George Cooper addresses Young Sheldon finale’s biggest mistake

Losing George Cooper in Young Sheldon’s finale was one thing, but nobody was too happy with Missy’s ending either. According to actor Lance Barber, there’s method to the madness.

Young Sheldon fans are heading into spinoff Georgie & Mandy’s First Marriage without one key thing: George Cooper. He was devastatingly killed off during the Young Sheldon Season 7 ending… but as we knew it was coming, was it really the finale’s biggest mistake?

For many, one of the biggest bugbears since the show began is the continual overlooking of Missy (Raegan Revord). As the youngest Cooper child, she’s never received the same amount of attention as her genius twin Sheldon, causing her to act out and rebel as she’s gotten older.

By the time the emotional funeral came around, nothing had changed – and Georgie’s spinoff looks to be more of the same. Struggling with the loss of her dad, there’s still nobody around to really listen.

But is she actually overlooked for nothing? According to actor Lance Barber, Missy not getting support or closure at the end of Season 7 has only allowed for a much “deeper” storyline.

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“I don’t know if she was overlooked… I think that plays out well for cultural expectations of the girl for the ‘overlooked’ girl,” he told Dexerto.

“It was intentional that her journey was as it was, and it’s nice to see that it’s going to continue for Raegan on Georgie & Mandy and just grow deeper. We also know Missy’s history, and this just gives it more gravitas, more depth, and layers to who she becomes and why.”

There’s good news for agitated Young Sheldon fans, though – Missy is back for more in Georgie & Mandy’s First Marriage. So far, we know she’ll be seen in Episode 2 and the upcoming Thanksgiving reunion, but she’s also been promoted to a series regular since filming began in July.

It’s safe to assume George’s legacy also stays alive in the spinoff. It was always going to be a key part of Georgie’s journey into fatherhood, but if Missy’s around, she’s likely to confront her own trauma too.

“I took my family recently to see a shoot of the upcoming Thanksgiving episode, which was super touching,” Barber added.

The Thanksgiving special – thought to be Episode 5 of the Georgie & Mandy spinoff – will bring all the Coopers back together… except for one.

While Missy might finally get the support of Mary, Meemaw, Dale, and the McAllisters, it’s still unknown if Sheldon will be coming back for a cameo appearance.

If anything, Sheldon’s time at Caltech can only be a good thing for Missy, and for us. We’ll hopefully get a chance to see her flourish on screen, and the Coopers can finally see her for who she is.

The Young Sheldon finale can be relived either on CBS or Paramount+ (although if you ask us, once was more than enough). Seasons 1-6 of the binge-worthy TV show can be found on Netflix.

Georgie & Mandy’s First Marriage hits screens on October 17. Find out why we’re not getting Young Sheldon Season 8, why the sequel has picked the wrong characters for a spinoff, and more TV shows streaming.