Warning! SPOILERS for Young Sheldon season 6.After more than five years on the air, Young Sheldon finally revealed its true villain. Premiering in 2017 as part of CBS' effort to capitalize on The Big Bang Theory's popularity, the comedy was originally meant to focus on Sheldon and his childhood adventures in Texas. As the years went by, however, each member of the Cooper family has grown prominence, with Young Sheldon giving them their respective story arcs. Taking a more family comedy format rather than a straight-up sitcom like its parent series, the dynamic among Sheldon's family is arguably its biggest asset. While the Coopers are Young Sheldon's protagonists, the show hasn't had a clear antagonist — until now.
As Young Sheldon season 6 continues, it is making increasingly clear that Mary's church is the villain of the show. After ruthlessly getting fired by Pastor Jeff, effectively separating her from the congregation, the Cooper matriarch is currently going through a crisis of faith, but that isn't all that bad. Since spending time away from her fellow devotees, Mary has become more relaxed and fun to be around — something that both Meemaw and George acknowledged. Because she's no longer forced to abide by the conceived rules of being a devoted Christian, she can simply be her true self, resulting in her being more understanding of Sheldon when he asked to stay the night in her dorm, more supportive of Georgie's attempt to woo Mandy, and more romantic towards George, which helps them heal their marriage.
Will Mary Return To Church On Young Sheldon
Mary appeared on The Big Bang Theory countless times over its 12-season run, and every single time she visited Pasadena, she acted like a religious zealot who didn't only impose her faith on everyone but also used it to justify her bad behavior. She was racist toward Raj, shamed Penny for her relationship choices, and even got into a conflict with Leonard's science-loving mother. While it's confirmed that the Cooper matriarch will eventually return to her old judgmental ways as seen on the nerd-centric sitcom, what's unknown is when and how exactly. One of the potential catalysts for Mary's return to church is George's impending death. Depending on when that tragedy will take place on Young Sheldon, the prequel could end with the Cooper matriarch back in her buttoned-up self before the family comedy wraps up its run.
Big Bang Theory Proves Mary’s Religion Is Bad For Her
The Cooper matriarch's religious devotion caused the family many problems on Young Sheldon. Pastor Jeff nearly destroyed Mary and George's marriage after he ruthlessly fired her on the heels of Georgie's unexpected pregnancy news. Before that, her prioritization of the congregation already put a strain on her marital relationship with George harboring a grudge over her questionable choices. Seeing this new side of Mary means that she wasn't being true to herself for the longest time and was only catering to how she believed the church wanted her to behave. What makes this worse is that The Big Bang Theory proves that she will once again abandon herself to live that kind of life in the future.
Although still years away from happening, fun Mary’s sad fate after Young Sheldon has already been confirmed by The Big Bang Theory. Despite that, it doesn’t mean that CBS cannot take advantage of this time to flesh out the Cooper matriarch by showing other facets of her personality while she’s away from the church. This means that Young Sheldon will have to do without its true villain for a time.
Young Sheldon season 6 airs Thursdays on CBS.