Why Young Sheldon Creator Chuck Lorre Regrets Killing George Sr. In The Big Bang Theory

"Young Sheldon," the "Big Bang Theory" spinoff that ran for seven seasons, is for the most part a pretty standard lighthearted network sitcom. The main exception to this rule is that, thanks to all the little bits of backstory we got of older Sheldon's childhood on "The Big Bang Theory," viewers knew that tragedy would eventually strike the Cooper family. George Cooper Sr. (Lance Barber) would die at some point in Sheldon's youth, we just didn't know exactly how or why. (His cause of death was briefly listed on one of Sheldon's charts as "S.B.L," whatever that means.)

For seven seasons, then, the sword of Damocles hung over George Sr.'s head, and the foreboding was even worse because "Young Sheldon" portrayed George Sr. as being far more kindly than expected. Sheldon in "The Big Bang Theory" talks about his father as if he was a good-for-nothing drunk who cheated on his wife and never cared for Sheldon, but throughout "Young Sheldon" George Sr. was portrayed as a pretty nice guy. Yeah, he often struggles to connect with his nerdy, un-athletic son, but honestly that's more Sheldon's fault for being annoying.

The creative choice to make George Sr. likable is definitely more of a retcon than a genuine reflection on adult Sheldon (who now appears to have needlessly disrespected his father's memory for 12 seasons straight), but it also made the spinoff series' final few episodes uniquely heavy for this sort of sitcom. "Funeral," the season 7 episode in which the youthful Sheldon (Iain Armitage) must navigate the aftermath of his father's passing, is particularly sad, all the more so because it's an episode the show was pretty much obligated to do at some point in its run. That's part of why "Big Bang Theory" creator Chuck Lorre, who'd later go on to create "Young Sheldon," expressed some regret for the flippantly-made decision to establish that Sheldon's dad had died prior to the events of that show.

After season 7's "A New Home and a Traditional Texas Torture," which ends with the Cooper family hearing the news of George Sr.'s death, there was a vanity card written by Lorre reading, "18 years ago when we were writing and producing 'The Big Bang Theory,' it seemed like a good idea to imagine that Sheldon's childhood was deeply disrupted by the loss of his father. No one could have thought that someday we would regret that decision. That someday is now."

The card continued, "There were a lot of tears on stage when this episode's last scene was shot. A reminder that we had all fallen in love with a fictional character. Which is, itself, a reminder to love the characters in our life who are real. To do otherwise is to live with regret."

In an interview with Glamour published to coincide with "Young Sheldon" concluding in May 2024, co-showrunners Steve Molaro and Steve Holland explained that they were pretty happy about the note the series ended on. "I think it gave the show a real strong emotional closure, and death is so important to Sheldon as a character," said Holland. "Looking back on that death as an adult has really framed what this show's been about, I think." Molaro added, "I agree. I don't regret that it's happening. It's a strong ending and a part of life."

The only real issue was the incongruence with how George Sr. was portrayed in "The Big Bang Theory," which "Young Sheldon" partially addressed via a cameo by Jim Parsons as the older Sheldon in the series finale. That scene didn't quite explain the dissonance, especially since Sheldon's mother Mary also talks trash about George Sr. in "The Big Bang Theory" (where she was played by Laurie Metcalf), but Holland explained how that was a necessary retcon to make the spinoff show work:

"As Chuck [Lorre] has always said, you have to give these shows room to grow and become their own thing. You can't force them into a box. As the show went on, Lance brought [so much] to the character. He was such a lovely person and a lovable dad, and that was what the show was becoming. You can't go back and force it into [something else]. It would've felt wrong for the character and the show."

Perhaps the best thing about George Sr.'s death is the way it helps set "Young Sheldon" apart from its competition. If not for this one giant tragedy looming over the series, "Young Sheldon" would very much feel like a standard network sitcom in an age where sitcoms feel less relevant than ever. Yes, it's got the "Big Bang Theory" connection to help it stick out, but George Sr.'s impending death is the big tonal swing that the series probably wouldn't have taken if its parent show hadn't unwittingly forced their hand. George Sr.'s canon death meant that "Young Sheldon" had to be truly bold in its final moments, and the result is a show with one of the most interesting, well-received final seasons in recent years.