The possibility of Young Sheldon running longer than The Big Bang Theory means that more plot holes are coming. So far, the CBS sitcom has been on the air for five seasons now. In its first two years, it aired back-to-back with its parent show. But ever since The Big Bang Theory wrapped up in 2019, it has been standing on its own. Granted, if show creator Chuck Lorre gets to decide, it will continue to be on the air for many more years.
This is an exciting prospect for many fans of Young Sheldon. While it has yet to be as popular as The Big Bang Theory, the spin-off has garnered its own loyal fan base over the years. In fact, it is CBS' highest-rated comedy right now. Given that, it makes sense that the network would want to have it in their programming for as long as possible. But there's only one problem: The Big Bang Theory's continuity dictates some of the big events in the show, including George Cooper's (Lance Barber) death.
In a new interview, Lorre said that Young Sheldon still has a lot of stories to tell if CBS decides to renew the show moving forward. For context, the sitcom is guaranteed to run until season 7, wherein Sheldon (Iain Armitage) would be 14 — the same year his dad dies as per The Big Bang Theory. But if the spin-off continues to run past that, its creators might contradict that through inevitable plot holes. Young Sheldon could go against the established timeline by either changing or delaying George’s fate. That way, it can maintain its current storytelling approach, which focuses on the Cooper family as a whole. It's no secret that after George died, the clan struggled to recover, with Georgie (Montana Jordan) being forced to take over because Mary (Laurie Metcalf) was so grief-stricken. George's upcoming arc gets so depressing that for years, Young Sheldon has danced around it. So, it won't be a surprise if they continue doing that just to keep the show on the air.
This also means that Sheldon’s international study stint would be delayed. Georgie revealed on The Big Bang Theory that on the heels of George's death, his brother went abroad for his education, hence why Sheldon was oblivious to all the sacrifices he made for their mother and sister. Otherwise, CBS can subject Young Sheldon to a total show overhaul. Instead of putting the spotlight on the Cooper family, the spin-off could shift its focus solely on Sheldon and his adventures out of the country before he settled in Pasadena and met Leonard (Johnny Galecki) and Penny (Kaley Cuoco) as seen on The Big Bang Theory. Meanwhile, it would only have minimal involvement from his clan, which is a risk. While fans like the show's ties to its parent series, many of its viewers enjoy that all members of the Cooper family have their own respective arcs.
Whether or not Young Sheldon runs longer than The Big Bang Theory is still anybody's guess. The spin-off still has a couple of years to go before CBS is faced with another renewal decision. Despite that, what Molaro and his team do in its next two seasons will determine if the sitcom will go past 12 seasons.
Young Sheldon airs every Thursday on CBS.