George’s affair in Young Sheldon is no longer important

Rumors of George Cooper Snr.’s affair have been circulating ever since The Big Bang Theory – but in Young Sheldon, the what-ifs aren’t really that important.

With only 14 episodes to wrap up every single storyline in the show’s history – Season 7 is half the length of its predecessors – Young Sheldon has its work cut out for it. Still, it’s started out strong, reuniting the family unit after the Medford tornado, even if two of those members are halfway across the world. Yet, there’s one storyline the show’s not dealt with yet: George’s supposed affair. 

In previous seasons, George and Mary’s marriage has been put to the test. To a degree, this is something that all real-life marriages will experience, and seeing that things weren’t always perfect through Sheldon’s eyes is something of a relief. However, it’s also put a strain on numerous storylines – not least because it has always been insinuated that George cheated when Sheldon was young.

Annoyingly, though, Young Sheldon has never clarified what happened or whether anything happened in the first place. During Season 5, Mary and George suspected the other of questionable behavior. While Mary’s name was cleared, George’s story never quite got an adequate conclusion. Still, with fan theories rife over who George’s phantom lady was, we have to ask, ‘Does his affair actually matter anymore?’ 

Young Sheldon makes George’s affair speculation

CBS

Before we question its importance, we have to ask whether there was an affair to begin with. Sure, George and busybody neighbor Brenda have secretly met in the chicken coop far too many times, but the purpose could have been innocent. Up until Young Sheldon Season 7, we have no concrete reason to believe that George has had an affair – only hearsay from people who are naturally distrusting of him.

This largely comes in the form of Sheldon and Meemaw, although Brenda also doesn’t do herself any favors. For Meemaw, the rivalry with George is a classic case of ‘mother-in-law-itus’, as she’s always felt as though he was never good enough for her little girl. This is established early on during the Season 1 brisket debacle, though as time goes on, the two form an uneasy alliance. However, the pair fall out when Meemaw becomes suspicious of George’s unknown ‘behavior,’ threatening to tell Mary.

Sheldon’s childhood memories are why fans believe that George’s affair is just speculation. As an adult in The Big Bang Theory, Sheldon relays the time he caught George in a compromising position after infamously knocking on the door – something that fans have likened to the Season 7 Episode 4 promo. The fact we’ve never seen these events play out, along with Sheldon’s well-known lack of emotional intelligence, likely suggests that he’s as unreliable a narrator as Young Sheldon is. As often happens with kids, memories and the truth can end up being two separate things, making us ask whether George ever cheated after all. 

The Coopers now have other priorities 

CBS

Did George actually have an affair during Young Sheldon? Did Sheldon mistake his mom for someone else? Even if we do find out the answer in the remaining episodes of Season 7, it’s no longer important. Sheldon will shortly be off to Caltech, Meemaw has lost everything she owns, and Georgie needs all hands on deck to help him look after baby Cece. However, the most important component is George himself, who will have died by the end of the Season.

Now that Young Sheldon’s creators have confirmed that George’s death will be addressed –  which otherwise could have been another Sheldon memory lost to continuity –  it’s not exactly a bad idea to let him ride out on a high. Time and time again, fans have praised the show for its light-hearted touch and for not wading into traumatic territory that could easily turn the show from a sitcom into a dramatic tragedy. If Young Sheldon Season 7 is truly to be the last, its finale should be true to its lighthearted beginnings.

So what if George has fallen in love with his wife all over again? So what if Meemaw’s finger-pointing results in nothing? So what if Brenda was really just looking to get back at Mary for having a seemingly perfect life? George Cooper Snr. has been good to Young Sheldon fans – putting endless affair questions aside to focus on this would give him the dignified exit he deserves. 

While you wait for Young Sheldon Season 7 Episode 4, you can check out all the best new TV shows coming out in March here, and catch up with the Young Sheldon Season 7 essentials here:

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