Young Sheldon Season 6 Just Made George’s Impending Death More Tragic

Young Sheldon season 6 just made George’s eventual death so much more tragic due to a reminder of his and Missy’s relationship. Thanks to the established canon on The Big Bang Theory, the Cooper patriarch already has a pre-determined end in its prequel spinoff, Young Sheldon. According to Sheldon’s story on the earlier, geek-centric sitcom, George Sr. (Lance Barber) dies when he’s 14 years old, and since he’s already 12 going on 13 in Young Sheldon season 6, his dad has just around two years left to live within the story of the CBS series.

Tied to George’s death is his infamous cheating scandal. In The Big Bang Theory, Sheldon revealed that a year before his father suddenly passed away, he accidentally caught him having a sexual encounter with another woman. Considering the sensitivity of these events, Young Sheldon has delayed tackling the storyline for years, opting to focus on the lighter side of the Cooper family history. Now the show has run out of time and is forced to finally set these narratives in motion or risk fully breaking The Big Bang Theory continuity.

George’s looming death is already tragic, but it becomes darker and sadder because of a new Young Sheldon season 6 behind-the-scenes clip. Raegan Revord shared a video of her and Barber between filming for the new season of the CBS sitcom where they share a sweet moment. In the caption, she says that, like Missy and George, she and her co-star have the same strong bond. This hints that Young Sheldon season 6 will be showing more of the pair’s special relationship, which is one of the best dynamics in the series but is often overlooked. Realizing this, the show could be making a conscious effort to put more focus on George and Missy’s interactions. Unfortunately, they only have a limited time with each other given the Cooper patriarch’s impending death. Young Sheldon doing this at this junction in the comedy’s storytelling would only make George’s unexpected demise so much more distressing.

How George’s Death Affects Missy

The Big Bang Theory revealed very little about what happens after George’s death in Young Sheldon. Georgie did say that he took care of the family because Mary was too sad to function. Sheldon was oblivious to all of this because he was out of the country for a study abroad program. However, considering her close relationship with her dad, it’s safe to say that Missy was the most devastated when George Sr. died.

Georgie alluded to this when describing his sister as just a “dumb teenager.” This cannot be farther from the truth in Young Sheldon‘s current depiction of the character. Instead, she is arguably the best-adjusted member of the Cooper family, offering everyone emotional support as they struggle with their issues toward the end of Young Sheldon season 5. Georgie’s words, however, could be an indication that after George’s death, Missy went down a dark path and intentionally rebelled as a way to deal with her grief.

In Young Sheldon, Missy is the best Cooper. Given how mature and smart she is in the prequel spinoff, it’s a wonder why she is the least successful Cooper sibling in The Big Bang Theory in the traditional sense. The death of George Sr. could be the reason for this. Losing her father may have drastically altered the course of her life.

Young Sheldon will return for season 6 on CBS starting on September 29.