Young Sheldon Season 4 Ending & All Big Bang Theory Setups Explained
Young Sheldon season 4 finale ended on a cliffhanger. Here's what it means for the show's future and how it sets up important Big Bang Theory plots.
Young Sheldon season 4 wrapped up with a cliffhanger ending that will be significant in the sitcom's future, but it also features a lot of set-up for some important The Big Bang Theory plotlines involving Sheldon. Young Sheldon season 4 had a much shorter run, only having 18 episodes instead of the traditional 22, primarily due to the coronavirus pandemic. Despite this, there's still so much that has happened in the sitcom in terms of Sheldon's personal arc and the Coopers as a unit, including the titular character officially starting college while his parents' marriage slowly starts to crumble.
It's been two years since the spin-off has started standing on its own after its parent series ended its 12 season-run in 2019. While Young Sheldon isn't really known for honoring previously established continuity, it has also taken advantage of opportunities to reference The Big Bang Theory in several different ways. Season 4 featured a surprise voice cameo from Amy in the premiere which confirmed that she and Sheldon do have a son in the future, named Leonard Cooper. Later in the year, the sitcom also revealed where Sheldon got the idea for his Mobile Virtual Presence Device (MVPD). Finally, it subtly explained why Sheldon mocked Howard and his engineering degree so much as well.
The events of the Young Sheldon season 4 finale, "The Wild and Woolly World of Nonlinear Dynamics" were kicked off by Missy dealing with boy issues, but it has become so much more serious than that. At the end of the outing, she has gotten over the problem partly because of Sheldon offering support and enlightenment. But things have turned for the worse back at the Coopers as George and Mary argued — from there, things escalated very quickly. Here's a breakdown of Young Sheldon season 4's ending.
Young Sheldon Season 4 Finale Begins George's Cheating Ways
George's infidelity storyline has been looming over Young Sheldon ever since Sheldon talked about it for the first time in The Big Bang Theory season 10. The prequel series has been dancing around the dark plotline for years now, as the Cooper patriarch has been mostly depicted as a normal dad who may have his bad days but is always devoted to his family. The show, however, hinted that this will change moving forward. After George tragically admitting that he's so unhappy with his life during his heated argument with Mary in Young Sheldon's season 4 finale, he took off and went to the bar to let off some steam. Initially, he was minding his business until Brenda Sparks — their newly-single neighbor - showed up and offered to stick around, and just like that, the screen cut to black. The sitcom didn't explicitly show that this encounter will lead to a full-blown affair, but it sets George down a path wherein he considers and eventually seeks comfort from a female companion.
Young Sheldon Sets Up His & Georgie's TBBT Conflict
With the twins out of the house, only Georgie witnessed the intense debate between his parents back at home. After George left, the eldest Cooper child decided to man up and take care of Mary, who's still upset over what happened. The usually unmindful Georgie cooked dinner and consoled his mother who, in turn, admitted that she somehow feels guilty for the way her husband feels. This particular moment in Young Sheldon sets up Georgie's eventual role as the man of the family after his father dies in a few years. In The Big Bang Theory, leading up to Sheldon's wedding, he was forced to patch things up with his brother, whom he hadn't spoken to in more than 10 years. It was then revealed that Georgie became a wealthy businessman, owning Dr. Tire - the biggest tire retailer in Texas. As he and Sheldon hashed things out for the first time in years, Georgie talked about how after George died, he had to grow up quickly to take care of Mary and Missy while Sheldon went through life oblivious of his and the family's struggle.
Young Sheldon Makes Big Bang Theory's Mary Worse
Sheldon's stories about his father in The Big Bang Theory were corroborated by Mary, who never missed a chance to dunk on her dead husband. Like her son, she depicted George as an irresponsible father and husband which is clearly not the case in the prequel series. Mary acknowledging their personal woes and even feeling partly guilty about them highlighted that she's aware that George is not a bad family man. So why did she continue to ruthlessly disparage him even years after his demise in The Big Bang Theory?
In conjunction, the same outing confirmed that Sheldon's worst trait in The Big Bang Theory came from his mother. Young Sheldon season 4 finale highlighted how Mary can be self-obsessed like her son; both think very highly of themselves. When Pastor Jeff took home early, she automatically took over the leadership role, genuinely believing that nothing could be done if she sat back and let other employees do their work. When she got home, she maintained the attitude, telling George that things go awry when she's not around even though that's not the case.
Young Sheldon Season 4 Finale Teases Missy's TBBT Story
Early on in Young Sheldon season 4, Missy went on with her first movie date with Marcus, with the help of Georgie. From there the pair supposedly became an item, so the Cooper twin was understandably upset when her presumed boyfriend spent time with another girl behind her back. The way Missy handled her problem in Young Sheldon's season 4 finale foreshadows her eventual arc in The Big Bang Theory where she devoted her whole life to a marriage that ultimately didn't work. While her feelings were valid about what happened in the prequel, her reaction seemed too extreme for her age and for what it really was, especially when she lashed out at everyone and then ran away from home. It establishes that even at a young age, Missy falls in love hard and fast, resulting in leaving very little for herself.
How Young Sheldon Season 4's Finale Sets Up Season 5
With the CBS spin-off already locked in for at least three more seasons, there's plenty of time to further tackle these aforementioned arcs to establish a better narrative link with The Big Bang Theory. But in the immediate aftermath of the season, its cliffhanging ending will more likely be the most impactful narrative coming into Young Sheldon season 5. Depending on what happened between George and Brenda, their time together might ultimately cause irreparable damage to the Coopers' marriage. What makes this worse is the fact that it was Mary who took the time to console her neighbor when she found out that she was abandoned by her husband. Considering the timeline, it's still a couple of years before Sheldon catches his dad cheating, so it's possible that Young Sheldon is gradually progressing towards George's infidelity story instead of presenting it as a spur-of-the-moment thing. This allows the series to continue being funny and lighthearted while simultaneously building towards a very serious plotline.
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