For Young Sheldon, the Time Has Come to Decide Whether or Not to Rewrite a Major Piece of Big Bang Theory History

Ryan Schwartz
·3 min read
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Young Sheldon could be months, weeks, or even days out from a painful childhood memory first revealed on The Big Bang Theory.

During Thursday’s episode, Sheldon’s twin sister Missy confronted George about sneaking around with next-door neighbor Brenda Sparks. The episode also acknowledged that Missy is now 13 years old — which, according to Big Bang, is the age where Sheldon walks in on his father having sex with another woman.

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“I was 13 years old, and on spring break from college,” Sheldon told Penny during Season 10 of the mothership. “My mother was in bible study, I walked in the house expecting to find it empty, and I heard a sound coming from my parents’ bedroom. When I opened the door, I saw my father having relations with another woman…. We locked eyes, I ran to my room, and we never, ever spoke of it.” It’s the reason why Dr. Cooper knocks three times before entering a room.

On Young Sheldon, George and Brenda’s relationship can best be described as an emotional affair. They’ve been sneaking into Billy’s chicken coop to see each other ever since Meemaw first started to suspect that her son-in-law was up to no good early in Season 5, but they haven’t had sex — not yet, anyway. At this point, Mary is aware that Brenda has feelings for a married man, but she has no idea that man is George.

When the spinoff first hinted at a possible extramarital affair at the end of Season 4, series co-creator Steve Molaro put out a statement conceding that Adult Sheldon told some not-so-great stories about Dad on Big Bang — stories that were conceived before the Powers That Be ever dreamt up Young Sheldon. “We try to honor those stories [on Young Sheldon] but also like to find unexpected ways for them to play out,” he said at the time. “These stories Adult Sheldon is telling us [on the prequel] come from a new perspective — one he has gained after becoming a father himself. Sometimes life gets complicated, but we’re excited to explore these new chapters in the lives of the Coopers.”

In other words, the spinoff could undo what Sheldon thought he saw at 13, or even ignore it entirely. But the second scenario seems highly unlikely now that the spinoff has spent the better part of two years teasing George’s infidelity. So now we ask you: What should Young Sheldon do? Should the prequel stay true to what was established on TBBT and explore the repercussions of that moment? Or should that moment be retconned? Vote in our poll, then sound off in Comments.

Launch Gallery: <I>Young Sheldon</I>: Every <I>Big Bang Theory</I> Cameo, Easter Egg and Future Reveal

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