Lance Barber’s Prank in Young Sheldon Finale Highlighted the Franchise’s Big Screw-Up
The actor’s weird cameo subtly roasted the franchise’s major issue.
Young Sheldon ’s final season had everyone in tears after George Sr.’s tragic death giving no real attention to a suspiciously familiar face sitting in the back row at the character’s funeral.
It was then confirmed that the mysterious guest lady was none other than George’s actor Lance Barber plotting a grand prank for the rest of the cast and crew. Sadly, other tricks that Barber had up his sleeve eventually never saw the light just due to all the sorrowful atmosphere that the filming set had back then.
However, the actor’s goofy cameo actually goes way further than just a simple joke — and makes it up to all the fans who have been concerned about the franchise’s controversial problem.
Over the years of its run, Young Sheldon proved that it had no trouble with recasting some actors who were once featured in The Big Bang Theory. The prequel’s viewers were dumbfounded seeing Lance Barber as Sheldon’s father while the actor had shown up as Leonard’s school bully in the original show before.
Sheldon’s teacher Ms. Fenley was portrayed by Melissa Tang who also played Leonard’s brief love interest Mandy Chao in The Big Bang Theory.
Additionally, Octavia Spencer was also featured in both series, appearing in cameo roles of a clerk in the original show and Meemaw’s parole officer Rhonda in the prequel’s season 7.
Young Sheldon’s most disheartening episode ironically turned into the one that poked fun at the whole franchise’s creators.
While the rest of the Cooper family and all the invitees were saying their last words to George, the character’s actor was feeling just fine disguised as a mourning distant relative that preferred to stay in the background.
Lance Barber’s prank thus came as yet another proof of the fact that The Big Bang Theory’s universe is way more flexible than the rest of the TV world when it comes to reusing the same actor for a couple of completely different roles.
Young Sheldon’s upcoming spinoff Georgie & Mandy’s First Marriage may follow the suit, but many fans would surely prefer a wider range of the cast members anyway.