Big Bang Theory’s Final Christmas Episode Made Young Sheldon’s George Sr Cheating Story Worse
While The Big Bang Theory’s final Christmas episode is largely fun, the outing does bring up a controversial twist that makes Young Sheldon tragic upon a re-watch. By The Big Bang Theory’s finale, it was clear who the show’s breakout character was. The Big Bang Theory’s entire cast of characters were memorably funny, but the hang-out show transitioned from focusing on the romantic relationship between Leonard and Penny to the character arc of Sheldon pretty quickly. Jim Parsons’ Sheldon was the sitcom’s star, so it was no surprise when the first spinoff from the series focused on his childhood.
What was surprising was that, by Young Sheldon’s finale, the same gradual shift had happened again. A show that originally sold itself as Sheldon’s origin story ended up focusing on the rest of the Cooper family just as much as its titular child prodigy, as Meemaw, Mary, George Sr., Georgie, and Mary won over viewers. This was a nice surprise, but it made The Big Bang Theory’s canon a problem for the spinoff. Young Sheldon left some Big Bang Theory plot holes unanswered when the prequel came up against inconvenient franchise lore set up by its predecessor.
Mary Brings Up George’s Cheating Plot In The Last Big Bang Theory Christmas Episode
Sheldon’s Mother Mary Mentioned George Sr.’s Infidelity
One striking example of this was George Sr.’s infidelity, which both Sheldon and his mother referenced on numerous occasions throughout The Big Bang Theory. George Sr. never actually cheated on his wife Mary, but Sheldon and his mother continually besmirched his memory after his death by repeating this false claim. This makes The Big Bang Theory’s final Christmas special, season 10, episode 12, “The Holiday Summation,” tough to re-watch. While Amy and Sheldon’s trip to visit Mary in Texas is mostly funny and heartwarming, Mary’s reference to George Sr.’s philandering leaves a bad taste thanks to Young Sheldon‘s revelations.
While The Big Bang Theory’s earlier Christmas episode centered on Raj’s character growth, “The Holiday Summation” split up its three central couples and chronicled their equally disastrous holidays. Howard and Bernadette couldn’t stop their baby from crying, Leonard and Penny fought over their Christmas tree, and Sheldon reverted to his childhood self after his mother tactlessly admitted that she never thought he would find a romantic partner. During this segment, Mary also referenced George Sr.’s proclivity for cheating even though, as Young Sheldon viewers know, he had no such vice.
Young Sheldon Revealed What Really Happened In Sheldon’s George Cheating Story
George Sr. Was Innocent And The Cheating Was A Misunderstanding
Throughout Young Sheldon season 6, the prequel heavily implied that George Sr. might cheat on Mary with his neighbor Brenda. Young Sheldon’s Thanksgiving episode saw George Sr. give up his dream job at Mary’s behest and their marriage was dotted with serious fights that left its stability in question. However, things improved for the couple in season 7 after Mary went to Germany with Sheldon for a summer. In season 7, episode 4, “Ants on a Log and a Cheating Winker,” Mary returned with a sexy surprise for her husband.
“The Holiday Summation” made Young Sheldon’s story even sadder when an angry Sheldon also insulted the intelligence of his siblings while arguing with Mary.
Mary dressed in lederhosen and, after months on different continents, the couple engaged in some role-play that Sheldon walked in on and misinterpreted. Young Sheldon played off Sheldon’s misunderstanding of his parent’s tryst as a funny moment, but The Big Bang Theory already made it clear that this event genuinely scarred him and permanently altered Sheldon’s perception of his father. “The Holiday Summation” made Young Sheldon’s story even sadder when an angry Sheldon also insulted the intelligence of his siblings while arguing with Mary. This provided another reminder of how strained the family’s dynamics were in the decades after George Sr.’s death.
TBBT & Young Sheldon Never Clarified If Sheldon Found Out The Truth About George’s Affair
Sheldon’s Knowledge Of His Father’s “Cheating” Was Unclear
As evidenced in “The Holiday Summation,” Sheldon and his mother both thought George Sr. cheated on Mary throughout The Big Bang Theory. However, there is an unexplained Young Sheldon plot hole in this storyline. It is unclear whether Mary has any reason to believe that George Sr. betrayed her other than Sheldon’s story, and she knows that role-play wasn’t what Sheldon thought. As such, it is unclear whether Mary ever corrected the record.
The scene from “Ants on a Log and a Cheating Winker” may just be something that viewers saw, but not something Sheldon himself ever found out about.
Sheldon may have found out later, which could explain why the incident is treated so irreverntly in his memoirs. However, the scene from “Ants on a Log and a Cheating Winker” may just be something that viewers saw, but not something Sheldon himself ever found out about. If this is the case, then “The Holiday Summation” is part of a shockingly bleak sitcom plot. This would mean The Big Bang Theory’s hero spent years thinking his father was guilty of something he never did, and Young Sheldon’s clarification never helped Mary or Sheldon find out the truth.
