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

[rmontro]

34 minutes ago, treeofdreams said:

Perhaps it is becoming a single parent that made a difference.  Having to raise three children/teenagers on her own might have strained her patience enough that she changed, especially since now she had to pay more attention to all three of them, and didn't have George to  help out with the other two while she focused on Sheldon.

OR....  Maybe when Sheldon got older he appreciated everything his mother did for him when he was younger, and how she did everything he could so he could fulfill his dreams and reach his potential.  So out of love he just obeys her without question.

[Sarah 103]

On 2/27/2022 at 1:27 PM, HyeChaps said:

This program will certainly finish by the time Sheldon goes abroad, still in his teens.

I totally agree and have had a version of this theory about the end of the series for years. Young Sheldon has been renewed through season 7. This will be around the time Sheldon leaves home/Texas to further his education. The series ends when Sheldon is no longer living at home. Most of the really awful stuff happens after Sheldon leaves home (the break-up of the marriage, Sheldon catching his father cheating, so I doubt we're going to see any of that on this series). 

[Guest]

24 minutes ago, Sarah 103 said:

I totally agree and have had a version of this theory about the end of the series for years. Young Sheldon has been renewed through season 7. This will be around the time Sheldon leaves home/Texas to further his education. The series ends when Sheldon is no longer living at home. Most of the really awful stuff happens after Sheldon leaves home (the break-up of the marriage, Sheldon catching his father cheating, so I doubt we're going to see any of that on this series). 

I wonder about that because they have been moving much slower than in real time. The first episode was the fall before Sheldon turned 10 (his birthday is in February) and episode 13 of Season 5 he says he is 12.  The would have to move in real time for him to move away to college by the end of season 7. The actors are 13 and 14 so it will be interesting to see how much they will push it.

Personally, I think you are right that the show will end with Sheldon graduating. It’s a natural series finale setup and it’s hard to imagine the show continuing past that point without being completely reworked. 

Edited March 9, 2022 by Guest

[SusanM]

7 hours ago, Sarah 103 said:

Most of the really awful stuff happens after Sheldon leaves home (the break-up of the marriage, Sheldon catching his father cheating, so I doubt we're going to see any of that on this series). 

It's hard to get a definitive timeline from BBT but by the end of that series it does seem clear that by the age of 13 most of the bad stuff in the marriage has happened - the affairs, the vicious fighting and anger, George Sr having a girlfriend and then by 14 George is dead.  I don't think though it's clear that Sheldon has left home or at least is living no further from home then the university he's currently attending.  

I'd like it if the show ends before the uglier side of the George/Mary marriage comes out and of course before George dies but somehow I don't think that's going to happen.  Lorre has a track record for keeping shows on the air (both BBT and Two and a Half Men went for 12 seasons for instance) and as long as YS is getting  good ratings and advertising bucks I don't see it ending.

Which does mean that they could walk back the affairs and the marriage break up but they aren't going to walk back George's death.   I'm not seeing how this can be handled and still have this be a sitcom but other shows have done it so I guess we'll just have to wait and see.  

Edited March 9, 2022 by SusannahM

[rmontro]

13 hours ago, Sarah 103 said:

The series ends when Sheldon is no longer living at home. 

They could have a really strange season with Sheldon living in Germany, or wherever it's supposed to be.  As icky as that sounds.

[SusanM]

4 hours ago, rmontro said:

They could have a really strange season with Sheldon living in Germany, or wherever it's supposed to be.  As icky as that sounds.

That's one of those BBT references that gets walked back later in the series.  In that one Sheldon is 15 and a visiting professor and his mother is with him - and she has to go back to Texas to help George because the house slid off its cinder blocks (I think).  Anyway it stands out as one of the Cooper family anecdotes that makes no sense given later revelations!

Edited March 10, 2022 by SusannahM

[rmontro]

1 hour ago, SusannahM said:

That's one of those BBT references that gets walked back later in the series.  In that one Sheldon is 15 and a visiting professor and his mother is with him - and she has to go back to Texas to help George because the house slid off its cinder blocks (I think).  

Cinder blocks?  I guess the producers of Young Sheldon forgot to include those, since I can't remember seeing them.  Maybe they're in for a major downsizing yet to come  :)  Is George's job still in jeopardy?  

[Guest]

3 hours ago, SusannahM said:

That's one of those BBT references that gets walked back later in the series.  In that one Sheldon is 15 and a visiting professor and his mother is with him - and she has to go back to Texas to help George because the house slid off its cinder blocks (I think).  Anyway it stands out as one of the Cooper family anecdotes that makes no sense given later revelations!

The part with the house being on blocks and George being alive was retconned very early in TBBT but they have confirmed the time in Germany after he moves away from home still happens. Although at that point Georgie say that Sheldon went to study in Germany so him being a visiting professor could have changed have just been Georgie not knowing the details. 

 

13 hours ago, SusannahM said:

It's hard to get a definitive timeline from BBT but by the end of that series it does seem clear that by the age of 13 most of the bad stuff in the marriage has happened - the affairs, the vicious fighting and anger, George Sr having a girlfriend and then by 14 George is dead.  I don't think though it's clear that Sheldon has left home or at least is living no further from home then the university he's currently attending.  

The only think that was defined stated to have happened when he was 13 was the story about why he knocks three times and that could be pushed back. It is definitively established that Sheldon has left home before George dies. In the first TBBT episode with Georgie that Sheldon was away at college and didn’t know how bad things were. The Tam episode establishes that he moves to California for his postgrad program. They could have left themselves some wiggle room but didn’t. 

 

13 hours ago, SusannahM said:

I'd like it if the show ends before the uglier side of the George/Mary marriage comes out and of course before George dies but somehow I don't think that's going to happen.  Lorre has a track record for keeping shows on the air (both BBT and Two and a Half Men went for 12 seasons for instance) and as long as YS is getting  good ratings and advertising bucks I don't see it ending.

 

I think it’s more likely they will keep the timeline moving slowly rather than continuing the show after Sheldon leaves home. They may want to keep it on the air but they can’t fight the inevitable reality that the concept and child actors give the show an end date. 

[rmontro]

37 minutes ago, Dani said:

I think it’s more likely they will keep the timeline moving slowly rather than continuing the show after Sheldon leaves home. They may want to keep it on the air but they can’t fight the inevitable reality that the concept and child actors give the show an end date. 

It would be interesting if George dies, the kids and Mary move away, and the show would just be about Mee-Maw, Dr. Sturgis, and Dr. Linkletter sharing the house.  Wouldn't that be a hoot?

[SusanM]

10 hours ago, Dani said:

They may want to keep it on the air but they can’t fight the inevitable reality that the concept and child actors give the show an end date. 

I think as the audience we're assuming that they want the show to end when the kids are no longer kids but there are lots of examples from the history of TV where shows start of being a family with kids and end up with adult kids.  I can see that happening with YS too.  Not saying I like the idea but I can see it happening.

I do have to wonder, considering how different the Cooper family has turned out to be from the way Sheldon and even Mary talked about them why they didn't make more changes in the last few years of BBT that would have set things up better.

[Tom Holmberg]

On 3/9/2022 at 9:54 PM, rmontro said:

It would be interesting if George dies, the kids and Mary move away, and the show would just be about Mee-Maw, Dr. Sturgis, and Dr. Linkletter sharing the house.  Wouldn't that be a hoot?

My prediction of the show becoming "Old Meemaw" would come true.

[rmontro]

3 hours ago, Tom Holmberg said:

My prediction of the show becoming "Old Meemaw" would come true.

They could call it "The Many Loves of Old Meemaw".

[Guest]

On 3/10/2022 at 6:15 AM, SusannahM said:

I think as the audience we're assuming that they want the show to end when the kids are no longer kids but there are lots of examples from the history of TV where shows start of being a family with kids and end up with adult kids.  I can see that happening with YS too.  Not saying I like the idea but I can see it happening.

That’s not what I am assuming. It’s not about the kids getting older but about there being clear things that happen once Sheldon and Missy are 14 that requires the show to drastically change in order to continue. If they could turn this into the Simpson’s where the kids never have to grow up they probably would but that’s not possible. There is only so long they can keep the show on the air before it becomes impossible for these actors to play young teens.

Even if they decided to throw continuity out the window and have George live, Sheldon is a character that has to move away which will dramatically change the show. Drastically changing a show almost always causes ratings to drop. Not to mention that it would require Ian and Reagan to agree to continue playing the characters. I could see another spin-off happening before they continue past when Sheldon is 14. I think the most likely scenario is the show goes for 7-9 seasons and ends with with 16-18 year old actors playing 14 year old Sheldon and Missy. 

[Katy M]

4 minutes ago, Dani said:

think the most likely scenario is the show goes for 7-9 seasons and ends with with 16-18 year old actors playing 14 year old Sheldon and Missy. 

I hope not.  It's one thing for 20 something year olds to play 17-18year olds.  There's no way an 18 year old can pull off 14.

[Bort]

15 hours ago, Katy M said:

I hope not.  It's one thing for 20 something year olds to play 17-18year olds.  There's no way an 18 year old can pull off 14.

I actually have less of a problem with that and more of a problem of where they’re at now. Because these 14 year old kids are too far into puberty for me to buy that they’re 12.

[Katy M]

13 minutes ago, kariyaki said:

I actually have less of a problem with that and more of a problem of where they’re at now. Because these 14 year old kids are too far into puberty for me to buy that they’re 12.

That too. I completely agree.  I can almost buy Sheldon at 12.  But, Missy, 100% no.

[Guest]

3 hours ago, kariyaki said:

I actually have less of a problem with that and more of a problem of where they’re at now. Because these 14 year old kids are too far into puberty for me to buy that they’re 12.

Me, too. I feel like we’re already in the least believable part. There’s not much difference between 16 playing 14 and 18 playing 14. 

 

3 hours ago, Katy M said:

That too. I completely agree.  I can almost buy Sheldon at 12.  But, Missy, 100% no.

For me it’s the vocal changes that make it the most noticeable in both. 

[SusanM]

4 hours ago, Katy M said:

That too. I completely agree.  I can almost buy Sheldon at 12.  But, Missy, 100% no.

For me it's the opposite.  I knew lots of girls at 12 who  could practically have passed for college age so Missy looking older doesn't bother me, it's Sheldon that seems older than12 to me.

28 minutes ago, Dani said:

For me it’s the vocal changes that make it the most noticeable in both. 

And this is exactly why!  His voice has changed, which does happen sometimes at 12 but is way more common a little older than that.  I mentioned in another thread that to me young Sheldon, now, actually has a deeper voice than middle aged Sheldon (Jim Parsons) does!

Edited March 12, 2022 by SusannahM

[babyhouseman]

Missy thinking Sheldon was gay reminded me of Penny asking what Sheldon's deal is on BBT. I googled for the quote, and there was an article about it.  

https://www.yahoo.com/entertainment/missy-questioning-young-sheldons-sexuality-222218762.html

"It’s a moment that harkens back to The Big Bang Theory. In Season 2, Episode 6, “The Cooper-Nowitzki Theorem,” a female grad student’s attraction to Sheldon confused everyone — including Sheldon himself. It was at that point that Penny surveyed Leonard et al about their eccentric friend.

“What’s Sheldon’s deal?” she asked. “Is it girls? Guys? Sock puppets?” But Leonard, Howard and Raj had been operating under the assumption that Sheldon had no “deal.” He had never expressed romantic interest in another human being, and wouldn’t until Mayim Bialik’s Amy Farrah Fowler was introduced at the end of Season 3."

[HyeChaps]

Wasn't there also a story about George's girlfriend's attempt to buy off Sheldon with toys?

[LekoBoy]

22 hours ago, babyhouseman said:

Missy thinking Sheldon was gay ...

There's a scene in the lunchroom where an attractive guy misunderstands and thinks Sheldon wants a date with him.  He shrugs and writes his phone number on Sheldon's hand.  (Which germaphobe Sheldon should have a fit over.)

Found it! 

 

 

Edited April 2, 2022 by LekoBoy

[kwnyc]

On 2/27/2022 at 1:30 PM, kariyaki said:

Sheldon didn’t spend any significant time abroad, he was in Germany as a “visiting professor” which sounds to me like a few weeks at most. 

A Visiting Professor appointment is usually annual and can be renewed.

Edited April 4, 2022 by kwnyc

[bigseach]

the series is now in the year 1992, missy and sheldon are 12.  1994 or before sheldon's birthday 1995 for the death of george.

 

death of a parent is like a nuclear bomb going off in young family.  even more so if family dynamics are in a rough patch, and it is a sudden death.  mary, georgie, and missy can become a tight group or fly apart.  if sheldon is not at home he could regress and turn even more inward.  perhaps remembering only the bad parts to keep from feeling the pain of losing a good father.

[kwnyc]

22 hours ago, bigseach said:

mary, georgie, and missy can become a tight group or fly apart. 

From Georgie's recollections in BBT, Sheldon was not around much after George died. And Georgie ended up being the one who held the family together. (I think his recollections are probably accurate.)

At a relatively young age, he was thrust into the role of head of the family, and (perhaps) that led to his urgency to become a business success. As an adult, Georgie, AKA "Dr. Tire" seems to be a very successful businessman, and they've done well in planting that drive from early on in Young Sheldon.

[SusanM]

On 4/15/2022 at 8:45 AM, kwnyc said:

And Georgie ended up being the one who held the family together. (I think his recollections are probably accurate.)

At a relatively young age, he was thrust into the role of head of the family, and (perhaps) that led to his urgency to become a business success.

I'm glad they did this for Georgie because I like his character on YS but right up until we meet him in the lead up to Sheldon's wedding you never would have known from anything Mary or Sheldon said that Georgie was anything but a worry and a disapointment to his mother!  It's hard to reconcile everything Mary said about him to him being her rock to lean on when George Sr died.

It will be interesting if YS does have George die and continue on with the show just how they handle that. 

[bigseach]

perhaps with mary, the disappointment and worry is in his personal life.  his professional life is going well.  sheldon has a blind spot with what he considers worthy in life.  selling tires is not worthy in his world view.

[SusanM]

1 hour ago, bigseach said:

sheldon has a blind spot with what he considers worthy in life.  selling tires is not worthy in his world view.

No career choice other than theoretical physics is worthy as far as Sheldon is concerned!  I wonder if YS will ever show the aunt who gave him a stethoscope when he was 12 "so he'd have a trade to fall back on" if physics didn't pan out.

[Bort]

40 minutes ago, SusanM said:

No career choice other than theoretical physics is worthy as far as Sheldon is concerned! 

I don’t even think that’s it. Kripke was also a theoretical physicist in string theory, Sheldon considered him inferior as well. Sheldon looks down on anyone he considers below his intelligence (which is pretty much everybody). 

[SusanM]

On 4/15/2022 at 8:45 AM, kwnyc said:

From Georgie's recollections in BBT, Sheldon was not around much after George died. And Georgie ended up being the one who held the family together. (I think his recollections are probably accurate.)

This is so confusing now in light of the recent storyline on YS where 17 yr old Georgie is about to become a father.  Clearly, of course, the writers are making it up as they go along but since this whole "Georgie was the man of the family" story came about on BBT after YS was on the air I find this annoying.

[WI GIRL56]

On 3/11/2022 at 7:06 PM, Katy M said:

I hope not.  It's one thing for 20 something year olds to play 17-18year olds.  There's no way an 18 year old can pull off 14.

Eden Scher was 18 when she started playing Sue Heck on  The Middle.  Sue was still in Middle school-so she was playing a 13 or 14 yr old.   Anson Williams was born in 1949-in 1974 he played a teen age Potsie Weber on Happy Days.

[Driad]

What was the line in BBT about Georgie not having children?  The best I can recollect was when Missy had her first baby, someone said it was Mary's first grandchild?

[SusanM]

32 minutes ago, Driad said:

What was the line in BBT about Georgie not having children?  The best I can recollect was when Missy had her first baby, someone said it was Mary's first grandchild?

I don't remember anything specifically about Georgie and children,  I do recall reference to several marriages.  But with regard to Mary and grandchildren there is a mention in an early episode "The Robotic Manipulation" from season 4 where this exchange occurs:

Penny: Okay, you know what? I’m gonna come at this in a whole new way. Sheldon, if you try to make a baby with Amy in a petri dish, I’m gonna tell your mother on you.

Sheldon: That’s no threat. My mother’s always wanted a grandchild.

[nilyank]

4 hours ago, SusanM said:

I don't remember anything specifically about Georgie and children,  I do recall reference to several marriages.  But with regard to Mary and grandchildren there is a mention in an early episode "The Robotic Manipulation" from season 4 where this exchange occurs:

Penny: Okay, you know what? I’m gonna come at this in a whole new way. Sheldon, if you try to make a baby with Amy in a petri dish, I’m gonna tell your mother on you.

Sheldon: That’s no threat. My mother’s always wanted a grandchild.

But in that case, it could be that Mary wanted a grandchild from Sheldon.

[SusanM]

14 hours ago, nilyank said:

But in that case, it could be that Mary wanted a grandchild from Sheldon.

Mary made it pretty clear throughout the course of BBT that the last thing she expected was for Sheldon to ever get into a relationship let alone father a child!

The thing is, of course, that any references to the characters backgrounds on BBT changed depending on the year and the circumstances but the inconsistencies stand out for Sheldon because of YS,  I don't hold what was said on BBT as gospel (well almost anything)  before they knew YS was in the works - after that all bets are off!

[SusanM]

The most recent episode of YS seemed to be toying with the idea of Mary having some kind of relationship with the youth pastor.  I doubt it would ever progress to an actual affair but they certainly were hinting heavily that they both seem to be a little more interested in each other than as work colleagues.  I swear if the powers that be on YS go down this road I will absolutely stop watching.  I don't think I could even hate watch if they twist the Mary we all know from BBT into someone who would cheat on her husband.  Did. Not. Happen.  But knowing this is a Chuck Lorre show when all is said and done I guess making the woman the bad guy and the man the poor schnook shouldn't have come as a surprise.

[madpsych78]

I think an emotional affair between Mary and Pastor Rob is plausible, but it depends on what the Bible defines as an affair that would lead to "sin." Physical affair obviously would be regarded as sinful, and I don't think Mary would go there, but I'm not sure how the Bible describes an emotional affair, if it is even acknowledged at all. Because of that, I think Mary is more likely to find herself in an emotional affair without realizing that she is in one. Arguably, an emotional affair can be more destructive to a marriage than one night of sex, but the Bible focuses on fornication outside the confines of marriage.

Because of her rigid beliefs in the Bible, that is probably why Mary was pushing for Georgie to get married and didn't seem to register his age into the equation as she was discussing her concerns. The Bible has more of a stance on families out of wedlock whereas the age to consent to getting married is more legalistic.

[proserpina65]

On 5/2/2022 at 11:25 AM, SusanM said:

The most recent episode of YS seemed to be toying with the idea of Mary having some kind of relationship with the youth pastor. 

I didn't read it as Mary seeing Pastor Rob that way, but I definitely think Pastor Rob is interested in her in a way their church would not sanction.

[joanne3482]

Isn't there an episode of BBT where Sheldon goes to see his mother in Texas and he walks in on her having sex with the pastor? I searched but can't find it. I THINK it is one where Sheldon was there and the guys go and bring him back to CA. 

[Katy M]

5 minutes ago, joanne3482 said:

Isn't there an episode of BBT where Sheldon goes to see his mother in Texas and he walks in on her having sex with the pastor? I searched but can't find it. I THINK it is one where Sheldon was there and the guys go and bring him back to CA. 

I don't know if it was a pastor, but yeah, she was having sex with someone.  In the living room.  And I don't think he walks in on it.  he sees them through the window.

[SusanM]

1 hour ago, Katy M said:

I don't know if it was a pastor, but yeah, she was having sex with someone.  In the living room.  And I don't think he walks in on it.  he sees them through the window.

That episode leads to one of my favourite exchanges between Sheldon and Mary:

Sheldon Cooper: I'll condemn you internally, while maintaining an outward appearance of acceptance.

Mary Cooper: [lovingly] That is very Christian of you.

[Bort]

11 minutes ago, SusanM said:

That episode leads to one of my favourite exchanges between Sheldon and Mary:

Sheldon Cooper: I'll condemn you internally, while maintaining an outward appearance of acceptance.

Mary Cooper: [lovingly] That is very Christian of you.

My favorite exchange in that scene was when Sheldon asks how Mary can be hypocritical in her actions vs her views.

Mary: Because I’m not perfect, Sheldon, and that man’s booty… is.

[babyhouseman]

2 hours ago, joanne3482 said:

Isn't there an episode of BBT where Sheldon goes to see his mother in Texas and he walks in on her having sex with the pastor?

I found a synopsis. It's Ron from her prayer meeting.

[SusanM]

Based on the most recent episode of Young Sheldon is seems  like the powers that be are handwaving away almost everything we were ever told about the Cooper family on BBT.   (A) Georgie did not have any children to the point where Sheldon and Amy marry and (B) we are told on BBT that Mary works for the church.  Now, fair enough, it's certainly possible that her losing her job is temporary and she goes back at some point but, (C) Mary on BBT is still a pretty fundie Christian.  I am having a very hard time believing that after what her family is being put through by her church that she dives back in and is back to being fundie Mary working for the church again.

I totally get the writers et al not wanting to be tied in to recreating the Cooper family story as told on BBT (for one thing there were quite a few contradictions over the years on BBT) but, and it's a big but, did they really have to go quite this wildly off the track?  No other way they could give Georgie a decent story and  explain how George and Mary end up unhappily married?

[Bort]

10 minutes ago, SusanM said:

 (A) Georgie did not have any children to the point where Sheldon and Amy marry

BBT never said one way or the other if Georgie had kids. They said he had a couple of ex-wives. But that’s all they said. It isn’t a retcon if the parent show doesn’t say anything at all. 

[HyeChaps]

Mary could have been working at a church in a new neighborhood.

[SusanM]

27 minutes ago, kariyaki said:

BBT never said one way or the other if Georgie had kids.

It is mentioned at least once or twice that Mary has always wanted grandchildren and then later when Missy is having a baby it is mentioned that this is the first time Sheldon is an uncle.  I honestly can handwave that away though if it weren't for the torturous Georgie/Mandy storyline.

I guess we all knew if they moved forward with the Imploding Marriage that things would have to get darker but did they really have to drag in a soap opera pregancy too?

I am wondering what the finale is going to be - are they going to try and top the "George could be cheating" with something even worse?

Edited May 13, 2022 by SusanM

[shapeshifter]

Since almost none of the memories of adult Sheldon about George listed here seem to be coming true on Young Sheldon:
https://bigbangtheory.fandom.com/wiki/George_Cooper_Sr.

--I am hoping on YS that it will turn out George left town but did not actually die.
If Sheldon was studying abroad when he got news that his father had "died," that doesn't seem entirely impossible.
Or maybe George staged his death so Mary could collect Social Security checks for him. 

ETA: Maybe Mary and George decided to separate and George "disappeared." 

Edited May 23, 2022 by shapeshifter

[Tom Holmberg]

Did they ever use the song "She Blinded Me With Science" in an episode?  I don't recall it.  I'd think it would be a natural.

[Bort]

According to google, it was used in season 3, episode 13.

[Tom Holmberg]

On 6/15/2022 at 3:07 PM, kariyaki said:

According to google, it was used in season 3, episode 13.

"She Blinded Me with Science" was a hit song in the 1980s by Thomas Dolby. It served as the theme for the opening of the unaired pilot, and is occasionally heard as Howard's phone ringtone, for instance, in "The Vegas Renormalization" and in "The Creepy Candy Coating Corollary".

I only find a fan video where its really used