Warning! Spoilers ahead for Young Sheldon season 6, episode 16.George's affair and subsequent death will likely be disappointing with the way Young Sheldon season 6 has played out. While the Cooper patriarch never physically appeared in The Big Bang Theory, Sheldon's stories about him, backed by Mary's anecdotes, establish some dark final years for the character. Mary openly talked about how horrible he was as a father in the CBS flagship series, and while Young Sheldon generally contradicts this, the prequel has incorporated this aspect occasionally in its storytelling. Meanwhile, Sheldon was more specific with his stories — and some of them are expected to play out sooner rather than later in the spin-off show.
Because of The Big Bang Theory timeline, Young Sheldon could end after season 7. George's cheating incident and subsequent death are both bound to happen in the next year or so. Whether CBS pulls the plug on the prequel after next year is uncertain at this point considering that it's TV's #1 comedy. That being said, regardless of what happens then, the show doesn't have any choice but to finally tackle George's long-brewing affair which precedes his sudden death. It's still unclear how these will pan out, but Young Sheldon season 6 just set a precedent suggesting that it won't be able to give both incidents justice.
Young Sheldon’s Missy Runaway Episode Didn’t Have Enough Emotional Impact
In Young Sheldon season 6, episode 16 titled "A Stolen Truck and Going on the Lam," Missy goes on a road trip with Paige after deciding to run away from home. Her decision is a culmination of months (if not years) of feeling neglected by her parents. The outing is supposed to be a bit darker than the usual Young Sheldon fare, but unfortunately the prequel failed to lean on the emotional potential of the narrative. This could be an indication of how CBS is planning to tackle George's cheating scandal and subsequent death — two very serious incidents that significantly impact the Coopers' future.
Young Sheldon Is Shying Away From Leaning On Its More Emotional Aspects
Missy’s runaway episode was expected to be emotional; it was perfectly set up, complete with a cliffhanger ending. However, Young Sheldon prioritized humor over directly tackling how serious this situation was. It didn’t help that Sheldon continued to make unfunny jokes all throughout the episode. It could have shown Missy and Paige having a deep conversation about their respective woes. Instead, Young Sheldon solely focused on them being immature and irrational as they plan on a shotgun drive to Florida. Missy's issues are valid (so are Paige's). Mary has always catered to Sheldon and is often combative with her daughter. Meanwhile, George is overwhelmed by his own issues.
Ignoring Missy has been Young Sheldon's biggest mistake. The character is great and Raegan Revord does a tremendous job in the role. The least CBS could have done is make this serious narrative matter in the bigger scheme of things. However, if this is their approach to heavier episodes, then expect that Young Sheldon isn’t going to lean on the sadness for George’s cheating and eventual death just to preserve the show’s lightheartedness. This is detrimental to the series' overall storytelling. If Young Sheldon can lean into the darkness of Paige's plot, there's no reason that it can't do the same when it involves members of the Cooper family.
George’s Cheating & Death In Young Sheldon May Also Fall Emotionally Flat
Sheldon had a penchant for sharing childhood anecdotes in The Big Bang Theory. He shared various kinds of experiences — from being bullied by Georgie to his homemade experiments which were mostly lighthearted. That being said, he saved his most tragic one in The Big Bang Theory season 10 when he confessed to Penny the origins of his knocking ritual. Since it was revealed that Sheldon caught George cheating on his mom, it has become one of the most anticipated storylines in Young Sheldon. For years, CBS has danced around it, but now that it's finally on the horizon, Young Sheldon has no choice but to tackle it.
Admittedly, tackling George's infidelity and death is tricky considering how important the character is in Young Sheldon. That being said, watering it down by not leaning on the emotional aspect of the incident would be a disservice to The Big Bang Theory's canon. Both incidents impacted Sheldon and the rest of the Coopers in a big way; Young Sheldon failing to show that because it doesn't want the series to be too dark is a big mistake. It would be far better if it fully explores both incidents, especially if CBS is planning on continuing the prequel beyond season 7.
Why Young Sheldon Needs Drama To Be A Better Show
Over the last few years, Young Sheldon has shifted its storytelling to be more of a family comedy/drama. It has tackled fairly serious issues like George's unexpected pregnancy, George and Mary's marital woes, and even Paige's breakdown. Unlike The Big Bang Theory which was more of a true sitcom, its prequel explores more grounded issues which are arguably one of the reasons why it has become very popular as it means that it's more palatable to a bigger audience.
As Young Sheldon continues to move away from Sheldon, it needs to embrace more grounded stories like Georgie's new role as a dad and Missy's struggles fitting in with her peers. There's no work around the fact that sooner rather than later, the boy genius will have to move out of Texas and to California. So the earlier CBS shifts the storytelling away from him, the better chances they have in spinning the prequel into a more traditional family sitcom. Young Sheldon has featured great moments that don't involve Sheldon — an indication that it can continue without him.
Young Sheldon season 6 airs Thursdays on CBS.