The one Young Sheldon storyline we’re all dreading: Will it happen in season 7?

Alright my friends. This is sort of the elephant in the room of sorts. I think when us fans mention the storyline everyone’s waiting for, but also dreading, in Young Sheldon, one plot point immediately comes to mind. And that’s the fact that George eventually cheats on Mary, and dies a year later. This changes and challenges the Cooper family forever. So is this storyline going to happen in Young Sheldon season 7, aka the final season?

The writers of Young Sheldon have kind of been iffy and loose about keeping in line with what was already established in The Big Bang Theory. For example, Georgie’s storyline with Mandy and being a teen dad was never mentioned or confirmed on the flagship series. And there’s some other elements that are also in that boat. However, while the writers can play around with certain plots, there’s others that are really hard to change or avoid. And George’s fate is one of them.

For a refresher, let’s break down the facts that we do know. Based on Big Bang’s season 10 episode 5, “The Hot Tub Contamination,” Sheldon accidentally walks in on his dad with another woman when he comes back home over a break from college. He said he was 13 years old at the time, and that’s where his pattern of knocking three times on a door comes from. When the event happened, neither Sheldon nor George spoke of it.

In TBBT season 7 episode 9,  “The Thanksgiving Decoupling,” Sheldon reveals that his father passed away when he was 14 years old due to being overweight and a sudden heart attack. And while the kid genius’ exact age in Young Sheldon season 6 isn’t known, he’s thought to be around 12-13 years old. And so that means the cheating storyline is set to come up very soon.

Will George’s cheating storyline and death happen in Young Sheldon season 7?

Unfortunately, yes. It's been confirmed that George's death is going to happen on Young Sheldon season 7. Executive producers on the series shared that though they haven't stuck to all the plot points established on The Big Bang Theory, this one is too big to ignore. Here's what EP Steve Holland told TVLine:

“I don’t want to say what you will or won’t see, but things will get addressed. We are not beholden to every joke that was ever made on The Big Bang Theory, but we do feel beholden to the larger canon and the larger events that shape Sheldon’s life. We want to honor those.”

Holland didn't make it clear whether the cheating storyline is happening as well before the show comes to an end on Thursday, May 16, 2024 on CBS. Based on TBBT, George's cheating happens about a year before George dies. Over the years, we’ve seen how George and Mary’s marriage has a lot of ups and downs. Sometimes they’re great together. But unfortunately many times they’d rather spend time with other people, or simply don’t communicate effectively. This is what puts a strain on their marriage.

Plus, Young Sheldon showed us how George and next door neighbor Brenda have a connection and almost kissed even. Is she the woman George cheats on Mary with? It’s possible. But it could also be someone else. The writers have been teasing us with this storyline, as well as showing us how George has heart problems, for multiple seasons now.

Honestly in The Big Bang Theory, Sheldon and his mother Mary always made it out to be that George was a lazy father and husband who didn’t care. Now in Young Sheldon is he the best dad or husband ever? No. But, he’s not as bad as we thought he would be. I think TBBT prequel has really created a character that’s a bit more likable, and sometimes we can even understand his actions.

There’s many times when he’s sort of taken for granted by his kids and wife. This of course doesn’t excuse what he eventually does. But, I think Young Sheldon really managed to make him into more of a likable character, and he’s not as misunderstood. He’s honestly one of my favorite characters, and it’s really sad to know his fate.

Will there be a Young Sheldon season 8? (Is season 7 the last?)

No, Young Sheldon has not been renewed for a season 8 and the seventh season will be the last. Per a TVLine article back in March, there had been talks amongst the behind-the-scenes team whether we’re potentially reaching the end. As a reminder, when Sheldon turns 14 that’s also when he moves to California and does his graduate studies at CalTech. Which again, is coming up soon. Here’s what executive producer Steve Holland told the outlet:

"We certainly have a plan in place of where we’re aiming [to get] next season with some understanding, and some flexibility, that this may or may not be the end."

His statement is in response to whether if a potential writers strike (at the time) would happen, would it effect the season. Of course now we all know that the writers strike (resolved), as well as the actors strike (reached a tentative agreement) happened, and have already caused delays.

According to an Instagram post by Missy actress Raegan Revord, the final season will be a total of 14 episodes. With the news about the show coming to an end now made official, executive producers Holland, Chuck Lorre, and Steve Molaro released a joint statement, per a press release:

"Being able to tell the origin of Sheldon Cooper, and expanding the story to include the entire Cooper family has been a wonderful experience. We are grateful to our fans for embracing this chapter of the Coopers these past six seasons, and on behalf of the entire Young Sheldon family, we’re excited to share this final season with you."

So I think that especially with a shortened season, the writers might introduce George’s cheating storyline in the seventh season, as well as wrap up the story and address George’s death and the effect it has on his family. It’s really sad to think about. But unfortunatley, I don’t think this is something the show can work around or avoid. George’s death affected Sheldon, even into his adult years. And there needs to be some continuity that remains. And this is part of it.

Stay tuned to Hidden Remote for news and updates about Young Sheldon season 7!