CBS' hit series Young Sheldon is taking another short break, but when it returns, it will finally release its monumental 100th episode. The Big Bang Theory spin-off is down to just several episodes before it officially wraps up its current season. Unfortunately, audiences will have to wait, again, for Young Sheldon's next episode. Considering that it will mark an important milestone in the show's run, however, it should be worth the patience.
Young Sheldon season 5 perhaps has the most diverse storytelling stint for the prequel series thus far. Instead of simply putting Sheldon (Iain Armitage) at the center of its narrative, it gave all members of the Cooper family their respective stories. Perhaps the most interesting one revolves around Sheldon's dad, George (Lance Barber), who has had a rough few months. After trying to keep his attraction to Brenda Sparks (Melissa Peterman) a secret and seeing his wife, Mary (Zoe Perry), have more fun with a co-worker than with him, now, he's also dealing with job issues. Meanwhile, Georgie (Montana Jordan) is thriving with his and Meemaw's (Annie Potts) business, not to mention that he also has a new lady love.
Due to the coronavirus pandemic, Young Sheldon season 5 debuted a few weeks later than it normally would. The sitcom went on its mandatory winter hiatus, but it took another break in the middle of February to pave way for the Winter Olympics. Viewers, however, will have to endure another episode gap due to CBS' programming shuffle. Here's when Young Sheldon season 5 returns for its 100th episode.
Why Young Sheldon Season 5 Is On Hiatus
Viewers will have to wait for a couple more weeks to learn about what's next for Sheldon and his family. Due to another sporting event, The Big Bang Theory prequel is going off the air for a while; this time, however, it's a national conference as CBS airs the NCAA March Madness basketball tournament. The annual single-elimination tournament includes 68 college basketball teams, making it one of the most-anticipated sports competitions in the U.S. each year. Naturally, the network wants to capitalize on its popularity and broadcast the games, so Young Sheldon is on pause.
Young Sheldon Season 5, Episode 17 Release Date
Similar to the Winter Olympics, the NCAA March Madness tournament is also set to last roughly two weeks. Given this, Young Sheldon season 5, episode 17 isn't scheduled to release until March 31. CBS hasn't released a trailer yet for the episode, so the network hasn't made an official announcement about the sitcom's exact return date. But based on its current schedule, not to mention the trend from past years, this is the most likely return date.
Young Sheldon's 100th Episode Story Details
Recently, Young Sheldon brought back Mayim Bialik's Amy for another brief but fun voice cameo. With that out of the way, expect CBS to come up with a much bigger surprise to commemorate its 100th episode. Whether or not that's going to be another The Big Bang Theory character cameo remains to be seen. But based on Young Sheldon season 5, episode 17's official synopsis, it seems like there will be some major developments regarding George and Mary's marriage. In the episode, titled "A Solo Peanut, a Social Butterfly and the Truth," the Cooper parents will be caught in the middle of Meemaw (Annie Potts) and Dale's (Craig T. Nelson) break-up. Meanwhile, McKenna Grace's Paige also returns to ask Sheldon for an odd favor.
Young Sheldon season 5 airs Thursdays on CBS.