Young Sheldon Kills Off Beloved Cast Member During Final Season
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Originally appeared on E! Online
This story contains spoilers from the final season of Young Sheldon.
Young Sheldon just delivered a devastating full-circle moment.
During the penultimate episode of The Big Bang Theory prequel, Sheldon's father George Cooper, played by Lance Barber, died of a heart attack.
While heartbreaking, it's a moment fans of the series knew may be coming as in season seven of The Big Bang Theory, Sheldon—played by Jim Parsons who also narrates Young Sheldon—explained his dad had passed away when he was 14, the same age his character is in the final season of the prequel series.
And after the episode aired May 9, Iain Armitage, who stars in the titular role, shared a tribute to his onscreen father. "Love you, George!" he wrote alongside heart emojis and photos with Barber on set. "Love you, Lance!!!"
And despite laying the groundwork for George's death years earlier, Young Sheldon producers Steven Holland and Chuck Lorre made a conscious effort to make it as least sad as possible.
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"There was a version of this," Holland explained to Variety, "where it would have been: The finale would have been the death and the funeral. I think it was Chuck who said, ‘This is mostly a positive, uplifting show. Let's not leave the audience deep in their grief. Let's watch the family start to piece itself back together, and let's end with a little hope.' So then that re-shifted when we were going to do it."
The series takes its final bow after seven seasons on May 16—with appearances from Parsons and Mayim Bialik—as the Cooper family picks up the pieces following George's death and Sheldon prepares to head off to Caltech.
However, this isn't the last we'll see of the Coopers as Montana Jordan, who plays Sheldon's brother Georgie, and Emily Osment are returning for Mandy and George's First Marriage, which is set to premiere this fall.
Keep reading to see when more of your favorite shows are returning this year.
Love Undercover (Peacock) - May 9
Five international soccer superstars look for love by taking on secret identities to date several single women in Los Angeles who don’t know of their fame overseas.
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Sins of the South (Oxygen) - May 12
The American South is known for its beauty and culture: the music, the food, the hospitality. However, its dark side – the greed, the lust, the wrath – can be just as alluring. Oxygen True Crime sheds light on the intriguing stories that shook the region when Sins of the South.
Bridgerton (Netflix) - May 16
From Shondaland and new showrunner, Jess Brownell, Bridgerton is back for its third season and finds Penelope Featherington (Nicola Coughlan) has finally given up on her long-held crush on Colin Bridgerton (Luke Newton) after hearing his disparaging words about her last season. She has, however, decided it’s time to take a husband, preferably one who will provide her with enough independence to continue her double life as Lady Whistledown, far away from her mother and sisters. But lacking in confidence, Penelope’s attempts on the marriage mart fail spectacularly. Meanwhile, Colin has returned from his summer travels with a new look and a serious sense of swagger. But he’s disheartened to realize that Penelope, the one person who always appreciated him as he was, is giving him the cold shoulder. Eager to win back her friendship, Colin offers to mentor Penelope in the ways of confidence to help her find a husband this season. But when his lessons start working a little too well, Colin must grapple with whether his feelings for Penelope are truly just friendly. Complicating matters for Penelope is her rift with Eloise (Claudia Jessie), who has found a new friend in a very unlikely place, while Penelope’s growing presence in the ton makes it all the more difficult to keep her Lady Whistledown alter ego a secret.
Don't Forget the Lyrics (Fox) - May 16
Hosted by Emmy Award-winner Niecy Nash, Don’t Forget The Lyrics challenges contestants’ musical memory as they get one song closer to winning $1 million.
I Can See Your Voice (Fox) - May 16
I Can See Your Voice host Ken Jeong is joined by Emmy Award-nominated actress Cheryl Hines and Daytime Emmy Award-winning television host and vocalist Adrienne Bailon-Houghton along with a rotating panel of celebrity detectives to help one contestant tell the difference between good and bad singers…without ever hearing them sing a note.
Race to Survive New Zealand (USA) - May 20
In the most harrowing outdoor adventure competition yet, challengers must rely on a combination of endurance racing, survival skills and intuition as they navigate 150 miles of New Zealand’s harshest terrain. From the depths of ancient caves to frigid alpine summits, every step and every calorie is hard-earned. However, strength and speed alone won’t be enough to win $500,000. Rather, only those with the strongest will to survive can claim this life-changing prize.
Weakest Link (NBC) - May 20
Hosted by Emmy Award winner Jane Lynch, the iconic British import and international game show phenomenon returns with a new batch of episodes, including a special veteran-themed show saluting the troops.
Gordon Ramsey's Food Stars (Fox) - May 22
Culinary titan Gordan Ramsay welcomes famed hospitality industry leader and TV personality Lisa Vanderpump in the all-new season of the hit competition series.
The Kardashians (Hulu) - May 23
Kris Jenner, Kourtney Kardashian Barker, Kim Kardashian, Khloé Kardashian, Kendall Jenner and Kylie Jenner return for season five this spring.
Gaga Chromatica Ball (HBO) - May 25
In front of a sold-out crowd of 52,000 people, 13-time Grammy and Academy Award winner Lady Gaga delivers a career-defining performance at Los Angeles’s Dodger Stadium during her 2022 Chromatica Ball Tour.
Beat Shazam (Fox) - May 28
Jamie Foxx and Corinne Fox return for a new season of the interactive game show.
America's Got Talent (NBC) - May 28
The 19th season of America’s Got Talent returns with a new set of aspiring performers looking to compete for the ultimate $1 million prize. Executive producer Simon Cowell returns to the star-studded judging panel with Heidi Klum, Howie Mandel and Sofia Vergara.
Masterchef (Fox) - May 29
Gordon Ramsay, acclaimed chef Aarón Sánchez and renowned restaurateur Joe Bastianich return for the ultimate cook-off, as the top home cooks from four different generations, inclusive of Gen Z, Millenials, Gen X and Baby Boomers, battle it out.
Teen Mom: The Next Chapter (MTV) - May 30
Catelynn Baltierra, Jade Cline, Cheyenne Davis, Briana DeJesus, Ashley Jones, Maci McKinney, Leah Messer and Amber Portwood return for the new season. The moms are stepping into new territory, some of them giving driving lessons to their adolescents and others weighing their desire to have more children. In the midst of it all, they are juggling their relationships, prioritizing time for their significant others and navigating personal discoveries.
We Are Lady Parts (Peacock) - May 30
Season two of We Are Lady Parts sees the band return with a renewed artistic mission after the high of their first U.K. tour, only to find a rival band threatens their delicate status quo. As the reality of chasing success sets in, Lady Parts embark on recording their first album, juggling personal ambitions and deciding whether "making it big" is really what they wanted.
We Are Lady Parts (Peacock) - May 30
Season two of We Are Lady Parts sees the band return with a renewed artistic mission after the high of their first U.K. tour, only to find a rival band threatens their delicate status quo. As the reality of chasing success sets in, Lady Parts embark on recording their first album, juggling personal ambitions and deciding whether ‘making it big’ is really what they wanted.
The Real Housewives of Dubai (Bravo) - June 2
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Gypsy Rose: Life After Lock Up (Lifetime) - June 3
On the heels of the buzzed about documentary The Prison Confessions of Gypsy Rose Blanchard where Gypsy Rose Blanchard told her story in her own words, Lifetime's new eight episode docuseries, Gypsy Rose: Life After Lock Up picks up immediately from the days before her release from prison on Dec. 28 of last year. The series follows Gypsy as she experiences life as a free woman, including reconnecting with family and finally living with her husband Ryan Anderson for the first time.
Name That Tune (Fox) - June 3
Hosted by Jane Krakowski and band leader Randy Jackson, contestants' musical knowledge will be tested for a chance to win over $100,000.
Below Deck Mediterranean (Bravo ) - June 3
The azure waters and ancient ruins of Athens, Greece set the scene as Capt. Sandy Yawn returns to steer her team through a season brimming with fresh and formidable challenges. Between eccentric guests, an abundance of late-night demands that require intervention and a never-before-seen mechanical issue that orders all hands on deck, the crew faces tumultuous waves from the start.
Clipped (Hulu) - June 4
Clipped takes you behind the scenes of a notorious NBA owner’s racist remarks, captured on a tape heard around the world. Based on the hit ESPN 30 for 30 podcast The Sterling Affairs, this limited series charts the collision between a dysfunctional basketball organization and even less functional marriage, and the precipitating tape’s impact on an ensemble of characters striving to win against the backdrop of the most cursed team in the league.
Becoming Karl Lagerfeld (Hulu) - June 7
In 1972, Karl Lagerfeld (Daniel Brühl) is 38 and not yet wearing his iconic hairstyle. He is a ready-to-wear designer, unknown to the general public. While he meets and falls in love with the sultry Jacques de Bascher (Théodore Pellerin), an ambitious and troubling young dandy, the most mysterious of fashion designers dares to take on his friend (and rival) Yves Saint Laurent (Arnaud Valois), a genius of haute couture backed by the redoubtable businessman Pierre Bergé (Alex Lutz).
Perfect Match (Netflix) - June 7
In the second season of Perfect Match, 22 new singles from across Netflix’s unscripted series are back in the search for love. They will couple up and test their romantic relationships through compatibility challenges. Winning couples gain power in the game to bring in new singles to match with their castmates – setting up potential love matches or stirring trouble in paradise as they compete to be the strongest couple at the villa, crowned the Perfect Match.
The Boys (Prime) - June 13
In Season Four, the world is on the brink. Victoria Neuman is closer than ever to the Oval Office and under the muscly thumb of Homelander, who is consolidating his power. Butcher, with only months to live, has lost Becca’s son and his job as The Boys’ leader. The rest of the team are fed up with his lies. With the stakes higher than ever, they have to find a way to work together and save the world before it’s too late.
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