The Young Sheldon series finale led to a theory that The Big Bang Theory‘s Leonard Hofstadter (Johnny Galecki) is dead, but if the “Leonard is dead” theory proves to be true, it would break an unspoken golden rule about sitcoms. Young Sheldon‘s series finale featured Jim Parsons reprising his role as the adult Sheldon Cooper, and not just for narration purposes, as he physically appeared alongside Mayim Bialik, who also reprised her role from the original sitcom as Amy Farrah Fowler.
In scenes that took place after the events of The Big Bang Theory‘s series finale, Sheldon and Amy discussed their son, who is named Leonard, and their unnamed daughter. While Sheldon also mentioned Penny (Kaley Cuoco), the original Leonard was never acknowledged. This, along with other evidence, raised the possibility that Leonard may have diedsince the conclusion of The Big Bang Theory, which could impact the existing series and the franchise’s other spinoffs that are currently in the works.
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It is a generally accepted, albeit unspoken rule, that the main characters aren’t supposed to die in group sitcoms. Part of what defines these shows is the feeling of comfort and familiarity they evoke, making it accessible to dive into any given episode of the series. There is a sense of safety in knowing that all the characters are going to be fine, regardless of their relationship troubles, stresses of their jobs, and other troubles that they may be facing.
The Big Bang Theory ‘s Leonard dying would break the golden rule about main characters not dying far worse than How I Met Your Mother did.
The group sitcom How I Met Your Mother featured character deaths, including Marshall’s father and the titular Mother herself, Tracy McConnell, but the main characters were never killed. Despite her late introduction to the series and not being a main character, the Mother’s death in How I Met Your Mother proved to be highly divisive. The controversy would’ve been even worse if the series had killed Ted, Marshall, Lily, Barney, or Robin. The Big Bang Theory‘s Leonard dying would break the golden rule about main characters not dying far worse than How I Met Your Mother did.
The Sitcom Rule Shows Leonard Being Dead Would Be A Mistake
Watching The Big Bang Theory Would Never Be The Same Again
Sitcoms don’t kill off their main characters because doing so would take away much of the comfort and familiarity that the genre has to offer. Even when rewatching Seinfeld, whose humor was more mean-spirited than some other sitcoms, there is still that comfort in its rewatchability. If Phoebe died in Friends or George died in Seinfeld, watching these sitcoms would never be the same again, as any scene with Phoebe or George, no matter how humorous, would be tainted by the knowledge and sadness of these characters’ deaths.
The Big Bang Theory would lose much of its comforting appeal and rewatchability if Leonard were dead. Moments like Leonard being the best man at Sheldon’s wedding and bringing Penny a perfectly preserved arctic snowflake when returning home after three months in the North Pole would no longer be as sweet with Leonard’s death hanging over them during a rewatch. It would ultimately dampen the spirit of rewatching The Big Bang Theory during its many reruns on cable television and on the numerous streaming services where it is available to watch.
Is Leonard Really Dead In The Big Bang Theory?
There Is Evidence For And Against The Theory
Sheldon and Amy naming their son Leonard was confirmed to have been done to honor Sheldon’s best friend Leonard and Sheldon’s idol, Spock actor Leonard Nimoy. Nevertheless, this may be the first clue that the Leonard being dead theory is true, as children are often named to honor a deceased loved one. It would be strange, and likely confusing during family get-togethers, to name their son Leonard if the original Leonard was still alive.
Another potential clue is that the Young Sheldon finale mentions Penny, with Sheldon claiming that his unnamed daughter’s desire to take acting classes must be because of Penny babysitting her, but there was no mention of Leonard. This feels like a glaring omission with Penny and Leonard being married and being such a central part of Sheldon and Amy’s lives, and presumably in the lives of their children as well. Leonard was also never mentioned or incorporated into any point of Young Sheldon, unlike Howard Wolowitz (Simon Helberg), who had a voiceover cameo.
There was also the matter of Leonard’s health issues, including sleep apnea and asthma, which could have led to an early death. None of the evidence is ironclad, though, as Young Sheldon was understandably more focused on wrapping up its own story than providing updates on all The Big Bang Theory‘s main characters. Mentioning Leonard arguably never fit the needs of Young Sheldon‘s story, which primarily revolved around Sheldon’s life before he ever met Leonard.
If such a wild twist were to occur, the franchise likely wouldn’t have chosen to do it offscreen and would make it a more direct part of its story. The Georgie & Mandy’s First Marriage spinoff is unlikely to confirm or deny the theory given when it takes place and the characters it focuses on. Hopefully, it will eventually be addressed as the franchise continues to expand, proving that Leonard is alive and well and that The Big Bang Theory‘s universe didn’t break the golden sitcom rule.
