[CUSTOM]
Brenda Sparks (Melissa Peterman) is the center of a Young Sheldon season 5 timeline plot hole. The Big Bang Theory's spin-off series kickstarted season 5 by answering lingering questions from the season 4 finale. Considering the budding relationship between George Cooper (Lance Barber) and Brenda, audiences can expect to see the latter be more prominently featured in the sitcom moving forward; however, Brenda's appearance in episode 2 introduces an inconsistency in the show's timeline.
After the Young Sheldon season 4 finale heavily hinted that the Cooper patriarch may very well be on the path to cheating, many have been wondering if he would begin an affair with his neighbor, Brenda. Despite their flirtatious back-and-forth at the local pub, however, nothing actually happened between George and Brenda because he suddenly suffered a mini heart attack. While they didn't technically do anything wrong, both feel extremely guilty for their unfaithfulness (which suggests that something could have happened). Meemaw (Annie Potts) is now suspicious of the two, as well: In Young Sheldon season 5, episode 2, titled "Snoopin' Around and the Wonder Twins of Atheism," Brenda reacted bizarrely when Sheldon's (Iain Armitage) grandmother asked about George's health scare, suggesting to Meemaw that something untoward may have happened.
Aside from the narrative implications of this scene, it also features a detail that has resulted in a Young Sheldon season 5 timeline plot hole. During her conversation with Meemaw, Brenda's hair is significantly longer than in the previous episode. In the premiere, she was sporting a shoulder-length bob hairdo, but in the subsequent episode, it's mid-length. Considering the progression of events, not to mention Meemaw's comments regarding what went down, it’s safe to assume that only a couple of days have passed since Brenda and George's night out at the pub. So, it's quite impossible that she would've grown her locks that quickly. Brenda maintains the longer hair throughout the episode, and it's safe to say that it will stay that way throughout the whole season.
So, what possibly brought on this subtle, but still noticeable, change to the character's hair length? There's really no possible explanation narrative-wise, except maybe she's wearing hair extensions — but that seems too high-maintenance for the character, especially since she's raising her kids on her own after her husband left. Instead, this could be due to the show's production schedule. Chances are that Brenda and George's interaction in the pub in the Young Sheldon season 5 premiere was shot during the tail end of season 4's production. Since the season 5 premiere picked up exactly where the season 4 finale left off anyway, it makes sense for these to have been filmed back-to-back. Meanwhile, season 5, episode 2 was shot once the cast and crew came back after their summer break; by then, Peterman has already significantly grown her hair.
Between what's happening with her and George and Billy Sparks' actor, Wyatt McClure, being promoted to series regular, audiences can assume that Brenda and her family will be a major part of Young Sheldon season 5. The sitcom is using her burgeoning friendship with the Cooper patriarch to lay the groundwork for his cheating narrative — even if that affair isn't with her. Whether or not they start a romantic relationship before Sheldon catches his dad having sexual relations with another woman — as revealed in The Big Bang Theory — is unknown, however.