S07.E03: A Strudel And A Hot American Boy Toy

[DanaK]

Quote

Sheldon explores Germany behind Mary's back, Missy attempts to pull a fast one on George Sr. and Meemaw and Dale adjust to living together, on YOUNG SHELDON, Thursday, Feb. 29 (8:00-8:31 PM, ET/PT) on the CBS Television Network, and streaming on Paramount+

 

[ams1001]

I loved all the letter writing. Even if he was being cheap, it was sweet of George to start it.

Why didn't the officers just buy Sheldon a train ticket back? Certainly would beat spending an hour in a car with him and they'd at least know he got safely on a train. 

But maybe it was worth it to see him being chased by a miniature Dachshund.

[Spartan Girl]

Missy’s certainly reverted to form. I knew she was lying about Taylor both times.

I did love the letter writing, it was cute as all out. And it helped Mary finally appreciate George…that makes knowing what’s to come even worse.

That dachshund chasing Sheldon was adorable. 

[Jodithgrace]

Well, I guess that answers the question about whether Sheldon speaks German or not. I felt sorry for Iain having to learn all that, though he did a really good job. I don’t speak it myself, so I can’t say if he was perfect, but it sounded pretty good to me. 
Missy is asking for trouble, lying to George like that. 
Doesn’t Sheldon have classes? How can he go off on train journeys, though that sure looked like fun. I love train travel, especially in Europe or Japan. 
“Onions in, onions out!” So true. 
 

[Katy M]

What kind of a moron leaves his bag on a train, or a bus, if he's getting off.  Even for a minute.

46 minutes ago, ams1001 said:

But maybe it was worth it to see him being chased by a miniature Dachshund.

I got chased by a miniature collie once.  we later became friends.

47 minutes ago, ams1001 said:

Why didn't the officers just buy Sheldon a train ticket back? Certainly would beat spending an hour in a car with him and they'd at least know he got safely on a train. 

Because he lied to his mother.

Also, what time did Sheldon call Missy?  Since there was a 2 or 3 hour lapse before he got home, it doesn't seem like it could have been very late, or Mary would have been worried before the phone call.  It woul dhave been 7 hours earlier in TX, and no teenagers I knew at that time would be up at 9 in the morning if they didn't have to be.  And she clearly didn't have to be.

6 minutes ago, Jodithgrace said:

Doesn’t Sheldon have classes? How can he go off on train journeys, though that sure looked like fun. I love train travel, especially in Europe or Japan. 
“Onions in, onions out!” So true. 

I assume he's doing it on weekends.  Missy was home to answer the phone, in what would have been morning, or I guess possibly middle of night.

[nora1992]

Just how fast was the mail supposed to travel?  The letters seemed to travel at the speed of email. 

[MollyMelrose]

For someone with an eidetic memory, Adult Sheldon sure glossed over the most interesting parts of his first stay in Germany.

The George - Mary letter exchanges were lovely. After hearing the genuine love expressed in Mary's last letter, though, had a sudden moment of panic when the phone rang in her apartment. "Oh no! Not now!" I thought.

Of course, Sheldon's knock on the door and entry into wherever in next week's previews kinda left me with a similar feeling of unease.

[Skooma]

1 hour ago, ams1001 said:

Why didn't the officers just buy Sheldon a train ticket back? Certainly would beat spending an hour in a car with him and they'd at least know he got safely on a train.

Because it is a comedy show and not real life.  Funny is better than realism in any sitcom for me.

36 minutes ago, nora1992 said:

Just how fast was the mail supposed to travel?  The letters seemed to travel at the speed of email. 

They put up subtitles that said 10 days later.

Edited March 1 by Skooma

[Chit Chat]

1 hour ago, ams1001 said:

I loved all the letter writing. Even if he was being cheap, it was sweet of George to start it.

It was nice to see them not fighting for a change!

[anna0852]

56 minutes ago, MollyMelrose said:

The George - Mary letter exchanges were lovely. After hearing the genuine love expressed in Mary's last letter, though, had a sudden moment of panic when the phone rang in her apartment. "Oh no! Not now!" I thought.

Oh my god, I thought the same thing!

I keep thinking that losing George isn't going to be saved for the finale, simply because it's such a *huge* gut punch that they'll want an episode or two to deal with the impact. And I can't imagine they'll want to wrap the series on such a sad storyline.

[howiveaddict]

I remember on BBT that Sheldon couldn't lie. The episode where Leonard and him made up a lie to get out of Penny singing in Rent.  What happened from his lies this episode to him unable to lie to Penny and hiring an actor to make his story plausible.  

Found out tonight the my hubby is hot for MeMaw's hairdo.  So of course I had to show him pictures of how Annie Pott's hair really looks.  To me MeMaw's hair looks like how my grandma used to wear hers. Hmm.

[ItCouldBeWorse]

2 hours ago, Katy M said:

I assume he's doing it on weekends.  Missy was home to answer the phone, in what would have been morning, or I guess possibly middle of night.

It's the summer. Only Georgie and Meemaw are working. I'm actually surprised that Missy didn't find a summer job to earn some money.  I guess she wanted to enjoy the house without Sheldon.

[tkc]

Okay, I know it wasn't cool to do this to a sleeping Connie, but the nasal spray scene was one of this series' best sight gags ever!

And "What's not nice is you violatin' my nose!" 😆

But Mary and George's letters were so sweet.

Edited March 1 by tkc

[Sarah 103]

4 hours ago, Jodithgrace said:

Doesn’t Sheldon have classes? How can he go off on train journeys, though that sure looked like fun. 

I'm guessing longer trips are on weekends and shorter trips are after class. 

4 hours ago, Katy M said:

What kind of a moron leaves his bag on a train, or a bus, if he's getting off.  Even for a minute.

Someone who isn't used to trains, buses, or other non-car modes of transportation. 

3 hours ago, anna0852 said:

I keep thinking that losing George isn't going to be saved for the finale, simply because it's such a *huge* gut punch that they'll want an episode or two to deal with the impact. And I can't imagine they'll want to wrap the series on such a sad storyline.

I don't think that works with the timeline. Sheldon is about to start his final year of college. I am almost sure Sheldon is away at CalTech when George dies. I don't think George's death is going to be an on-screen event we see. It may be mentioned in voice-over. 

I was surprised Taylor was okay with the lie Missy told and that he didn't have a moment's problem with it. 

Edited March 1 by Sarah 103

[Spartan Girl]

3 hours ago, Sarah 103 said:

I was surprised Taylor was okay with the lie Missy told and that he didn't have a moment's problem with it. 

It’s the 90s and it’s Texas. Frankly, I was shocked George was so open-minded about Missy supposedly having a gay friend.

[rmontro]

10 hours ago, Katy M said:

I got chased by a miniature collie once.  we later became friends.

There used to be a little chihuahua that terrorized the neighborhood.  A little ankle biter.  

[nora1992]

9 hours ago, Skooma said:

Because it is a comedy show and not real life.  Funny is better than realism in any sitcom for me.

They put up subtitles that said 10 days later.

Thanks - I missed that.  
10 days in….what year are we in now?  Around 1996, it would take 2 weeks to get a letter to the UK.  Is everything more efficient in Germany?

[shapeshifter]

14 minutes ago, nora1992 said:

Thanks - I missed that.  
10 days in….what year are we in now?  Around 1996, it would take 2 weeks to get a letter to the UK.  Is everything more efficient in Germany?

There are a lot of variables, especially the efficiency of the postal systems at each end on any given day. Around 1996, packages I sent from a remote, rural California town to a small town in Hawaii typically took a couple of weeks, but one took 6 months to get there. Same to rural Ontario Canada.
OTOH, a couple of times a letter between the same addresses took one day, which was much more surprising and puzzling.

But hadn’t Sheldon already set up internet and email at the Cooper’s house? Hotmail was popular then. I guess George wouldn’t have used it.  

[Chit Chat]

3 hours ago, Spartan Girl said:

Frankly, I was shocked George was so open-minded about Missy supposedly having a gay friend.

That option was easier for him to deal with than her having an actual boyfriend!

7 hours ago, Sarah 103 said:

I don't think George's death is going to be an on-screen event we see. It may be mentioned in voice-over. 

I would be okay with that.  I'm glad that YS portrayed George in a better light than what it did on TBBT.  I'm also glad that they're getting away from Mary & George fighting all of the time.  It was getting too depressing.

The final scene with Connie snoring and Dale farting while the fan blew the smell away from Connie was hilarious! That's real life there, folks!!  :) 

[shura]

3 hours ago, Spartan Girl said:

7 hours ago, Sarah 103 said:

I was surprised Taylor was okay with the lie Missy told and that he didn't have a moment's problem with it. 

It’s the 90s and it’s Texas. Frankly, I was shocked George was so open-minded about Missy supposedly having a gay friend.

Well, Taylor was pretty busy when Missy told him :).  I liked his reaction, it reminded me of Joey Tribbiani ('Dude, what are yoiu massaging an old man for?' - 'His daughter was hot!' - 'Gotcha.')

And George's perspective was pretty much that a gay friend is better than a straight boyfriend.  I am actually surprised that the very religious Mary did not seem to have a problem with it, she just chuckled at George's patting himself on the back for being open-minded.

Edited March 1 by shura

[Snow Apple]

13 hours ago, MollyMelrose said:

Of course, Sheldon's knock on the door and entry into wherever in next week's previews kinda left me with a similar feeling of unease.

This season has been so light that I enjoy watching this show again. Last season was so depressing. 

Until next week, I'm going to imagine Sheldon's memory is a "Three's Company" type misunderstanding. Didn't Mary say she fell in love with George all over again due to the letters and told him to wait until she gets home because she's going to rock his world? Maybe she brought some props in Germany. Yeah, that's the ticket.

Edited March 1 by Snow Apple

[Sarah 103]

7 hours ago, Spartan Girl said:

It’s the 90s and it’s Texas. Frankly, I was shocked George was so open-minded about Missy supposedly having a gay friend.

I had the same reaction but I was willing to roll with it because it's TV Land.

3 hours ago, Chit Chat said:

That option was easier for him to deal with than her having an actual boyfriend! 

This is a completely plausible and in character/in universe explanation for George's behavior. George doesn't want anyone messing around with his little girl, which is sweet and problematic at the same time. 

3 hours ago, shura said:

I am actually surprised that the very religious Mary did not seem to have a problem with it, she just chuckled at George's patting himself on the back for being open-minded.

That surprised me too. I think it would have been funnier if George had said "Okay, but don't tell your mother." I can believe George being okay with it. I'm having trouble believing the super religious Mary would be okay with it. 

[SoMuchTV]

4 hours ago, Chit Chat said:

The final scene with Connie snoring and Dale farting while the fan blew the smell away from Connie was hilarious! That's real life there, folks!!  :)

If only a set of fuzzy earmuffs could block out snoring! 

[Spartan Girl]

3 hours ago, Snow Apple said:

This season has been so light that I enjoy watching this show again. Last season was so depressing. 

Until next week, I'm going to imagine Sheldon's memory is a "Three's Company" type misunderstanding. Didn't Mary say she fell in love with George all over again due to the letters and told him to wait until she gets home because she's going to rock his world? Maybe she brought some props in Germany. Yeah, that's the ticket.

That would actually be worse IMO. Because that moment that forever altered Sheldon’s relationship with George all being a stupid misunderstanding? He already has enough regrets about George.

[snarkylady]

5 hours ago, Chit Chat said:

 

The final scene with Connie snoring and Dale farting while the fan blew the smell away from Connie was hilarious! That's real life there, folks!!  :) 

Maybe snoring and farting are real life but they are not hilarious.  The sound of snoring is hateful, not funny.  That's Chuck Lorre right there....for him body functions are hilarious.  Your mileage may vary, of course.  

[Snow Apple]

1 hour ago, Spartan Girl said:

That would actually be worse IMO. Because that moment that forever altered Sheldon’s relationship with George all being a stupid misunderstanding? He already has enough regrets about George.

Eh. A lot of things Sheldon said in BBT didn't come up in Young Sheldon, like how Mary said her other children were dumber than rocks (or something like that). On YS, Mary don't totally think that, especially in regards to Missy. MeeMaw's personality is also different from the stories adult Sheldon told. 

But anyway, that's just in my head. The writers will probably (hopefully) do better so it makes sense that if the affair happens, we get to see how they fixed their marriage. I'd hate for the show to end on a bitter note.

[Chit Chat]

5 hours ago, snarkylady said:

The sound of snoring is hateful, not funny. 

Respectfully, I didn't mean that snoring in itself is funny, but it was funny how Annie Potts & Craig T. Nelson played that scene.  I'm going to assume that many of us can relate to that scene in one way or another!  

FWIW, Mr. Chat snored for years until he started using a CPAP machine, so I understand how annoying snoring is. ;) 

Edited March 2 by Chit Chat

[tennisgurl]

Awww those letters between George and Mary were so sweet, its nice to see them getting along so well, even if they had to be in different hemispheres to get the spark back. Sometimes you just need a change! Sure it was also to save money, but I love that George started the letter writing, it can be romantic and practical! 

Oh George, Missy is just running circles around you. He never even questioned Taylor being a girl and he bought into the whole "he's totally gay" thing super easy and was too busy patting himself on the back to even guess that she could be lying. As for Taylor being alright with it, in my experience most teenage boys will agree to a lot in the middle of a make out session...

Taking trains around Europe really is the best, I had the best time riding on a train across Ireland when I was visiting. Sure there were plenty of better ways for Sheldon to have gotten back to Mary, but then we would have missed the hilarious imagine of Sheldon being menaced by an adorable tiny dog!

[Chit Chat]

19 hours ago, Katy M said:

What kind of a moron leaves his bag on a train, or a bus, if he's getting off.  Even for a minute.

It is Sheldon, and he thinks the world revolves around him, so he probably didn't even consider for a second that the train would dare leave without him on it!!  :) 

[januaryman]

It looks like they've got their comedy mojo back - I hope it continues. Disheveled Sheldon was funny even if he just looked like regular Iain.

[snarkylady]

1 hour ago, Chit Chat said:

Respectfully, I didn't mean that snoring in itself is funny, but it was funny how Annie Potts & Craig T. Nelson played that scene.  I'm going to assume that many of us can relate to that scene in way or another!  

FWIW, Mr. Chat snored for years until he started using a CPAP machine, so I understand how annoying snoring is. ;) 

Thank you for your explanation.

[emma675]

Sheldon being chased by the weenie dog, tripping and falling, and his shoe sailing off into the distance made me laugh so hard I had to pause the show. 

[chitowngirl]

It’s not on this Germany trip that George passes away. It’s a different one where Sheldon is there as a visiting professor. Mary is not with him on that trip.

[ItCouldBeWorse]

7 hours ago, Chit Chat said:

The final scene with Connie snoring and Dale farting while the fan blew the smell away from Connie was hilarious! That's real life there, folks!!  :) 

And Dale had earmuffs on to block the sound of her snoring.

[possibilities]

I really don't want this show to show us George dying. Let the show end happily. He can die sometime, off screen, after this show ends and before BBT starts. There were quite a few years in between ,right? I don't need to see it. 

[Pallida]

2 hours ago, Chit Chat said:

It is Sheldon, and he thinks the world revolves around him, so he probably didn't even consider for a second that the train would dare leave without him on it!!  :) 

I agree with this but also want to add that Mary completely squashes Sheldon’s social intelligence development. Her “little boy” isn’t learning how to function in the non-academic world like his age peers because he is incredibly coddled. His time in the dorms was an important start, but a teenager not being allowed to take public transportation on his own is absurd. (Maybe the trains aren’t public? But same idea.)

Edited March 2 by Pallida
Clarifying

[chitowngirl]

I think Missy and Sheldon are still 13. The past 2 seasons covered a very short timeline. IIRC, George passes away when they are 14, so next summer. Since this is a short season ender, I think they’ll end it with Sheldon graduating college and then his going back to Germany and George passing away will be in a voiceover montage at the end.

[Katy M]

5 hours ago, Spartan Girl said:

That would actually be worse IMO. Because that moment that forever altered Sheldon’s relationship with George all being a stupid misunderstanding? He already has enough regrets about George.

I don't care if they don't follow BBT canon, but in BBT canon it's not possible that Sheldon just mistook his mother for someone else because of a wig or whataever. Because the woman he walks in on with George bought him an action figure to try to win him over.  I don't think a wig would fool him that long.

[appositival]

22 hours ago, Jodithgrace said:

I don’t speak it myself, so I can’t say if he was perfect, but it sounded pretty good to me.

I think it had his 'Texas' accent, but the words were clear and sounded natural. Does anyone fluent in German have an assessment?

4 hours ago, tennisgurl said:

As for Taylor being alright with it, in my experience most teenage boys will agree to a lot in the middle of a make out session...

Yeah, as long as he doesn't have George for gym or football he should be OK.

I think the characters are moving towards their BBT personas (big YMMV). Mary is loosening-up and learning to manipulate Sheldon, "I let him get away with it. It's killing him!"

Absence making George and Mary's hearts fonder was nice.

Sheldon could probably convince Mary to take a day trip by train to some museum, but that wouldn't be his first choice.

I wonder if anything will be missing from his backpack?

[Sarah 103]

5 hours ago, tennisgurl said:

Oh George, Missy is just running circles around you. He never even questioned Taylor being a girl and he bought into the whole "he's totally gay" thing super easy and was too busy patting himself on the back to even guess that she could be lying.

There are some names that are commonly used for both boys and girls. However, if he only knew Taylors who were girls, he might not have thought of it as a boy's name. 

3 hours ago, chitowngirl said:

It’s not on this Germany trip that George passes away. It’s a different one where Sheldon is there as a visiting professor. Mary is not with him on that trip.

I thought it was a different trip to Germany where another tornado happens. I thought George died while Sheldon was at CalTech, not in Germany. Either way, you are correct that George dies after what will most likely be the end of the series Young Sheldon. 

3 hours ago, possibilities said:

I really don't want this show to show us George dying. Let the show end happily. He can die sometime, off screen, after this show ends and before BBT starts. There were quite a few years in between ,right? I don't need to see it. 

That is my understanding of the timeline. 

1 hour ago, Pallida said:

I agree with this but also want to add that Mary completely squashes Sheldon’s social intelligence development. Her “little boy” isn’t learning how to function in the non-academic world like his age peers because he is incredibly coddled. His time in the dorms was an important start, but a teenager not being allowed to take public transportation on his own is absurd. (Maybe the trains aren’t public? But same idea.)

I agree with you for the most part. There should be rules that take safety into account, because he is still a young teenager. There may be towns/neighborhoods that are fine in the daytime, but unsafe at night, or towns/neighborhoods that are unsafe in general.

For some reason, I'm picturing what would have happened if the parental positions were swapped (Mary spending the summer in Texas and George spending the summer in Germany) and how George would have handled it. I can picture him laying down some ground rules, like day trips only and he has to back by a particular time, but letting Sheldon explore the city and ride trains on his own.  

I think this highlights the difference between George and Mary. Mary thinks everyone should do whatever it takes to make her special little boy happy. George thinks that even though Sheldon is smart, he still needs to live in the real world like everyone else. 

[possibilities]

I was babysitting other kids when I was 13 (in the 1980s). I do not understand the idea that a 13 year old can't ride public transportation. 

And it's not like Sheldon isn't squeamish about a lot of things and very concerned about safety. They could have a rational conversation with him about how to behave, where he's going, etc, and he'd be  better off both in the short and long term. 

 

[Pallida]

I bet Sheldon would even love making a spreadsheet of what trains/routes are safe at what time! Or how many routes he can take if he's only allowed 2 hours a day or 10 hours a week or something.

[Sarah 103]

2 hours ago, possibilities said:

They could have a rational conversation with him about how to behave, where he's going, etc, and he'd be  better off both in the short and long term. 

1 hour ago, Pallida said:

I bet Sheldon would even love making a spreadsheet of what trains/routes are safe at what time!

Huge yes to both of these. Sheldon is really good about rules and structure. It would have worked. You could have raised the stakes of the conflict/problem. Sheldon still gets off the train, but it's toward the end of the day and the next train will get him back after curfew or something. 

[aqusdealer]

Isn't it possible they wont kill off George Sr. at all?  

[Yeah No]

11 hours ago, Chit Chat said:

Respectfully, I didn't mean that snoring in itself is funny, but it was funny how Annie Potts & Craig T. Nelson played that scene.  I'm going to assume that many of us can relate to that scene in one way or another!  

FWIW, Mr. Chat snored for years until he started using a CPAP machine, so I understand how annoying snoring is. ;) 

I was a little grossed out by it, but I laughed in spite of myself because it was true to life.  As an older married person myself I can relate to it, LOL.  Plus the acting was hysterical!

7 hours ago, chitowngirl said:

I think Missy and Sheldon are still 13. The past 2 seasons covered a very short timeline. IIRC, George passes away when they are 14, so next summer. Since this is a short season ender, I think they’ll end it with Sheldon graduating college and then his going back to Germany and George passing away will be in a voiceover montage at the end.

I agree because if George doesn't die until Sheldon is 14 the show likely won't be up to that point yet by the end of the series and can cover it in voiceovers.   And it might not even need to deal with the circumstances of Sheldon walking in on his father with another woman either.  They can bypass that altogether.

I'm just wondering if Sheldon's going to come back from Germany at all by the end of the series.  I guess with Meemaw over at her BF's house his room will still be available.

As for the letter writing making George and Mary's hearts grow fonder, I think that's a nice way to show them reconciling somewhat before his death.  Hopefully that can continue for a while.  It would be nicer to see them on good terms before the series ends and/or he dies, even if things change after the series ends.  I'm hoping the series can end on an up note and just montage and voiceover the depressing facts of the end of George's life.

[SnapHappy]

9 hours ago, aqusdealer said:

Isn't it possible they wont kill off George Sr. at all?  

I'm hoping that when they end this show, it's not even a voiceover moment.   "And that was the last time I talked to my father...." or something like that. 

They can just leave the family back together post Germany, at the end of the summer.  I don't need or want a summation.  We've had a few voiceovers from adult Sheldon, Amy and Raj I think? Or was it Leonard? 

Those suffice for me to tie this show to BBT.  I say let it be. 

[Katy M]

18 hours ago, Chit Chat said:

It is Sheldon, and he thinks the world revolves around him, so he probably didn't even consider for a second that the train would dare leave without him on it!!  :) 

Even if the train didn't leave, someone could have just swiped it.

[shapeshifter]

1 minute ago, SnapHappy said:

I'm hoping that when they end this show, it's not even a voiceover moment.   "And that was the last time I talked to my father...." or something like that. 

They can just leave the family back together post Germany, at the end of the summer.  I don't need or want a summation.  We've had a few voiceovers from adult Sheldon, Amy and Raj I think? Or was it Leonard? 

Those suffice for me to tie this show to BBT.  I say let it be. 

I agree — and I especially do not need a voiceover mentioning George's death.
However…

• Considering that they have had the adult Sheldon voice overs throughout the series, I can see them wanting one at the end.
• And, since they're planning a spin-off series with several of these characters, there's likely to be a lot of discussion as to what that voiceover should include that will whet the appetites of the viewers to want to see the new show.
• Also, a lot of men were still dying of heart attacks in the 90s
  — especially those who were overweight, stressed, inactive, smokers (could not be shown on network TV nowadays) and in rural areas where the latest medical interventions might not yet be available
  — it would not be unrealistic to mention George dying.

So, they might do something like this.
Hopefully if they must have such a voice over, it will be done thoughtfully by the writers and not dashed off at the last minute.

[Me from ME]

Quote

Is everything more efficient in Germany?

Public transportation is, for sure. In fact, in a few weeks I will be on one - with my bicycle when I get tired of pedaling. Most trains in Europe have a special car dedicated for bicycles with both bike racks and seats. As far as the mail goes, a while back I sent a letter from Great Britain to Munich to tell family friends that we would be there in about three weeks. We arrived before the letter did. Maybe it was the British postal system but it seemed slow.

[CriticalMass]

On 3/1/2024 at 1:00 PM, Sarah 103 said:

I had the same reaction but I was willing to roll with it because it's TV Land.

This is a completely plausible and in character/in universe explanation for George's behavior. George doesn't want anyone messing around with his little girl, which is sweet and problematic at the same time. 

That surprised me too. I think it would have been funnier if George had said "Okay, but don't tell your mother." I can believe George being okay with it. I'm having trouble believing the super religious Mary would be okay with it. 

I can’t believe Mary would be ok with the unmarried Georgie sharing a bedroom with his girlfriend (despite the fact they already have a child together).