The Young Sheldon writers made a mistake killing this character

Death isn’t exactly common in Young Sheldon, but now it’s a major plot point in Season 7, and the writers have made a major mistake with their victim of choice. 

With so few episodes left to air, it’s time to face the inevitable — a key Young Sheldon character is about to be killed off. Even though the show’s creators have made a point of not feeling beholden to The Big Bang Theory’s original lore, they’ve decided to run with a death that will upset everyone. Why? Perhaps it’s a home run for a memorable ending; perhaps they’ve had enough complaints about inconsistencies between the two.

Whatever the reason, the death of George Cooper is set to be the biggest shock of Season 7, and fans are going to have to deal with it. He’s mostly been out of the spotlight so far — Georgie and Mandy’s wedding has already taken up a lot of time, while Sheldon’s journey to Caltech is likely to start picking up steam. What’s left is the “all hope is lost” moment coming in the form of irreversible action, and George is its sacrifice. 

So, how does the Cooper family survive this? With Georgie and Mandy sailing off into the sunset for an upcoming Young Sheldon sequel, they no longer need to care. Potential Sheldon-verse spinoffs will need to work around a death that could otherwise have been glossed over. It all feels a bit unfair, and frankly, George doesn’t deserve any of it.

George Cooper is the life and soul of Young Sheldon

CBS

Unless you’ve been living under a Sheldon-less rock, you’ll know that George Cooper Sr. is a whisker away from death’s door in Season 7. Suffering from a heart attack at the beginning of Season 1, George’s health hasn’t been an issue since (if you don’t count the reams of badly-aged fat jokes made by Connie). Planting the seed early doors — adult Sheldon’s voiceover uses this episode to warn viewers of what’s to come — Young Sheldon then allows George to become exactly what viewers need him to be: an excellent dad. 

Where Mary often becomes flustered or enraged, George usually knows exactly how to handle any parenting situation. Typically, this comes in the form of a laid-back attitude, letting the kids charter their course at their own pace. At the same time, he’s not afraid to step outside of his comfort zone to give his children what they need — whether that’s dressing in black tie to escort Missy to Red Lobster, thrashing it out with Georgie to get the best out of him, or sitting in a Stephen Hawking lecture with Sheldon on the other side of the country.

He’s a man’s man and a dad’s dad. Loaded with beer and brisket, George is the most harmless character in Young Sheldon, which, therefore, makes him the most lovable. Now, the show’s history will likely be tainted by his death, which will be painful regardless of whether it’s shown onscreen or not. Taking the placid heart out of the series only leaves its problems behind, making the remaining Coopers that little bit less likable in the long run.

How does Season 7 now get around this?

CBS

Not only is George’s death an insult to his amazing character and seven-season-long journey, but it’s also a pain for whatever storyline is left. Now that the creators have publicly committed themselves to honoring George’s death in some way, they’re left between a rock and a hard place. Shoot the storyline too early, and fans might not return for the following episodes, but leave it as the parting note, and everything could go a bit Game of Thrones. 

From what we know so far, some kind of death scenario has already been filmed. Old cast members have been returning to set dressed in black, while fan theories suggest that the final dinner scene — filming for which was hugely promoted on social media — is actually a posthumous celebration of George’s life. If the latter is true, creators are likely scrambling to leave the final moments of Young Sheldon on a happy note.

It almost doesn’t matter how George’s death shakes out… it shouldn’t be happening, and it’s going to mess things up. If Young Sheldon had separated itself as its own entity from the very beginning, there would have been no issues with the Cooper family making a completely different story for itself. But by picking and choosing Big Bang Theory lore to hone in on when they feel like it, everyone is now a loser — especially George.

While you wait for the next episode, you can catch up with our other content, like our Young Sheldon Season 7 theories, Young Sheldon filming locations, how to watch Season 7 outside the US, and when Young Sheldon Season 7 will be coming to Netflix.

You can also check out all TV shows streaming this month.