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For years, one of the biggest discrepancies hanging over the head ofYoung Sheldonwas the portrayal of his father, George Cooper (Lance Barber). Adult Sheldon (Jim Parsons) repeatedly described his father through the 12 seasons ofThe Big Bang Theoryin an unsavory light. He referenced his dad’s purported heavy drinking, called him lazy, misogynistic, and classless, and used several other insulting terms or offhand remarks when conversing about his dear pop.
But when the prequel seriesYoung Sheldonpremiered and progressed through its seven seasons, it became clear thatGeorge was much different from what Sheldon described. With that series ending,Sheldon finally addressed this contradictionin a way that makes perfect sense and offers closure for one of the most puzzling aspects of the show.
How Adult Sheldon Made His Father Sound in The Big Bang Theory
Young Sheldon
While chatting with his friends inThe Big Bang Theory,Sheldon sometimes shared musingsabout his childhood. He talked about his siblings, his mother, and his grandmother, all of whom appeared as guest stars in different episodes (played by other actors). One who never appeared is George because, asYoung Sheldon’s finale and adult Sheldon confirmed,Sheldon’s father passed away when he was 14 years old.
Sheldon implied that his father had a serious drinking problem, alluding to him spending many nights at the local bar, ambling home intoxicated, and even smelling of “K-Mart bourbon” while barbecuing. In one episode, he says his brother Georgie (Montana Jordan) would sneak into his father’s truck at night and drink his “driving whiskey.” He joked that the local liquor store owner cried when George died because he was losing a regular customer.
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George’s love of football isconfirmed inThe Big Bang Theory, along with his job as a high school football coach. But Sheldon suggests that his father forced him to watch football, even play it, despite Sheldon not having any interest in sports. He recalls one Thanksgiving Day when his father got so angry at the outcome of the game that he shot the television.
He also references several disparaging comments his father made about women, including comparing them to an “egg-salad sandwich on a warm Texas day.” This also leads to accusations that his father had affairs, Sheldon claiming to have caught him in the act. This led to Sheldon’s compulsion to knock three times before entering any room. Perhaps the most damaging allegation, however, is when Sheldon called his father’s version of parenting “coasting ‘til the day he died.” The implication is that his father didn’t do much for the kids or his wife and was, for all intents and purposes, a neglectful dad.
The Truth About George in Young Sheldon
As time went on,it was clear that Sheldon remembered many moments incorrectly, with childhood blinders on, especially concerning his father. Consider that while George was often seen with a beer in his hand after work, he seemed more like a typical Texas beer drinker who enjoyed a brew while watching the game.
He did go to the local bar with his friends and co-workers, but those seemed to be infrequent nights out, and he was never seen stumbling home, having had one too many. A joke about the local liquor store owner crying at the newsof George’s deathis revealed to have been one Connie (Annie Potts) made while trying to lighten the somber mood at his funeral.
The younger Sheldon (Iain Armitage) did watch parts of football games, but mostly because his father refused to change the channel to whatever Sheldon wanted to watch.George never pushed football on Sheldon, nor did he shoot his TV; he was too cheap to ruin a perfectly good set. George was aware that his son was not an athlete and never would be. It was actually Georgie (Montana Jordan) who disappointed his father by quitting the sport.
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The accusations of an affair were disproved in one specific episode. Sheldon walks in one day and overhears his father in bed with a German-accented woman, but he doesn’t realize that the woman is actually his mother role-playing in bed.
The affair angle is teased more seriously in a storyline whereby George and Mary are going through a rough patch in their marriage.George finds solacein newly single neighbor Brenda (Melissa Peterman), a “guy’s gal” to whom he can relate. They hang out at the bar and sneak out to the chicken coop to share conversation and beers, leading Connie and even Missy (Reagan Revord) to suspect that something is going on. But George doesn’t take it any further. He distances himself once he recognizes that he is starting to have feelings for her. At the same time, Mary also felt a similar attraction to Pastor Rob (Dan Byrd), though she doesn’t act on her feelings either.
How Sheldon Officially Redeems His Father
There’s so much Sheldon got wrong because kids tend to see things in amplified ways. The negatives sometimes stick out more than the positives, resulting in memories that can omit important parts of a story. Since Sheldon doesn’t properly grieve his father, this likely leads to pent-up anger and resentment as well, resulting in Sheldon creating a version of his dad that’s worse than who he was. It was as though he had created some type of emotional shield. Thankfully, there’s redemption for thelargely misunderstood Georgein the final episode ofYoung Sheldon.Sheldon admits to emphasizing, even amplifying, all the negative things about this father.
Looking back, he realizes that while his mother did most, if not all, the housework, cared for the children, and was always on Sheldon’s side,his father also worked tirelessly to support the family. He was there for Sheldon time and time again, supporting everything he wanted to do, whether it was to buy his first computer, visit colleges, or attend a train conference. All these moments flooding back, delivered through the seasons ofYoung Sheldon,remind Sheldon of all the good he forgot.
“Now that I’m his age and a father with kids of my own,” Sheldon writes of his father, “I realize he was just doing the best he could.”
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In a fabulous moment of redemption, Sheldon accepts that he did not give his father a fair shake, finally giving a reason for the drastic difference between the George he portrayed, and the lovable, goofy George fans got to see on screen. George was by no means perfect, but as Sheldon now recognizes, he was trying.
If nothing else, fans can rest easy knowing that George’s role in making Sheldon the man (and father) he is will forever be celebrated. Most importantly, fans re-watchingThe Big Bang Theory(or watching for the first time) will have an entirely different understanding of Sheldon’s comments about his father. Fans now know who the real George is and how and why Sheldon portrayed him so differently from reality.Stream seasons 1-6 ofYoung SheldononNetflix.
