Warning! Spoilers ahead for Young Sheldon season 5, episode 13.
CBS' Young Sheldon may have just set up Sheldon's (Jim Parsons) second darkest story about George (Lance Barber) in The Big Bang Theory. Fans already know how the socially-inept genius caught his dad cheating when he was 14. However, considering how much Sheldon talked about George in the original show, there were other horrible things that the Cooper patriarch did before his death.
Young Sheldon continues to struggle with its approach regarding how it will tackle the cheating scandal. George and Brenda's (Melissa Peterman) flirtatious relationship continues, and it's clear that they're both having a difficult time controlling their attraction to each other. Simultaneously, The Big Bang Theory prequel is trying hard to justify the character's infidelity by making him empathetic to the viewers. Recently, the spin-off even floated the idea that Mary (Zoe Perry) might start an affair of her own, motivating her husband to do the same thing.
While the offshoot figures out a way to deal with the inevitable cheating plotline, it may have set up a different dark story regarding the Cooper patriarch. As seen in Young Sheldon season 5, episode 13, "A Lot of Band-Aids and the Cooper Surrender," George's job is on the line as the community complains about Medford High football team's poor performance. This immensely affected the character, especially after George was mocked and humiliated by the players' parents. If he ends up getting fired, it means that he needs to find another job. This could lead to Sheldon's story in The Big Bang Theory season 9 about his dad getting fired from his cashier job after getting caught for stealing.
George has always been concerned about money. Despite his drinking ways, he's been committed to his job, and while it isn't exactly high paying, it was stable enough to ease him of his worries. Providing for his family is the Cooper patriarch's priority, so if he gets booted from his current job at Medford High, it's safe to assume that he would be committed to finding another work as soon as possible. Granted that working in retail doesn't fit his portfolio, he might be forced to take it, especially if they need money for some kind of emergency. Admittedly, George has been a stand-up guy, and he hasn't given any indication that he has the tendency to break the law. Then again, if he's put in a desperate situation, it might not be above him to commit a crime if he's in dire need of money.
What makes this story much more tragic is that Sheldon claimed in The Big Bang Theory that he was the one who ratted out his dad. Young Sheldon could skip this narrative altogether, especially as it would put a strain on the father and son's relationship long before the cheating incident. But it could back up Sheldon and Mary's claims about George being a useless father, especially if they didn't understand that he stole the money for his family.
Young Sheldon season 5 airs every Thursday on CBS.