Young Sheldon season 6 finale references the prequel's best The Big Bang Theory Easter egg thus far. Sheldon gets ready for his trip to Germany as he begins his summer program at the University of Heidelberg in the family comedy's year capper. While it is the primary focus of the two-episode send-off, the Young Sheldon season 6 finale is still able to give all members of the Cooper family their respective times under the spotlight. That includes George who reminisces on what's arguably the spin-off's best tie-in plot to The Big Bang Theory.
Despite having countless plot inconsistencies between them, Young Sheldon and The Big Bang Theory technically still exist in the same reality. This means that the prequel continues to be beholden to the established canon of its parent series. After it diversifies its storytelling, however, Young Sheldon season 6 eases up on the references to the nerd-centric sitcom. That being said, its finale reminds fans of the show's best The Big Bang Theory Easter egg from a few years ago.
George Brought Sheldon To Caltech In Young Sheldon
In the Young Sheldon season 6 finale, George floats the idea that he accompanies Sheldon to Germany and not Mary. The couple then argues their respective points, with the Cooper patriarch bringing up the last time Sheldon was on a long-distance trip to California. George is referring to Young Sheldon season 3, episode 16, "Pasadena," where he traveled to Caltech with the boy genius for the first time to attend Stephen Hawking's lecture. The whole trip was actually heartwarming, especially since it was able to give Sheldon and his dad some one-on-one time. However, its clear ties to Young Sheldon's parent series made it more special.
The connection to The Big Bang Theory was clear from the get-go. That being said, it was the unexpected scene of seeing young Sheldon and George looking at the very same cafeteria that he would frequent with his friends in the nerd-centric sitcom that made this sequence memorable and even emotional. Since George was already long dead before the events of The Big Bang Theory, he was the only Cooper family member who never physically appeared in the CBS sitcom. Young Sheldon somehow made up for that by revealing that he was with Sheldon the very first time he visited Caltech.
Why Young Sheldon’s Caltech Episode Is So Important
Young Sheldon has had several The Big Bang Theory tributes before that went beyond a name-drop from adult Sheldon or a voice cameo from a Pasadena gang member. There is the one-time crossover between the shows that ties into Sheldon's attempt to win the Nobel Prize in the nerd-centric sitcom. Meanwhile, the Young Sheldon season 2 finale shows all the young versions of the Pasadena gang.
George and Sheldon's Caltech visit, however, is unique in a way that it actually serves a narrative purpose for Young Sheldon. The Cooper patriarch didn't have the best image in The Big Bang Theory because both Sheldon and Mary badmouthed him. However, seeing Sheldon spending time with his father somehow backs up Young Sheldon's depiction of the character as a flawed but devoted family man. George's belief that Sheldon would fit right in at Caltech may actually be a factor in his decision to stick with the school once he started working.