Warning: Contains SPOILERS for Young Sheldon season 6, episode 20.

While Pastor Jeff’s appearance in Young Sheldon season 6, episode 20 seemed like a purely comedic cameo, there could be dark implications to this scene. Young Sheldon has an interesting approach to its title character. In The Big Bang Theory, Sheldon had his moments of likability, but he was mostly treated as a comically difficult, obstinate character. As such, The Big Bang Theory was often unsympathetic toward Sheldon’s struggles, and viewers were encouraged to laugh at his misfortune. However, in Young Sheldon, the character’s younger self is not an independent adult, so he is a more sympathetic version of The Big Bang Theory’s antihero.

While Young Sheldon’s hero can be awkward and annoying, he is not the show’s antagonist. Young Sheldon season 6 struggled with this, as Sheldon's problems often seem pretty minimal when compared to the issues that his family faced. As a result, Sheldon could come across as callous when he complained that his career as a child prodigy wasn't progressing as fast as he would like. After all, Missy’s biggest struggle in Young Sheldon season 6 involved a joyride, while Georgie got a woman pregnant outside of wedlock in small-town Texas. However, while this makes it tougher to feel bad for Sheldon, crucially, it doesn’t make Sheldon a villain.

Young Sheldon Season 6 Forgot Pastor Jeff Is A Villain

This is a vital distinction because Young Sheldon season 6 made it clear that Pastor Jeff is a genuine enemy of the Cooper family. As such, Pastor Jeff offering Sheldon a massive amount of money to spend the summer in Germany is pretty suspect. At the end of Young Sheldon season 6, episode 20, “German for Beginners and a Crazy Old Man with a Bat,” Pastor Jeff and Dr. Linkletter fundraise huge sums to ensure Sheldon will be out of their hair all summer. While Young Sheldon’s Mary and George would otherwise be unable to afford to send Sheldon to Germany, Pastor Jeff’s motives here are suspect.

It seems like Pastor Jeff is just eager to get rid of Sheldon since the character is so annoying. However, that’s not the whole picture, and Pastor Jeff has more complicated and sinister reasons to ride himself of Sheldon than Dr. Linkletter does. Not only did Pastor Jeff threaten to shut down Meemaw’s video store earlier in Young Sheldon season 6, but he also fired Mary because Georgie got Mandy pregnant. Sheldon began Young Sheldon season 6 by giving a brutal and well-earned dressing down to the congregation of Pastor Jeff's church, pointing out their small-minded hypocrisy. As such, it would be pretty convenient for Pastor Jeff if Sheldon wasn’t around anymore.

Why Pastor Jeff Helping Sheldon Leave Is Bad

While Georgie and Mandy’s Young Sheldon season 6 story hasn’t been badly impacted by Pastor Jeff’s reaction to Mandy’s pregnancy, Mary’s professional and personal life was thrown into turmoil when she was fired. Sheldon was the only one in the family who could launch an articulate defense against the pastor, and Pastor Jeff just ensured that he might be gone all summer. The implications of Sheldon’s absence are not good for the Coopers, who rely on both an illegal gambling room and a video store that stocks R-rated movies to make a living. While Sheldon might have been able to defend these establishments from Pastor Jeff, his family may struggle to do so.

Pastor Jeff’s Move Sets Up A Darker Young Sheldon Plot

Without Sheldon around, the Cooper family doesn't have anyone to take on Pastor Jeff’s moral crusade. Admittedly, Sheldon and Missy’s antics in season 6 hardly seem sufficient to stop the Pastor, but Sheldon’s comments in the church clearly left the community feeling h after Mary’s dismissal. Meemaw can use her arsenal of threats to keep Pastor Jeff’s influence contained, but Sheldon is the most intelligent Cooper and the family is preparing to let him leave. As a result, they will be less prepared if Young Sheldon’s villain attempts to get their livelihood shut down.

While some Young Sheldon plot twists play out like cheap rating ploys, others effectively set up future storylines. For example, the gambling room robbery in “German for Beginners and a Crazy Old Man with a Bat,” could result in Meemaw’s business becoming public knowledge. This, in turn, could lead to Pastor Jeff demanding that the gambling room be shut down. Without Sheldon around to fight Pastor Jeff in a battle of wits, the Cooper clan could lose a major income stream. As such, Young Sheldon’s villain essentially handing Sheldon a ticket out of town is not the harmless gag that it looks like.

Young Sheldon season 6 concludes Thursday on CBS