TBBT vs Young Sheldon: Nitpicks, Anomalies, and Historical Facts In An Evolving Universe, presented by Sheldon L. Cooper

[Insert Username]

Could it be that Sheldon doesn't have the emotional capacity to deal with his father's death and constructed the story about him not being a good father to prevent himself from fully feeling the grief from such a loss? As we can see, it would be the only big loss he had in his life (his MeeMaw is still alive in BBT - but most definitely not the delightful Annie Potts!)

[displayname]

1 hour ago, Insert Username said:

As we can see, it would be the only big loss he had in his life

Well his Grandfather, too.

[Katy M]

Just now, displayname said:

Well his Grandfather, too.

Whom he didn't feel the need to villify in order to cope with the loss.  He said his grandfather was the only one who encouraged his interest in science.  I have no problem with Young Sheldon retconning George a bit, but I'm not going to do a bunch of mental gymnastics to say that TBBT George was a stand up guy and Sheldon made everything up.

[WinnieWinkle]

6 minutes ago, Katy M said:

  I have no problem with Young Sheldon retconning George a bit, but I'm not going to do a bunch of mental gymnastics to say that TBBT George was a stand up guy and Sheldon made everything up.

Absolutely agree!  I really hope they don't throw BBT Sheldon under the bus just to make George a nicer guy than grown up Sheldon conveyed!  I don't mind if they drop references to some of the things Sheldon brings up but I think if they were going to really walk back most of that they'd never have set the scene for George drinking too much and for his less than princely attitude towards Mary!

[Bort]

Sheldon had also said that his mother smoked a lot when he was younger but we haven’t really seen any indication of that. Occasional one here and there but nothing like the chimney that Sheldon seemed to be saying.

[displayname]

22 minutes ago, kariyaki said:

Sheldon had also said that his mother smoked a lot when he was younger but we haven’t really seen any indication of that. Occasional one here and there but nothing like the chimney that Sheldon seemed to be saying.

Well if the show does go the way it could, then she might start now.

[WinnieWinkle]

48 minutes ago, kariyaki said:

Sheldon had also said that his mother smoked a lot when he was younger but we haven’t really seen any indication of that. Occasional one here and there but nothing like the chimney that Sheldon seemed to be saying.

I remember Sheldon saying "Mom smokes in the car but we can't tell Dad" (or something like that) but I don't remember any other smoking references.  

[WinnieWinkle]

On 1/17/2020 at 3:19 AM, GussieK said:

Can someone explain what happens to Missy in the future of BBT?  I do not remember hearing much about her. 

I know this is an older post but I saw an episode of YS today that somewhat answers this - it's the one where Sheldon starts a club at the university and Meemaw and the Reba Macintyre character go to a casino.  Anyway at one point the older Sheldon voice over says that he went on to win a Nobel Prize and all Missy has are friends and a loving family.  Sounds like they do want us to believe that Missy's life turns out well.

[Bort]

According to Sheldon on BBT, Missy was a restaurant hostess. She was married (not happily, judging from her attitude about it during Sheldon’s wedding), with two kids.

[Chit Chat]

On 8/9/2021 at 8:46 PM, kariyaki said:

She was married (not happily, judging from her attitude about it during Sheldon’s wedding), with two kids.

I was disappointed for her character when she showed up for Sheldon's wedding.  She seemed absolutely miserable.  Wasn't her response to Raj finding out that she was pregnant a sarcastic "Yippee?"  I was hoping things turned out better for her.  

[Sarah 103]

1 minute ago, ChitChat said:

I was disappointed for her character when she showed up for Sheldon's wedding.  She seemed absolutely miserable.  Wasn't her response to Raj finding out that she was pregnant a sarcastic "Yippee?"  I was hoping things turned out better for her.  

On 8/9/2021 at 9:38 PM, WinnieWinkle said:

 Anyway at one point the older Sheldon voice over says that he went on to win a Nobel Prize and all Missy has are friends and a loving family.  Sounds like they do want us to believe that Missy's life turns out well.

I would pay more attention to voiceover narration in Young Sheldon, because that is more recent than what we saw in Big Bang Theory. Sheldon seems to be telling the story to his children. I'm really bad at math, but I think there's a gap of about 5-10 years between when Big Bang Theory ends and when the adult Sheldon is doing the narration portion of Young Sheldon. It is possible that during that 5-10 year period between shows, Missy's life dramatically improved. 

 

 

[Chit Chat]

12 minutes ago, Sarah 103 said:

It is possible that during that 5-10 year period between shows, Missy's life dramatically improved. 

I sure hope so!  

[Yeah No]

On 7/15/2021 at 2:39 PM, Tom Holmberg said:

Yes, but if it was me being talked smack to, I think I'd say "East Texas Tech" every time he brought the topic up. I think Sheldon would be highly sensitive to that.

I think they should have had Sheldon call MIT "Men's Institute of Typing" like in the old joke.

Edited September 6, 2021 by Yeah No

[greekmom]

How old is Sheldon currently on YS?

Just wondering since his dad dies when he is 14.

[SusanM]

1 minute ago, greekmom said:

How old is Sheldon currently on YS?

He and Missy were born in 1980 so it depends what year this is.  I think, based on last season, the twins are 12 or will soon be turning 12.  Which means George's days are numbered.

[Sarah 103]

On 10/15/2021 at 12:30 PM, SusannahM said:

He and Missy were born in 1980 so it depends what year this is.  I think, based on last season, the twins are 12 or will soon be turning 12.  Which means George's days are numbered.

We are currently in season 5 and the twins are 12. The series has been renewed until season 7. Here is my theory based on pure speculation: The series (Young Sheldon) will end with season 7.  Due to it being a long running series, there are contunuity issues in The Big Bang Theory. However, I predict that Young Sheldon will end before George dies. Young Sheldon will end with Sheldon leaving home/moving out to attend a school out of state.

I am not sure if the origin of the three knocks will appear in Young Sheldon. Based on the way he descibed it, I always thought it happened after Sheldon was no longer living at home, but I could be wrong on this.

 

[Yeah No]

3 hours ago, Sarah 103 said:

We are currently in season 5 and the twins are 12. The series has been renewed until season 7. Here is my theory based on pure speculation: The series (Young Sheldon) will end with season 7.  Due to it being a long running series, there are contunuity issues in The Big Bang Theory. However, I predict that Young Sheldon will end before George dies. Young Sheldon will end with Sheldon leaving home/moving out to attend a school out of state.

I am not sure if the origin of the three knocks will appear in Young Sheldon. Based on the way he descibed it, I always thought it happened after Sheldon was no longer living at home, but I could be wrong on this.

 

I like your theory, it makes sense and it would help solve having to deal with the depressing occurrence of George's death on screen which I'm sure the audience would appreciate.  And it looks like the timing would match up pretty well to end at season 7.  But you never know, BBT lasted a long time and if there's money to be made and the cast is willing the show won't end and they'll just have to find a way to write it into the script.  "The Conners" wrote out Roseanne with her death so it is possible.

[SnapHappy]

On 10/18/2021 at 7:19 PM, Sarah 103 said:

I am not sure if the origin of the three knocks will appear in Young Sheldon. Based on the way he descibed it, I always thought it happened after Sheldon was no longer living at home, but I could be wrong on this.

 

He explained that knock 1 was traditional, but knocks 2 & 3 were "for people to get their pants on".  Supposedly he walked in on his dad with another woman because he didn't give them enough time.  So he always knocks 3 times.  But I would think this would have happened at home.  

Edited October 20, 2021 by SnapHappy

[SusanM]

11 minutes ago, SnapHappy said:

But I would think this would have happened at home.  

Coincidentally I just saw this episode of BBT, Sheldon was 13 and at college (they don't specify where) and he came home unexpectedly - his mother was at bible study and he caught his Dad in bed with another woman.

[Sarah 103]

44 minutes ago, SusannahM said:

Coincidentally I just saw this episode of BBT, Sheldon was 13 and at college (they don't specify where) and he came home unexpectedly - his mother was at bible study and he caught his Dad in bed with another woman.

This is helpful. I always thought it was when he was living away from home and back for an unexpected visit, because otherwise George would have known Sheldon might be home. Sheldon tends to keep a routine/schedule, so George would have a pretty good chance of knowing that Sheldon would be at the house at a certain time, especially if he was still living at home. However, if there was a change in plans (class was cancelled and Mee Maw or someone else picks him up and drops him off at the house) and he was home when George didn't expect him to be, that makes sense. This moment would make a great season 6 finale.  

[shapeshifter]

4 hours ago, SusannahM said:

Coincidentally I just saw this episode of BBT, Sheldon was 13 and at college (they don't specify where) and he came home unexpectedly - his mother was at bible study and he caught his Dad in bed with another woman.

But an easy retcon would be adult Sheldon giving a voiceover about the documented problems of memory and its inaccuracy, perhaps adding: even among those with eidetic memories
--perhaps even invoking something like:
--Malcom Gladwell's "Free Brian Williams" (thepodcastbrowser.com/free-brian-williams).

[SusanM]

6 minutes ago, shapeshifter said:

But an easy retcon would be adult Sheldon giving a voiceover

I hope they don't do retconning - especially for stuff that was said in the later seasons of BBT when they had to know YS was in the pipeline.  I'd really rather they just don't go there at all with some of these very specific memories.  They've already ignored or changed stuff that should technically have already happened on YS based on what was said on BBT, I'm kind of hoping they just do the same thing with the adultery stories that Sheldon shared.

[shapeshifter]

Dragging this over from the episode thread to reply:

37 minutes ago, greekmom said:

I thought that Georgie did pursue community college till he dropped out to help Mary after George Sr died so that they can help Sheldon with the extra expenses for school when he was overseas?!? Correct me please if I am wrong.

People who drop out of high school and then get a GED are more easily admitted to community colleges than 4-year institutions. Then, if they successfully complete the 2 years at the community college, they can transfer to a 4-year institution. 

[Kiddvideo]

I was watching a TBBT episode in the last week or so and I swear Sheldon mentioned that after their marriage broke down, Mary had had an affair with a bartender. Does anyone else remember that? 

And something I haven’t seen people mention in re George’s affairs — Mary was visiting Pasadena and cooked a pie made out of lard (Love? Don’t be silly, Penny!). She specifically mentioned men would die young but their love would be true. 

Overall, I guess what I’m saying is that the YS writers have a choice of storylines that can be supported by TBBT cannon. Which are true, who should we believe?🤷‍♀️

 

[treeofdreams]

We have seen in BBT that Georgie became a successful business owner.  Do we know how Missy fared?  I don't remember anything about her future.

[SusanM]

5 hours ago, Kiddvideo said:

Sheldon mentioned that after their marriage broke down, Mary had had an affair with a bartender. Does anyone else remember that? 

I think you are mixing up a comment Sheldon made in season 4 of BBT "I can only speculate based on the data I collected watching my parents’ marriage implode. In that case, the woman dives into religion, while the man dives into a bottle-blonde bartender who tries to buy my love with action figures."  As far as we are ever told on BBT Sheldon was never aware of any romantic incidents involving Mary until the episde when he and Howard go to Texas and drop by Mary's house unexpected.

2 hours ago, treeofdreams said:

We have seen in BBT that Georgie became a successful business owner.  Do we know how Missy fared?  I don't remember anything about her future.

When we first meet Missy she seems like a happy self-confident young woman,  All we're told about her though by Sheldon is that she's a hostess at a restaurant.  Later in the series she has a baby and then even later she comes to Sheldon't wedding pregnant with a second child and obviously unhappy in her marriage.

[treeofdreams]

19 minutes ago, SusannahM said:

When we first meet Missy she seems like a happy self-confident young woman,  All we're told about her though by Sheldon is that she's a hostess at a restaurant.  Later in the series she has a baby and then even later she comes to Sheldon's wedding pregnant with a second child and obviously unhappy in her marriage.

Thanks!

[treeofdreams]

16 hours ago, SusannahM said:

a comment Sheldon made in season 4 of BBT "I can only speculate based on the data I collected watching my parents’ marriage implode. In that case, the woman dives into religion, while the man dives into a bottle-blonde bartender who tries to buy my love with action figures."

This seems to suggest that it isn't Brenda George has the affair with, but some unknown person, because Sheldon knew who Brenda was.

Also, his mother did not dive into religion because the marriage was breaking down; she did it at the time of Sheldon and Missy's birth.

Edited October 23, 2021 by treeofdreams

[Katy M]

21 minutes ago, treeofdreams said:

This seems to suggest that it isn't Brenda George has the affair with, but some unknown person, because Sheldon knew who Brenda was.

She couldn't be unknown if she were buying him action figures.  

[treeofdreams]

13 minutes ago, Katy M said:

She couldn't be unknown if she were buying him action figures.  

Actually I was referring to her being unknown to us.

Sorry if I was unclear.

Edited October 23, 2021 by treeofdreams

[Katy M]

8 minutes ago, treeofdreams said:

Actually I was referring to her being unknown to us.

Sorry if I was unclear.

OK, but Brenda was also unknown to us in Season 4 of BBT.

[treeofdreams]

4 minutes ago, Katy M said:

OK, but Brenda was also unknown to us in Season 4 of BBT.

Good point.

[SusanM]

The episode of Young Sheldon I just saw (Pish Posh and a Secret Back Room) has the voiceover reference Missy's "first husband".  I guess the marriage that was shaky when she came to Pasadena for Sheldon and Amy's wedding ended up ending.

[SusanM]

I wonder when they decided to have Sheldon's father be a football coach?  I just saw an episode of BBT from season 9 "The Sales Call Sublimation" where Sheldon talks about  his father working in a store and losing his job when Sheldon tells his boss that George Sr has been stealing from the cash register.

[SnapHappy]

I would assume that some PA somewhere has gone through the entire catalog of BBT episodes to mine any and all references to Sheldon's family.  

But that doesn't necessarily mean we'll meet them all, or encounter them at the points he's referring to.  Or even that they'll do what he says they did. 

 

[SusanM]

On 11/29/2021 at 1:36 PM, SnapHappy said:

I would assume that some PA somewhere has gone through the entire catalog of BBT episodes to mine any and all references to Sheldon's family.  

 

I've been watching a lot of BBT lately and I've realized it's not bothering me that YS isn't referencing much,  if any, of the things that were said about Sheldon's childhood and family.  What's bothering me is that the Mary we meet on BBT bears very little resemblance to the Mary we see on YS.  Sheldon on BBT listens to his mother.  She's pretty much the only person he does listen to and this is consistent throughout the run of the show. 

Yet on YS she's shown as being very indulgent where Sheldon is concerned and not really a strong authority figure in any way.  It's like they had to make George a good parent (despite everything we were told about him on BBT) so they threw away everything we were told about Mary to do it.  Ugh.

[Bort]

I don’t know, it may be something that they’ll get to. I’ve noticed the difference in young Mary vs older. That doesn’t mean that she won’t eventually transition into the master manipulator Sheldon whisperer who doesn’t take his crap.

By the way, the resemblance between young Missy and older is something I find uncanny when I watch The Big Bang Theory reruns. Speech, mannerisms, it’s all so similar. 

[SnapHappy]

When Mary's husband dies, it's going to change her a lot.  Maybe we'll get a wrap-up voice over from adult Sheldon about the impact George's death had on Mary through the 10-20 years between YS and BBT Sheldon.  

She's still indulgent of him as an adult, making special food for him, coming to Pasadena at the drop of a hat when he goes off the rails. 

It's interesting to speculate, but I also think there's a writer somewhere with huge poster boards that connect all the important storylines and personality traits of all the dominant characters in both shows!  *LOL*   Or at least a giant spreadsheet!!

[SusanM]

47 minutes ago, SnapHappy said:

It's interesting to speculate, but I also think there's a writer somewhere with huge poster boards that connect all the important storylines and personality traits of all the dominant characters in both shows!  *LOL*   Or at least a giant spreadsheet!!

I am betting there are a few writers out there kicking themselves now because they wrote things for BBT never realizing a prequel was going to come along!

[proserpina65]

19 hours ago, SusannahM said:

Yet on YS she's shown as being very indulgent where Sheldon is concerned and not really a strong authority figure in any way.  It's like they had to make George a good parent (despite everything we were told about him on BBT) so they threw away everything we were told about Mary to do it.  Ugh.

Maybe that's more a result of us not yet getting to the point in Mary's life where she has to be the sole parent.  Some of what we saw in her on BBT could be the result of having to be a single mother.

Personally I don't think they've thrown away what we were told about her on BBT, just made her look less saintly by having flaws.

[SnapHappy]

23 hours ago, proserpina65 said:

Maybe that's more a result of us not yet getting to the point in Mary's life where she has to be the sole parent.  Some of what we saw in her on BBT could be the result of having to be a single mother.

Personally I don't think they've thrown away what we were told about her on BBT, just made her look less saintly by having flaws.

Exactly.   Because when Sheldon goes off to college, Mary's still got teenage Missy, Georgie and Connie to deal with, along with her grief.  No telling what circumstances she navigates, though we know eventually Missy had an active love life & Georgie went into business.  None of this we'll see, presumably. 

Getting Mary from YS to BBT would be an entirely new show.  

 

Edited December 17, 2021 by SnapHappy

[shapeshifter]

4 minutes ago, SnapHappy said:

Getting Mary from YS to BBT would be an entirely new show

Not a bad idea?

[SusanM]

On 12/16/2021 at 10:51 AM, proserpina65 said:

Maybe that's more a result of us not yet getting to the point in Mary's life where she has to be the sole parent.  Some of what we saw in her on BBT could be the result of having to be a single mother.

I'm not convinced.  By the time George dies it's clearly established that Sheldon is away at college - presumably somewhere fairly close to home but still not a typical young teen living at home.  I'm sure George's death changes Mary, it would have to, but I think the Mary that we see in Big Bang was written differently than the way they decided to go on Young Sheldon and IMO it was because they wanted to make George a stronger, better parent than we would have expected him to be for whatever reason.

[proserpina65]

5 minutes ago, SusannahM said:

I'm not convinced.  By the time George dies it's clearly established that Sheldon is away at college - presumably somewhere fairly close to home but still not a typical young teen living at home.  I'm sure George's death changes Mary, it would have to, but I think the Mary that we see in Big Bang was written differently than the way they decided to go on Young Sheldon and IMO it was because they wanted to make George a stronger, better parent than we would have expected him to be for whatever reason.

Sheldon isn't Mary's only child, although she frequently acts like he is.

Obviously opinions vary but I don't see so much disparity that couldn't be explained by the way Mary's life undergoes a huge change in a few years.

[SnapHappy]

6 hours ago, shapeshifter said:

Not a bad idea?

I like it.  We'd have to have Missy & Georgie, and the grandkids.  No memaw, because the one they brought to BBT was horrible.   Set in E Texas, and in the house we saw in BBT, not YS.  It's workable. 

They can call us when they're ready to write the pilot.....*LOL*

[SnapHappy]

3 hours ago, SusannahM said:

I'm sure George's death changes Mary, it would have to, but I think the Mary that we see in Big Bang was written differently than the way they decided to go on Young Sheldon and IMO it was because they wanted to make George a stronger, better parent than we would have expected him to be for whatever reason.

I think George is pretty much the father BBT allowed us to think he was.  He leaves the heavy lifting of child raising to Mary, has occasional bonding moments with his kids and drinks a lot of beer.  More a 60's father than an 80's father, but not very involved.

However, we haven't seen George cheating yet and we've never heard him call Sheldon "Poindexter" while explaining football.  *LOL*

Edited December 17, 2021 by SnapHappy

[NoReally]

On 12/17/2021 at 5:08 PM, SnapHappy said:

However, we haven't seen George cheating yet and we've never heard him call Sheldon "Poindexter" while explaining football.  *LOL*

Or skeet-shooting Mary's collector plates off the house's roof.  😄

[Bort]

Or teaching Sheldon how to make a raccoon shit itself by firing a gun right next to it.

[Mrs. Landingham]

Or fighting a bobcat for some licorice. 

[SusanM]

On 11/29/2021 at 1:36 PM, SnapHappy said:

I would assume that some PA somewhere has gone through the entire catalog of BBT episodes to mine any and all references to Sheldon's family.  

But that doesn't necessarily mean we'll meet them all, or encounter them at the points he's referring to.  Or even that they'll do what he says they did. 

I thought of this post while watching the BBT marathon.  We've just gotten to the episode where Sheldon relates the story of how one Thanksgiving Uncle Carl is KBB (killed by a badger).  It would certainly make for a holiday episode with a difference if they ever decide to include this one!