Young Sheldon has come to an end after seven seasons, and with George’s death being central to the final episodes, it was a bittersweet finale.
Despite being a sitcom, it’s no surprise that the final two episodes of Young Sheldon were deeply emotional. With the death of George Cooper confirmed in the third-to-last episode and the penultimate episode titled “Funeral,” fans were prepared to get through it with a box of tissues. And they were needed.
The ending to The Big Bang Theory prequel spinoff, delivered in two parts over an hour, offered just the right balance of humor and heartfelt emotion. It ends with a sweet lesson that adult Sheldon (Jim Parsons) learned from his writing, with a little assistance from his wife Amy (Mayim Bialik).
The Balance of Humor and Heart in Young Sheldon’s Finale
The two episodes tug at the heartstrings, centered around George’s sudden death. But they also feature the funny one-liners and sarcastic remarks for which the show has become known. From Dale (Craig T. Nelson) being chastised by Connie (Annie Potts) for playing guitar in his underwear to being kicked out of both George’s (Lance Barber) chair and Sheldon’s (Iain Armitage) “spot,” to neighbor Billy (Wyatt McClure) offering to console Missy (Raegan Revord) with a kiss, Connie’s wise-cracking funeral speech, and Sheldon walking into his Baptism with full scuba diving gear, these moments were desperately needed to lighten the mood.
That’s because they were juxtaposed with tear-jerking moments, like Missy breaking down at the memories of her father playing princess parties with her while saying her final goodbyes or Sheldon reliving his father’s last moments in his head again and again. Fans were gutted watching Sheldon imagine alternate realities of the fleeting final moment with his dad, each time saying something different than, well, nothing.
He went through a simple “bye” to a “Can I come with you?” He thought of a Star Trek-inspired phrase and even a heartfelt “I love you.” The regret Sheldon felt for not addressing his father when he left the house for what would be the last time is palpable. It’s relatable to anyone who has lost someone they loved and wasn’t able to say a proper goodbye.
The episode showed a softer, more vulnerable side to Connie as well, who had been the hardest on George through the years. The scene where she pleads with Sheldon and Missy to get baptized to satisfy their mother’s wish because she is tortured by “watching her daughter fall apart” brought on the waterworks. Connie’s speech at the funeral was designed to shed positive light on the otherwise somber mood. But she also ended it by tearfully admitting that George had earned her respect over the years. “He was a good man, and I will always be proud to call him my son,” she said as her eyes welled up.
What’s most fitting is that the episode didn’t try to make Sheldon into an emotional wreck, something his personality would suggest he’d never be. Instead, he remained stoic and logical and simply avoided the grieving process at all costs. It wasn’t the healthiest way to deal with it, clearly manifesting in his later resentment towards his father. But it was a way fans would expect Sheldon to handle such tragic news and major changes in his life. Even his speech at his dad’s funeral is revealed to only be what Sheldon hoped he had said. In reality, Sheldon stayed seated in the church pew, quiet as a mouse, not able to find the words.