Touching TBBT Theory Reveals Why Sheldon's Dad is So Different in Young Sheldon
Fans of The Big Bang Theory know Sheldon's late father, George, as an aloof, uncaring father who never understood his son's genius.
His mother described her husband as a foolish man, someone who once "fought a bobcat for a piece of licorice." But in the show's prequel, Young Sheldon, fans were shocked to see a pretty good dad who, at the very least, tried.
Why is there such a difference in the characterization?
The easy answer is that it would have been harder for CBS to greenlight a comedy co-starring a brutish and cruel father. But one theory suggests that it may be deeper than that.
Young Sheldon, starring Iain Armitage, is narrated by Jim Parsons, the original Sheldon Cooper. It's then assumed that Young Sheldon is a flashback in Sheldon's head. Sheldon's description of his father in The Big Bang Theory is coming from a young adult who suffers from emotional immaturity. But the Sheldon who narrates Young Sheldon is coming from a more mature place. He's married and a father himself. He was able to forgive his father for his shortcomings, as he realizes how difficult parenthood – and adulthood in general – can be.
The actor who played Sheldon's father, Lance Barber, commented on this in the book The Big Bang Theory: The Definitive Inside Story written by Jessica Radloff. He said that Sheldon had a new perspective on his parents, "which we all do when we become adults and see our parents as human beings for the first time."
Barber also said that Sheldon may have been dealing with the loss of his father by painting him in a negative light, a way to make his death not hurt so much.
George wasn't the only one who was portrayed differently between the series. In The Big Bang Theory, we only know of Sheldon's Meemaw as the ideal grandmother who makes cookies. She makes a small appearance in The Big Bang Theory, but in her main role on Young Sheldon, she's a woman who gambles and drinks. She dates around and even mocks her own family at times. Once again, Sheldon's childhood experiences cloud his memory of his family.
A competing theory is that Young Sheldon is told by Sheldon with rose-colored lenses. Maybe his father truly was a cruel, uncaring man. The theory suggests that Sheldon is telling the story of his youth to his child, much like Ted in How I Met Your Mother. He softens how cruel his father was for the sake of his own kids, not wanting them to know how difficult his childhood was.
Which theory is correct? Fans will make their points, actors will comment – but at the end of the day, prequels don't always exactly match the original run. Discussing where they fit together is part of the fun.
The sixth season of Young Sheldon airs Thursdays on CBS.