Warning! Spoilers ahead for Young Sheldon season 6, episode 18.Young Sheldon season 6 may be skipping Sheldon's story about walking in on his dad in bed with another woman, but the prequel has just dropped subtle clues that George is already involved in an extramarital affair. The Cooper patriarch didn't have the best image in The Big Bang Theory. Both Sheldon and Mary described him as stupid, lazy, and drunk. None of those are exactly true in Young Sheldon. That being said, George's reputation as a cheat continues to haunt him in the spin-off, with the family comedy essentially forced to paint him as such.
For years, Young Sheldon has been criticized for its lax approach to continuity. Some of its plot holes are inconsequential and could be ignored. Others, meanwhile, have bigger ramifications in The Big Bang Theory's overall narrative. Throughout its run, however, Young Sheldon's depiction of George is still its biggest canon issue. This is the reason why it still has to tackle the Cooper patriarch's cheating tendencies despite Young Sheldon season 6 ignoring George's cheating incident. Luckily, it seems like CBS is doing that, albeit subtly.
George’s Demeanor & Appearance Hint At Him Already Having An Affair
In Young Sheldon season 6, episode 18, "Little Green Men and A Fella's Marriage Proposal," George plays a very minor role. At the start of the outing, he and Sheldon are watching Star Trek in the Cooper family living room. Later on, Missy reaches out to him for advice about a social issue. Other than that, he is pretty much non-existent in the episode. That in itself is a big clue about his possible ongoing affair. The fact that his whereabouts in the episode are unaccounted for means that he could be doing something behind everyone's back, like having secret meetings with his mistress.
George's tired demeanor also backs up this claim. During his TV-watching session with Sheldon, he seems more drained than usual. Granted that it could be just exhaustion from work, but it could also mean that he's worn out from sneaking around. Finally, the Cooper patriarch not driving Missy to school further deepens this Young Sheldon mystery. It doesn't make sense that Missy needs to ride the school bus when her dad works at Medford High School as well. This means that George can go elsewhere other than home and work.
Why Young Sheldon Is Hiding George’s Possible Affair
Despite being a massive revelation in The Big Bang Theory, CBS hasn't included any reference to Sheldon's story about catching his dad with another woman in Young Sheldon season 6. Still, considering how big of an impact it has on the boy genius, it's imperative that the prequel tackles it. Understandably, the network isn't keen on showing this incident on-screen, but it can preserve continuity by just alluding to it, which is possibly why Young Sheldon is hiding it in season 6. This way, CBS can maintain the show's fun and lighthearted tone but still uphold The Big Bang Theory's canon.
Young Sheldon season 6 airs Thursdays on CBS.