Warning! Spoiler ahead for Young Sheldon season 5.
George's (Lance Barber) death shouldn't mark the end of Young Sheldon. Long before The Big Bang Theory spin-off premiered, the Cooper patriarch's fate was already set thanks to Sheldon's (Jim Parsons) stories on the original series. That included him meeting his unexpected end when Sheldon and Missy were just 14-years-old.
The whole Cooper clan was already established characters on The Big Bang Theory as all of them visited Sheldon in Pasadena during the sitcom's run, except for George. By the time the comedy began in 2007, he was already long dead, and fans only got to know him through stories, albeit unflattering ones, from his family. In Young Sheldon, CBS properly introduced him, and unlike how he was depicted on The Big Bang Theory, the prequel’s version is a fairly decent father. In fact, he has become a fan favorite, so many are wondering if the prequel will even push through with his supposed death which is slowly nearing.
Unfortunately, according to a new post from Raegan Revord, George will indeed die on Young Sheldon. She didn't get into specifics about when fans can expect this to happen, but based on canon, his death is still a couple of years ahead. That fits with the fact that Young Sheldon is renewed until season 7, essentially guaranteeing that the series will tackle this tragedy. That being said, it shouldn't mark the end of the sitcom because of a couple of reasons. First and foremost, there are just too many stories left to tell about the Cooper family. As per The Big Bang Theory, Georgie (Montana Jordan) takes over the family after George passes away because Mary (Zoe Perry) becomes too consumed with her grief. Meanwhile, Missy, presumably, goes off the rails to cope with the loss of her dad.
It's also worth noting that it would be depressing to end a sitcom like Young Sheldon with a major death. For years, CBS has danced around George's spiral, including his cheating scandal, in an effort to keep the show's tone light and easy. But as its child actors grow up, the network can't really further extend the show's storytelling. Somehow, the writers have to find a way to delicately tackle George's passing and then usher his family forward as they move on from the tragedy. As previously mentioned, there are substantial stories that Young Sheldon could still tell past the Cooper patriarch's death. If anything, CBS can also continue the series up until the titular character's debut on The Big Bang Theory. The network can shift the series focus by following Sheldon as he moves abroad to study. From there, perhaps his family can appear as regular guests as he keeps in touch with them. They could also bring back Barber's George through flashbacks.
Understandably, George's death on Young Sheldon will significantly change the series, but it shouldn't spell its end. The writers just need to tackle the character's downfall, which starts with his cheating scandal and ends with his demise. From there, The Big Bang Theory spin-off can reinvent itself to continue. Considering how popular it is for CBS, the chances are that the network would be more than happy to renew the sitcom past season 7.
Young Sheldon season 5 airs Thursdays on CBS.