I watched Young Sheldon as a joke — I couldn’t believe what happened next

My Young Sheldon journey didn’t begin in earnest; it was a matter of necessity tinged with irony. As the show draws to a close — and I can’t believe I’m admitting this — I’m bereft at the idea of life without it. 

Christmas, 2012: I was 15, and after years of catching episodes here and there on TV, my mum and dad got me Seasons 1-6 of The Big Bang Theory on DVD. I dove straight in, hooting and hollering alongside the laugh track at every “Bazinga!”, geeky reference, and all of its incomprehensible science jargon (although it did teach me Schrodinger’s Cat, so I’ll give it that). 

I can’t pinpoint exactly what changed, but in a pivot as binary as a light switch, I suddenly found it unwatchable; the nerdiness was forced (Howard saying, “The fate of Doctor Who’s TARDIS will be decided by a Game of Thrones-inspired deathmatch on the battlefield of Thundercats vs Transformers” is a low point), the romances were cringe-worthy and unbelievable, and — this is an important point — Sheldon became very annoying. 

So, why would I have any interest in watching Young Sheldon, a prequel centered on the early years of an often insufferable character? I didn’t, but I’d fallen into its gravitational pull. I write about TV for a living, and it’s one of the biggest shows in America. My wife kept seeing TikToks — like the viral fan cam of George punching Veronica’s drunken stepdad — and wanted to watch it. And, admittedly, there was a slight curiosity; could it be as bad as I’d presumed? 

Today, I’m gearing up for the Young Sheldon Season 7 finale with a massive helping of humble pie; I’ve laughed, I’ve cried, and I’m not ready to part ways with the Coopers. 

Young Sheldon is the ultimate comfort watch 

CBS

The opening minutes of the pilot, scored to Dire Straits’ ‘Walk of Life’ as Jim Parsons’ Sheldon explains his love of trains, is surprisingly charming. The family dynamic — Sheldon, a know-it-all germophobe; Missy, his cheeky twin sister; Georgie, his older, typical teenage brother; Mary, his devoutly Christian mother; and George, his beer-guzzling jock of a father — is quirky, amusing, and tangible. 

Straight away, there’s a sense of sincerity that’s hard to resist; a genuine affection for the simplicity and memories of yesteryear, laughs that aren’t cheap nor strained, and it has a big, affecting emotional payoff in the first episode: Sheldon removing his mittens to hold his dad’s hand for the first time. 

That’s the first of many moments that brought me to the verge of tears (if not beyond), a credit to Chuck Lorre and co.’s writing and the well-pitched performances of everyone in the cast (Iain Armitage becomes a bit irritating as he grows up, a natural consequence of no longer being an adorable, smart-mouthed little boy). 

It sneaks up on you: when George yells at Sheldon and tells him he’s disappointed (after he dismantles the family fridge… let’s not get into that), Missy drops the sassy sister act and gives him a hug as he sobs; during Sheldon’s first-ever flight, he starts having a panic attack and admits he’s just a kid, one of the few times he lets his over-mature guard down. 

Notably, George’s inevitable death may be the most devastating thing I’ve watched this year; a delicate rug-pull that took nobody by surprise and still left a scar on everyone’s hearts. Maybe I’m just a softie — but Young Sheldon makes you invest in the Cooper family without even realizing it. 

CBS

Here’s another thing: it somehow awakened deeply buried affection for The Big Bang Theory. At the end of Season 2, Sheldon sits alone and upset after nobody comes to his house to listen to the Nobel Prize announcement. In a masterstroke, the finale pans across glimpses of his future pals as kids, either sleeping, studying, or in Leonard’s case, listening along — only thousands of miles away, years before their fated meeting. 

This all said, reading too much into Young Sheldon’s appeal and why it cast a spell over me would suggest there’s a lot of substance behind it – but there isn’t. This is good-natured, unchallenging television that’s become a comfort blanket for myself and millions of others — think of it like a folksy Modern Family, with simple, effective lessons and characters who are always easy to root for (or, occasionally, against). 

Tonight, my three-week, eye-opening binge will end just as the series bows out. How can I simply go on with my life without knowing how Sheldon gets on at Caltech, or how Mary adjusts to life without George? We’ll catch up with Georgie and Mandy in their contentious spinoff (the decision to return to a laugh track format makes no sense), but as it stands, it seems like we’ve reached the end of the line. 

I’m not a born-again Big Bang Theory fan, but against all odds, I’m a Young Sheldon believer. As Meemaw said, “That’s what makes life interesting.”

Before the finale, make sure you know how to watch Young Sheldon, and read more about the Young Sheldon cast and its filming locations. You can also find other new TV shows to stream this month.