Reality Check: If Young Sheldon Was Any Closer to TBBT Canon, We Would Hate It
What unites any fandom more than criticizing their favorite show for whatever reason? Nothing really.
Young Sheldon fans are no different. As a prequel to the hugely successful The Big Bang Theory, the show was doomed from the start.
People have been divided on whether it is a good or bad thing that Young Sheldon is not really close to what we originally expected based on the adult Sheldon's stories and comments all throughout TBBT.
Is that really a problem or the key reason for the show's success? Lately, people are leaning toward the latter.
Some say that if Young Sheldon's characters were as Sheldon described them, "the ratings would have been in the toilet" straight away, and the show would not have survived past Season 1.
There seems to be a grain of truth in that. Adult Sheldon has referred to his father as a violent alcoholic who could not care less about him, and his mother as a religious fanatic who is afraid of everyone and everything.
Grown-up Sheldon has created the impression that his brother is a сoldhearted bully and his sister is a dumb bimbo. Imagine if we saw all this in the prequel. Would we want to watch it? Not so much.
Some fans mention that they have no problem with how Young Sheldon's characters turned out to be. They have found a simple explanation for it – adult Sheldon is exaggerating (which, given his overdramatic tendencies, is quite believable!).
TBBT's Sheldon has also been prone to having trouble interpreting his surroundings. If we remember correctly, he keeps calling Penny an alcoholic just for enjoying an occasional glass of wine.
He may have exaggerated his dad's drinking problem too, right?
Another thing is that Sheldon has always been quick to jump to conclusions and consider someone selfish if (God forbid) he is not the center of everyone's attention just for once.
In reality, we can all recall a couple of situations where Sheldon is actually the selfish one (surprise, surprise!).
The only striking difference between The Big Bang Theory and Young Sheldon is how Meemaw is portrayed. Sure, Sheldon loves his grandma to death in both shows, but the character seems much more different in Young Sheldon.
In The Big Bang Theory, Meemaw is no different from Sheldon's mom. She is shown as strict and conservative, whereas in Young Sheldon, she is depicted as much more free-spirited (she is basically the religious Mary's flip side).
What could have happened in 20–30 years to change Meemaw so drastically? Maybe we will find out in Season 7…