S07.E12: A New Home And A Traditional Texas Torture

[DanaK]

Quote

George Sr. gets an exciting job offer, and Sheldon prepares for his move to California, on YOUNG SHELDON, Thursday, May 9 (8:31-9:01 PM, ET/PT) on the CBS Television Network, and streaming on Paramount+

2nd of 2 episodes for May 9

[ams1001]

"That young man might change the world someday. Or blow it up. Who's to say?" 

 

Okay, I knew it was coming but was not expecting it this episode. 💔

[Starchild]

I was, but I still wasn't ready 

[jennifer6973]

I had a weird feeling when he was on the ladder and then when he walked out the door.

[anna0852]

Oh god 😢
 

When he walked out the back door I thought we were going to hear him hit the ground.

Edited May 10 by anna0852

[Starchild]

I am curious how they reconcile Mary and Sheldon's feelings about George with the things they say in BBT. Coping strategy turned into defense mechanism?

[Skooma]

Wow, they did it.

Thought it would happen off screen after the show ended.  But as soon as he walked out the door you knew.

Edited May 10 by Skooma

[Spartan Girl]

Just now, jennifer6973 said:

I had a weird feeling when he was on the ladder and then when he walked out the door.

So did I. And when Mary was making such a big deal about the photo, I knew.

The cast really sold that last minute. Especially Ian.

Man, poor Sheldon. I know he was acting like a brat over the family moving, but I could easily see how he was projecting his buried anxiety about CalTech. Coming to terms with that only to get suckered-punched by a much, much, worse thing. His face said it all.

[ProudMary]

I don't think I've ever laughed as hard at this show as the scene with Sheldon in the hazmat suit making sure his room wasn't still radioactive, "before the Realtor comes." I have to re-watch the scene because I missed stuff from laughing so hard!

But then there was the final scene, which was so incredibly sad. I truly thought they weren't going to go there, except perhaps with a voice over as they did in the original Wonder Years. 

[ItCouldBeWorse]

2 minutes ago, Starchild said:

I am curious how they reconcile Mary and Sheldon's feelings about George with the things they say in BBT. Coping strategy turned into defense mechanism?

Maybe Mary finds out about the vasectomy after reading the autopsy report and thinks that George was having flings on the side.  She would be too embarrassed to ask George's co-workers, who would know the truth.

Edited May 10 by ItCouldBeWorse

[JayDub1987]

I knew it was gonna happen, and it still hurt me. That’s good writing. 

[chitowngirl]

As soon as everyone said goodbye, I knew. 😔 Missy is always going to regret not driving in with him that morning.

Vanity Card from the episode: CHUCK LORRE PRODUCTIONS, #742 Eighteen years ago, when we were writing and producing The Big Bang Theory, it seemed like a good idea to imagine that Sheldon's childhood was deeply disrupted by the loss of his father. No one could have thought
that someday we would regret that decision. That someday is now.
There were a lot of tears on stage when this episode's last scene was shot. A reminder that we had all fallen in love with a fictional character. Which is, itself, a reminder to love the characters in our life who are real. To do
otherwise, is to live with regret.

[Chit Chat]

I was really hoping that we'd learn of George's death in a voice over from Sheldon.  I wasn't expecting this (I avoided spoilers.)  😢

At least they redeemed his character, and we can remember how he and Mary were happy.  I'm glad that it was George's friends who came to tell Mary the news.  That was a tough scene for them to film.  

 

6 minutes ago, ItCouldBeWorse said:

Maybe Mary finds out about the vasectomy after reading the autopsy report and thinks that George was having flings on the side.

If that happens, I'm sure his friend (the other coach) will tell her why he did that.  

The vanity card makes me feel a little better about this whole thing. 

Edited May 10 by Chit Chat

[mammaM]

After retconning the affair I honestly wasn't sure if they were gonna kill off George. The show actually had me thinking this is how they're gonna write the Cooper's in the Georgie and Mandy show, they're in Houston. Well done show 💔 RIP George 

[ItCouldBeWorse]

5 minutes ago, Chit Chat said:

If that happens, I'm sure his friend (the other coach) will tell her why he did that.  

Only if she were to tell them about it, which she would be too humiliated to do.

I don't actually want this scenario to take place.

[bad things are bad]

Poor George.  Finally getting his dream job and a wife who's OK with moving.  Random universe,  indeed

[DoYouLikeMutton]

Poignant scene, but this show has been a drag for a long time.  Like when they killed off Brian Griffin.

[Chit Chat]

 I'm glad that they filmed it this way though.  I didn't want to see this played out with them all at the hospital.  Having the principal & other coach break the news was the right decision.  

It was fun to see Mary tell Sheldon to get back to the dinner table.  That's the Mary of TBBT that we know and love!  

[Spartan Girl]

Just now, DoYouLikeMutton said:

Poignant scene, but this show has been a drag for a long time.  Like when they killed off Brian Griffin.

A lot of us wouldn’t have cared if Brian stayed dead, given how intolerable he is now.

George, on the other hand, will be missed.

[howiveaddict]

My hubby does not  know what reconning is, but he was saying all episode they wouldn't kill him. Of course I was saying they aren't going to move to Houston, because George is going to die.  It still hit me hard even though I knew what was coming.

On a lighter note, I enjoyed young Sheldon dressing like BBT Sheldon near the end.

[kwnyc]

Holy crap! They went there. I'm still shocked. Really great last scene.

[babyhouseman]

I knew it was coming, but it was still so sad. What was funny to me was when Sheldon said taking outdoor family pictures can be a hassle because of the bugs. As somebody In the hot South, I could relate to that. 

[Magnumfangirl]

I was shocked  because I thought I read producers said that they weren't going to kill off George.  That sucked.  George was awesome.

[anna0852]

I DVR’d this one and just watched it again. Ian is such a good actor. He’s a little hit or miss on the show because the writing can be really uneven, but the moment when he sits down in the chair after hearing that George has died, you can just see in his facial expression and his body language and how he moves that we’re now going to see the Sheldon we met on Big Bang. It’s like in that moment he metamorphosed into Jim Parsons version of the character. 

[Zanzibar]

I expected this to happen next week, but as the episode unfolded, I thought we might get the ending we saw tonight.  My own father died suddenly of a heart attack, and this episode brought up memories of that day.  The shock, the disbelief.  All of it.

Bravo to the actors, they were all amazing in that last scene.

[tkc]

1 hour ago, chitowngirl said:

Vanity Card from the episode: CHUCK LORRE PRODUCTIONS, #742 Eighteen years ago, when we were writing and producing The Big Bang Theory, it seemed like a good idea to imagine that Sheldon's childhood was deeply disrupted by the loss of his father. No one could have thought
that someday we would regret that decision. That someday is now.
There were a lot of tears on stage when this episode's last scene was shot. A reminder that we had all fallen in love with a fictional character. Which is, itself, a reminder to love the characters in our life who are real. To do
otherwise, is to live with regret.

1 hour ago, Chit Chat said:

It was fun to see Mary tell Sheldon to get back to the dinner table.  That's the Mary of TBBT that we know and love!  

Agreed -- Zoe Perry sounded startlingly like her mother (Laurie Metcalf) as she delivered that line!

[MollyMelrose]

This episode gave us Big Bang Mary at her best and Big Bang Sheldon at his worst.

Dr. Sturgis and Dr. Linkletter were a hoot. Sheldon's teaching methods, dummkopf. 

Everybody keeping a Countdown to Cal Tech calendar.

A chance to see Tam, Library Lady, and Science Teacher Guy one final time.

 

RIP, George Cooper. You were loved and you will be deeply missed. And you will hold a place of honor as one of the best TV dads ever.

[BitterApple]

I knew they were going there based on the title for ep 13, but it still gutted me. Even going in blind, the set up was there. The way Mary was stressing that photo and everyone having to be there by a certain time, plus that last scene in the kitchen. The atmosphere felt heavy, even though it was a typical morning where everyone was rushing off to start their day. I can see both kids having regrets as adults. Missy, for not accepting that ride and Sheldon for not acknowledging his father as he left. 

Watching Sheldon totally shut down as he heard the news was heartbreaking. The acting was so well done. 

[jewel21]

 

Damn it! Damn it! Damn it!

I knew George was going to die, but I had always hoped it would be just mentioned in a voiceover in the final episode. But as I sat there watching the two episodes that aired tonight, that sinking feeling kept building in the pit of my stomach.

George was funny, sweet, and he had finally caught a break. The whole family did. Sheldon was heading off to California, George finally had his dream come true and was going to teach college ball in Houston, Missy was excited to move, and before any of it could happen, George died.

As soon as Mary mentioned the family photo, I was like damn. And then George was late, and I was still hoping I was wrong. But, nope.

George died at work and I found myself just as devastated as the Coopers in that moment.

No words, I just had to turn off the TV and walk away.

And I’m still upset about it hours later.

Life just isn’t fair.

[voiceover]

Well.  Hell.

Tonight was the first time I’d watched since Season Three.  I’ve known this episode was coming; I’ve dreaded it; I watched anyway.

Pour one out for George Cooper Sr., and hooray to Lance Barber for giving us such a terrific TV dad.  I thought in those early years he was way better with his kids than their mother: the Red Lobster dinner, the trip to NASA, the rained-out rocket launch, the pitcher training, and — ack! that handhold in the pilot ep.

Noticed Connie was the first to guess what the men were finding it hard to say.  Her face just crumpled.  And Sheldon’s face as he sat down — the noise around him muted — was almost more than I could bear.  It’s been nine years now, but that’s how the sound of my brother’s voice (“Dad coded…”) came to me.

I think Chuck Lorre is a dick, but I can’t fault tonight’s vanity card.  It was perfectly written, and I imagine I’m not the only one who found solace in his words.

[UsernameFatigue]

Damn, I can't remember the last time a TV show made my cry. Even my hubby's eyes were glistening. 

I almost didn't watch this series when it debuted years ago, because of the way Sheldon's dad was written in TBBT. When I decided to give it a try, I fell in love with George. He is tied with Paul (the late John Ritter) of 8 Simple Rules for Dating My Teenage Daughter, as my fav TV dad of all time. 

I was hoping that George's death would be announced as a voice over at the end of the final episode. But like others, I knew when George walked out the door of the kitchen, that it would be the last time we would see him. It will be interesting to see how the final episode plays out. But I am glad that Lorre acknowledged that the audience did indeed fall in love with George, and his regrets for how George's character was written in TBBT. 

 

Edited May 10 by UsernameFatigue

[BMGepinniw]

Our cable feed of YS is much later than most, but the Google feed on my phone was 2 hours ahead and the headline "George Cooper is dead Episode 12" jumped up and smacked me upside my head.  But I had to go there since they'd already spoiled it for me.  What followed was an interview with Lance and Zoe, complete with the scene when Mary answers the door and gets the news.  Bad enough, but Lance and Zoe trying to talk/answer questions while breaking into tears was so incredibly moving.  The interviewer asked Lance if he was off side watching the scene, and he told him that he did his scenes and left the set earlier.  Said he didn't want to be there, and to allow the rest of the cast to do what they needed to do.  

I think I need to dump my Google feed.....

[ItCouldBeWorse]

I wonder if in the finale the adult Sheldon who's been doing voiceovers throughout the series will somehow reconcile his memories of his father as he had recounted them in BBT with what we've actually seen in YS.

Spoiler

I know that Jim Parsons will actually be in the finale, and I don't think it's even a spoiler, but don't want to ruin the surprise for anyone who doesn't know.

 

On 5/9/2024 at 11:39 PM, MollyMelrose said:

A chance to see Tam, Library Lady, and Science Teacher Guy one final time.

And Tam wants to propose!  Did we ever find out where he went to college?

Edited May 12 by ItCouldBeWorse

[voiceover]

[Armchair Critic]

4 hours ago, Zanzibar said:

My own father died suddenly of a heart attack, and this episode brought up memories of that day.  The shock, the disbelief.  All of it.

Same here, relating to the feeling from when my father unexpectedly died from a heart attack. I teared up at the end of the show and I'm tearing up again reading the posts here. Funny how a tv character can effect you like that. Good writing and good acting because the characters felt like the people I grew up with, I would have been about Missy's age back then.

[Songbird]

Such a heartbreaker to lose George. I just adored his character in this series. He reminded me of my own Dad, who also died the same way at a young age.💔😢

[mammaM]

And.......we still have two episodes. I don't think I can deal with a funeral.

Though I have a feeling we're in for a reallllly long voice over, like Nobel Prize winning long (maybe reconciling all those differences we've been bitching about all these years😂)

[highway61]

Agreed with all above - great scene, good card from Lorre.

Just keeping score - was the last time we saw Brenda and Pastor Rob at the hospital when CeCe was born? Good to see the high school crew in happy times.

[Chit Chat]

Didn't Mary end up in Houston at some point?  Correct me if I'm wrong, but didn't Sheldon & Howard go to visit her there and that's when Sheldon saw her in her home with another man?  As I was watching the show last night, I was hoping that Mary & George made the move to Houston and that we'd learn of his death with a voiceover later on.  

The last couple of episodes are going to be so depressing.  That's why I was hoping they'd wait on announcing his death.  

8 hours ago, jewel21 said:

And I’m still upset about it hours later.

I think we all are!  For everyone who have been through similar circumstances, that scene cut pretty deep.  I wish I had read the spoilers for the episode.  🥹

[appositival]

The worst thing about back to back episodes is trying to remember which episode did what (besides the obvious).

I liked Georgie's plan, "Become a millionaire."

8 minutes ago, highway61 said:

Just keeping score - was the last time we saw Brenda and Pastor Rob at the hospital when CeCe was born?

I believe so. I imagine they and the other locals will be central in the next (aftermath) episode.

[ams1001]

18 minutes ago, Chit Chat said:

Didn't Mary end up in Houston at some point?  Correct me if I'm wrong, but didn't Sheldon & Howard go to visit her there and that's when Sheldon saw her in her home with another man?  As I was watching the show last night, I was hoping that Mary & George made the move to Houston and that we'd learn of his death with a voiceover later on.  

Maybe she decides to move anyway to give her and Missy a fresh start?

5 minutes ago, appositival said:

The worst thing about back to back episodes is trying to remember which episode did what (besides the obvious).

I was thinking it should probably be just one thread for both episodes but the first episode probably won't get much discussion either way.

[mojoween]

Not me sitting here with tears streaming down my face.

I did not know they were going to do it, and George was so awesome I was hoping we could just skate by it.

[Gregg247]

I didn't start watching YS until late season 2, when I stumbled onto it one night and decided, "Hey, this is pretty funny".  I'd avoided it up until then because the actor who plays George had previously played Pauly D in "The Comeback", one of the most odious TV characters I've ever seen.  I hated that guy! 

Who knew that the same actor would end up playing one of my favorite Dad characters ever?

I knew as soon as George walked out the door that morning, and Sheldon didn't bother to look up when he left, that this was it.  I' been dreading this for a long time.  I'll just say that all the actors did a fantastic job in that last scene; it felt real, and it affected me in a very real way.  What a great show this has been.  I'm so glad I decided to give it a try all those years ago.

[Kmr]

Great episode in a heartbreaking way. Was kind of waiting for it especially during the ladder scene.

I wonder if Sheldon considers not going to Caltech to be there for the family and his mom so the affair story comes from this. It goes along with Georgie’s resentment in the future 

[shapeshifter]

What's the category of Emmy called when you make an audience of 10 million cry?

[StaceyNotStacie]

This was gut wrenching. I knew it was happening (I watched a few hours later) but it still got me. Even though we didn’t get Georgie’s reaction, I’m glad that he and George got that final scene together. 

[ams1001]

34 minutes ago, Kmr said:

It goes along with Georgie’s resentment in the future 

11 minutes ago, StaceyNotStacie said:

This was gut wrenching. I knew it was happening (I watched a few hours later) but it still got me. Even though we didn’t get Georgie’s reaction, I’m glad that he and George got that final scene together. 

George's comment about how Georgie will one day have his own house and will have to learn new things seems like a nod to Georgie's BBT comments about how he had to step up after George died.

[SnapHappy]

I can't imagine Mary would find out about the vasectomy.  Autopsies aren't usually done when the cause of death is so obvious.  

It was gut wrenching.  Missy's reaction is what got me the most.  I was a daddy's girl too.

[retired watcher]

They went there...😢

[EtheltoTillie]

Yeah, Missy was feeling all the feels.  She just crumpled.  Good job by this young actress.