Warning! Spoilers ahead for the Young Sheldon series finale.

Summary

• The Young Sheldon finale clarifies Sheldon's college choice and George's impact on his academic life, tying up a major The Big Bang Theory plot hole.
• George's unexpected death explains why Sheldon never discussed his college days in The Big Bang Theory, revealing deeper layers to his character.
• The flashforward scene in Young Sheldon provides closure to George's legacy, highlighting a significant shift in Sheldon's perception of his father.

The why Young Sheldon had to end despite still being very successful — something that even Annie Potts has been peeved about.

Somehow, however, it manages to sneak in one last clarification about a confusing Sheldon matter. Originally, Young Sheldon was conceived as a way to further take advantage of The Big Bang Theory's popularity, and the easiest way to do that was to explore its most prominent character's childhood. Considering Sheldon's penchant for sharing stories from his time in Texas, it was a relatively easy way to launch a spinoff. Young Sheldon filled narrative gaps in The Big Bang Theory's storytelling, revealing details about Sheldon's past, which created confusion about his academic history.

George’s Death Explains Why Sheldon Barely Talked About His College Days

Sheldon Struggles To Process His Grief Over George's Death.

Considering Sheldon's intellect, there was always an assumption in The Big Bang Theory that, like most of his friends, he also went to an Ivy League school for his undergraduate. Young Sheldon contradicted that, however, when it was revealed that he opted to go to East Texas Tech for college. This made Sheldon's mockery of almost every other academic institution, particularly MIT, inconsistent, not to mention puzzling, since he never talked about his own experience. The George's surprising death, which leaves the Coopers in shock and grappling for their future.

So Sheldon opted not to talk about his college days altogether in The Big Bang Theory, just like how he kept mum about George's cheating story.

Sheldon's time at East Texas Tech wasn't easy, and capping it off with the death of George fully taints his college memories. As seen in Young Sheldon season 7, episode 12, "Funeral," he was so stunned about losing his father that he couldn't even process it properly. If bouthing George in The Big Bang Theory was any indication, it took him decades before he could finally come to with it. So Sheldon opted not to talk about his college days altogether in The Big Bang Theory, just like how he kept mum about George's cheating story.

How Young Sheldon's Flashforward Scene Properly Defines George's Legacy

Adult Sheldon its The Truth About George.

Young Sheldon's depiction of the Cooper patriarch was its biggest The Big Bang Theory plot hole. The prequel contradicted its parent series' description of him from the get-go, with Young Sheldon season 7 even retconning George's cheating scandal. Completing the rehabilitation of his image is adult Sheldon's ission about his dad's legacy. Confessing to Amy, Parsons' character says that despite everything his father's flaws and everything he said about him, George was a good father to him. Unfortunately, while Sheldon is able to come to with the reality of his dad, the franchise doesn't give Mary the same opportunity.

The Young Sheldon season finale is available to stream on Paramount+.