timeline. Sheldon is now 13 years old — which, according to the mothership, is the age where Sheldon walks in on his dad having sex with another woman. Does this latest development set the stage for that painful childhood memory?
Below, Young Sheldon executive producer Steve Holland unpacks the dramatic episode and the state of the Coopers’ union.
TVLINE | You’ve been slow-burning George and Mary’s issues, and their respective relationships with Brenda and Rob, for the better part of two seasons. Why was now the time to blow up their marriage?
We knew we had these fuses burning for a long time, and we were talking about the episode where the baby is born. We didn’t want to do the traditional “you’re in the delivery room and she’s panting” episode. That episode has been done a thousand times, and this show is such an ensemble, so we were talking about “What would make this the most exciting episode that’s not just about the birth of the baby?” It just seemed like a great way to have these stories all crash together.
TVLINE | This feels like a real turning point for the show. There’s no way for Mary to unlearn that George is Brenda’s “mystery man.” Was there any hesitancy about moving forward?
Not hesitancy, but there’s always a concern. We want to protect these characters and we want to make sure we’re not doing anything that betrays them or makes people turn on them, but this was a storyline that has been simmering in the background for a long time, and we wanted to honor the reality of that. And you’re right, this is a turning point. The rest of the season [deals with] the fallout.
TVLINE | There was a period of time, early in Season 6, where it seemed like maybe, just maybe, George and Mary had turned a corner — that their respective feelings for Brenda and Rob would actually bring them closer together….
It was fun to write them in a better place. I personally think they were in a somewhat better place because they didn’t deal with any of their issues. They temporarily swept them under the rug, but those issues were still festering in the background, and they blow up here. But we also know we have at least another season coming, so it’s our chance to blow things up and allow some rebuilding to happen.
TVLINE | After Brenda denies giving George a heart attack in the Season 5 premiere, George implies that she gave him “something” that night. How much should we read into that “something”? Is it just playful banter, or is there something the audience doesn’t know?
I think you can read into it any way you want. I think it’s playful banter, but there’s definitely another layer there. We’ve also talked internally a lot about how these are stories that an adult Sheldon is telling. He doesn’t have to tell every story. This is a story that Sheldon, who now has kids of his own, is telling, and maybe he doesn’t understand [everything], and he’s looking back at his parents in a different light. He doesn’t have to tell every heartbreaking story… He can choose to omit some things, or put a positive spin on some things.
TVLINE | Let’s dive into that. Because 13-year-old Sheldon is presumably within weeks of spring break — which is allegedly when he returns home from college and catches George with cheating on Mary. I don’t expect you to reveal to me how you’ll go about addressing it, but can you say whether that moment will be addressed this season?
Not in Season 6, but it’s possible that it will get addressed in the future. But again, without saying it didn’t happen, we’re not obligated to tell all the stories that Sheldon told on Big Bang. So I’m not saying we are or we’re not, but it’s not happening in Season 6. It could potentially happen in Season 7, and it’s a possibility we’ve talked about a lot, so it’s on the table. But just because it happened doesn’t mean it’s a story [our narrator] has to tell.
TVLINE | But the show still needs to adhere to the canon set forth by Big Bang, right?
Absolutely. It’s tricky, because we were writing Big Bang for 10 seasons before Young Sheldon was on the air and a thing we had to worry about. If you go back and look, there are things in Big Bang that contradict its own canon. I’m not trying to get off the hook. There are certainly big-picture canon things that are very important to the Sheldon character, and there are a lot of smaller things we’re not saying didn’t happen, but were just jokes when we said them on Big Bang, and we don’t feel the need to necessarily be handcuffed by a joke in the stories we have to tell because we told a joke eight years ago. So, again, we’re not trying to discount those things, but it doesn’t necessarily mean we feel obligated to tell all of them as story pieces. I mean, in Big Bang, George is shooting plates like skeet off the window and Mary is putting ground-up glass in his soup. Obviously, those are not stories you could tell on this show. I don’t think they would fit or make sense. But we do feel a responsibility to the character and the canon…. Our head canon is that Sheldon on Big Bang was telling much harsher versions of the stories of his dad. And those may not have been entirely accurate either. They were certainly from his point of view, but that point of view has shifted.
TVLINE | What can you tease about the immediate fallout from George and Mary’s fight?
The next episode [airing Thursday, March 9] picks up right where this one leaves off. Mary’s not going back home. She’s using the new grandbaby as an excuse, but she is staying at Meemaw’s house.
TVLINE | Might the time away from George bring Mary closer to Rob?
I don’t want to give too much away about what’s coming up, but the intention was always to let these fuses blow, then let George and Mary start to rebuild.
What did you think of Young Sheldon Season 6, Episode 14: “A Launch Party and a Whole Human Being”? Sound off in Comments.
Not everyone in the world watched TBBT – so let Young Sheldon continue on its own. Don’t ruin a good show,
I agree with TC. I just couldn’t get into TBBT. So leave the parents alone, Or suprise everyone and let them work their stuff out. I’ve heard it happens. Just saying.
Doesn’t matter still canon
It’s not canon to those of us who didn’t watch TBBT.
That doesn’t matter
It’s funny you think they’re going to change canon just because some of you didn’t watch TBBT.
It doesn’t matter whether or not you watched or even liked TBBT. Like it or not Young Sheldon IS a spin-off based on the characters and stories first introduced in that original series. Most of the original cast from TBBT have either reprised their roles or cameoed in some other fashion on Young Sheldon. There quite literally wouldn’t BE a Young Sheldon without TBBT. The shows are two separate entities yes but longtime fans love the interwoven connections and tie-ins between the two series.
I don’t mean this in a mean way, but that is irrelevant.
Shows that are “based on” an existing property of course tend to take liberties and deviate, since based on doesn’t mean duplicated from. However, something that was intentionally created with the defined purpose of setting up the events that were already established is supposed to do just that. There are many examples of minor things changing with prequels. Unfortunately changing this wouldn’t be minor. Adapting to that fact or moving on from the show that you have been enjoying are the two best options.
As the executive producer said, they don’t have to tell every story that was mentioned in the TBBT about Sheldon’s childhood on Young Sheldon. The producers of Young Sheldon do have some wiggle room with how Sheldon perceived certain things. The potential for George and Mary to be separated but not divorced also explains Mary’s insults of George on TBBT. That said, there are certain things that can’t be changed. George has to die of a heart attack. There is no way in which to realistically change that. His death impacts Sheldon throughout TBBT and also explains why Sheldon and Georgie were estranged. This will also lead to interesting stories for Georgie as he (and in all likelihood Mee Maw), will hold the family together.
Yes, it literally is.
That’s not how canon works. You can’t pick and choose what is canon. Lmao
If that’s the case, maybe this show shouldn’t have been a Big Bang spinoff. I mean, I get your point. But at the same time, I’m sure a good chunk of the audience did watch the show. I would imagine it would be a bit of a slap in the face for a spinoff show to ignore or suggest what you watched on the mothership actually didn’t happen.
Absolutely agree. I’ve watched 2 episodes of TBBT and couldn’t understand how or became such a popular show. I didn’t like it at all. I do know the characters and the story line. Young Sheldon is a much better show and can definitely be a stand alone show.
Its can’t be stand alone its a prequel. Its good but BBT is better its funnier.
So you formed an opinion on a series that ran for 12 seasons after watching a whopping two episodes?? As Sheldon’s Meemaw would say, “good Lord”. 😂 I strongly suggest going back and watching the 277 episodes you missed. Hopefully then you’ll have a much better understanding on why the show was so immensely popular.
Why would they spend their time on something they didn’t like? That’s a sunk cost phalicy. What if they never grow to like it? That’s a lot of time to sit through something you don’t connect with just to do it.
They didn’t spend any real time on the show to begin with. lol My point was that this person watched two episodes of a series that ran for 12 years and has almost 300 episodes total. I’m a huge Big Bang Theory fan but there are episodes that even I didn’t care for throughout the series run. For a series that ran over a decade a few lousy episodes here and there are inevitable but that doesn’t take away from the overall brilliance of the series as a whole. I’m not a fan of the 90s sitcom Seinfeld but I came to that conclusion after watching several seasons of the show, not two measly episodes. I gave the show a genuine shot because I had heard great things about it from multiple people over the years. Turns out it’s not my thing and that’s fine but the point is I gave it a fair shot before forming my opinion.
The word is “fallacy”.
Fantastic comment. I agree.
This is clearly a different show. These are characters people have grown to love separately from Big Bang Theory. I hope they rebuild their relationship on the show.
I even dare say Sheldon is more tolerable here than on TBBT
Although Iain Armitage is a very good actor, I always thought Sheldon should have been cast by an actor at least 2 or 3 years younger. IMO he’s just not cute anymore. And since this is supposed to be a comedy it’s a bit too dark now. I don’t like serious facts getting in the way in comedies. I stopped watching this show last season.
The show started when Sheldon was around 9, which was the age Iain was when he was cast. He’s no longer the same age as the character because they took multiple seasons for a single calendar year within the show. Kids grow up while on shows, even more so when they start so young and they hit puberty.
The darker aspects of the show were always hinted at in TBBT so they’re staying mostly true to what was said there.
The issue with this show is that now is about the time Sheldon gets grating. And fans want the Sheldon part of this show toned down. But canon is canon, and certain things were not just punchlines. The etiology of the three knocks was an integral part of Sheldon’s character, and always will be regardless of how his nostalgic recollections have changed since he became a parent himself.
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Yes, we like the George Mary Dynamic as it has developed on this show, but it dies need to respect the history of the main. Walking in on his Dad schtooping another lady is an integral part of who Sheldon became and of how he lived his life.
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Paige is already a huge retcon because, although TBBT accounted for the lack of Tam over the years, the Sheldon of TBBT would have been changed by Paige in ways never reflected there, much in the same manner future relationships were affected by walking in on his Dad. The fact it was another significant adult in Sheldon’s life is change enough. He surely would have mentioned it was his bully’s mom who broke up his parents in his original narrative.
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This is not something the series can just slough off and call it a day. Like it or not, we are at the point in the timeline where George and Mary break apart, and almost at the time George passes away. Just as we are at the point in the timeline where it’s time to start Georgie’s journey towards Tire King.
So true. The obnoxious Sheldon character made TBBT difficult to watch as the years went on. Now it is happening on YS. We pay less attention when Sheldon is the center of the storyline, and hope his segment ends quickly.
So the premise of YS, is based on Sheldon’s life. He was pretty much the main character in TBBT, so he’s the main chat in YS. If it weren’t for him, there wouldn’t be a show
TBBT actually revolves around Leonard as much as Sheldon, but this prequel is about what made Sheldon, Sheldon. I had read there were possible similar prequels in consideration for several other characters, as they all have interesting backstories.
Watching 2 episodes of TBBT and deciding you don’t care for a series is really a small sample size, but if it’s not your cup of tea, whatever. The truth is the majority of YS fans are carryovers from TBBT, and will notice major (and minor) deviations from the “canon”. They (we) do resemble the characters, I suspect, enough that these things matter. 😉
WE HAVE ENOUGH DEVORCES IN THE WORLD TODAY SO WE DO NOT NEED TO RUIN A GOOD SHOE WITH ONE TOO. AND PLEASE DO NOT SHOW A FATHER WITH ANOTHER WOMAN. THIS SHOW IS CLEAN. LEAVE IT THAT WAY.
The marriage doesn’t end in divorce. BIg Bang already established it ends with the father’s death.
All caps about “devorce” and a “good shoe??”
Hmmmmm…
Ha! “Devorce and a Good Shoe” sounds like an episode title for Young Sheldon…
Okay but why are you yelling Gloria?
I think Pastor Rob should go!
I don’t like Sheldon talking like a robot. He really sounds STUPID!!!!!
I don’t think I can watch “Young Sheldon” any more. Episode 14 was to heavy for me. It is no longer comedy and if what you say is true about the remainder of Season 6 it’s not going to get better or as you say “rebuilding”. I wasn’t entertained at all. I didn’t Lear anything of value. I will say the adult actors were very believable. I was absolutely convinced that George, Mary, Rob and Brenda are all White Trash! Good bye and good luck!
You won’t be missed. Every episode does not need to be a comedy
Don’t let the door hit you
Young Sheldon never was a comedic sitcom it’s a dramedy, a combination of comedy and drama. If you didn’t catch onto that from the very first season perhaps it’s better you don’t continue to watch the show.
George doesn’t die but rather goes into hiding. Yes, he and Brenda become a couple, but away from Mary and the children. Many years later, George reappears to Sheldon to say how proud he is of him. Sheldon can’t handle it and turns him away but does tell Mary and they have a soft moment.
Is this fan fiction?
What show? There were more commercials than SHOW!!!!
It is to the point on all the shows on Network Televisions that we are actually watching commercials and promos interspersed with 5 minute segments of a random program. Just when you get into the plot or characters the show then takes a three week hiatus . When it come back you have forgotten the plot line but you sure remember the commercials . With a DVR you can skip the commercials and watch an hour show in less than 40 minutes
No matter what happens, I enjoy watching Young Sheldon and will continue. I was big fan of BBT & still watch ocasionally.
The show feels trapped by TBBT. I know it would piss a lot of people off, but they should go the alternate reality route. Make a joke about Sheldon researching the multiverse and have narrator Sheldon establish this is the road not taken (or the road he wished was taken.) Otherwise the writers are forced to do a lot of things they may not want to, and the show has a very real expiration date (when Sheldon leaves Texas.) Killing George might not be in the best interest of the Young Sheldon story. Likewise dooming Georgie, Missy, and Mary to their respective big bang fates probably isn’t the best move either. A clean break will cause a huge stir among the fans, but it is the best path to creative freedom.
I never buy the ‘canon is canon’ argument, not in Marvel films vs. comics, not in Walking Dead vs. comics, and not in Young Sheldon vs. TBBT. Just create the best show you can NOW, don’t weigh it down with having to perfectly match with a show from 10 years ago.
Exactly!!!!
Agreed!!
There’s a bit of a difference in adaptations versus spinoffs. I think we can all (or a good chunk of us) can handle and know changes are necessary to reflect the medium when a property is adapted from one to another i.e your examples of Marvel and the Walking Dead. A spinoff is different. Your not necessarily adapting a piece of media from one medium to another. It’s typically within the same one. I’m of the opinion that if you (showrunners) can’t get your show (especially a prequel in this case) from Point A to Point B (were the mothership begins), maybe you should have thought about whether the show was a good idea in the first place. There’s also the idea that a show doesn’t necessarily need to go on forever. If YS needs to end to respect TBBT and adult Sheldon’s integrity, then don’t force it.
This is from somebody who watches and likes both shows, actually I like Young Sheldon a bit better, but I still want them to stick to cannon.
May not be a popular opinion, but I think the writers have a responsibility to respect the TBBT lore. I get that Sheldon maybe got some little things wrong, because he didn’t have all the context or information, but something as big as walking in on his dad with another woman? Something so big that he developed the habit to always knock three times? They have to respect that imo. It’s what they wrote and now they should stick to it. It may not be comfortable to do for the writers, but you can’t deny that a large chunk of the viewers only started to watch because it was a TBBT off-shoot. They had no issues bringing in extra viewers by making it a TBBT prequel. It’s likely it wouldn’t be the success it is today without that link. Well, a lot of TBBT viewers do expect them to respect the lore of the mothership.. Id be really disappointed if they make it look like Sheldon was lying and that his entire knocking habit just started because he misread something.
They are two different shows and the writers don’t have a responsibility to follow anything. It’s strange how some of y’all are so fixated on an affair and a character’s death. It’s a weird, weird obsession.
Do you know what a prequel is, Ellis ? Ingmar, I totally agree with you !
They absolutely DO have a responsibility to adhere to the canon. It’s strange how some of y’all don’t think so.
They literally don’t have a responsibility to do so and it doesn’t look like they’re going to so
If Mary moved out and they were separated, and Mary is dating or at least considering dating, then George’s relationship with Brenda takes on a very different context. This was how they protect George for the audience and still honor TBBT. My issue is with George having to leave the show soon. Also the fact that Sheldon will leave for Cal Tech in a few years. It places a very real clock on a very popular character and show. It also dooms a lot of what will happen for Georgie, Mary, and especially Missy. Missy just watched Paige spiral down, now she is supposed to follow suit? Shackles on a writers room won’t end well for the show.
The writers of these blogs are OBSESSED with this. It’s a sickness at this point. You’re waiting at the edge of your seats for a fictional tv character’s impending affair and death. And then you’re gonna flip out if and when it doesn’t happen. This is why getting a life is so important.
Maybe you should follow your own advice
It’s kind of their job to cover the show and its connection to TBBT. If you don’t like it, you don’t have to be here commenting about a show and judging people you clearly don’t like.
Ellis is OBSESSED with this. It’s a sickness at this point. You’re waiting at the edge of your seats for a fictional tv character’s impending affair and death. And then you’re gonna flip out if and when it happens. This is why getting a life is so important.
A
I think they are going in the right direction! In Big Ba
No, Sheldon does make his father out to be more of an alcoholic and womanizer, etc. But remember…..according to Big Bang, Sheldon says that when his dad died, he was 14 years old ??!!!!!!
I’m done. I enjoyed (most of) TBBT — a few episodes that I don’t watch. Have really enjoyed YS. But now I’m done.
I was hoping they’d stick to cannon and have Sheldon walk in on Georgia and Brenda, but possibly have it not be exactly what Sheldon thought he saw. Sheldon always sees black and white and the shades of grey are frequently lost on him.
I agree. They can still present the story for TBBT viewers. But, allow adult Sheldon, who is telling the story, to realize that for all these years, he had misunderstood what was really going on when he walked in and save George’s character from being a villain in the eyes of the YS viewers.
I’m glad Georgie is a dad. It was a cute showing him how to put the seat in. As far as George and Mary…do what they have to do but please give Mary something, anything to smile about. She is always frowning or has a scowl on her face. Make her happy at least once.
I say throw out the connections to TBBT with Young Sheldon. YS is such a great show with Georgie and Mandy becoming a better story, Meemaw has really taken over a good chunk of the goodness of the show, Missy and George are primary characters that enjoy.
Sheldon is now a minor character, sorry he is not what brings people to the show.
Forget the connection; change the story arc. Even make it all a dream that older Sheldon is having on how he would have liked his childhood to be. I think we would be good with it.
Love love love Big Bang and young Sheldon,I’m a super fan and I’m patiently waiting for what Lorre brings next for young Sheldon.
I don’t feel like they have to stick super close TBBT canon, but adult Sheldon got his knocking three times because of walking in on his father having sex with another woman. Since that’s such an important part of the development of his character, I’m not sure how you could ignore it.
There are going to be viewers who don’t like how this comedy is no longer a fun show to watch. So, ratings will determine if the show gets further seasons. I am one viewer who is done watching.
Ohhhh please can we PLEASE use the birth of grand baby to reunite mary and George… WE ARE ALL ANXIOUS about George’s death which will happen… can we please just not tell the story of Sheldon’s walk in… We fans need the positive adults.. George & Mary AND Brenda…
( so at least DONT MAKE IT BRENDA)
( Maybe a girl at the bar when Zgeorge
gets drunk.. IF ya have to )
BBT Sheldon has lived and is over .. .
Can we please continue George as long as possible… so many of us love this show…