Young Sheldon's Ending is Much Closer Than You Probably Realized

The Big Bang Theory established that Sheldon Cooper attended the California Institute of Technology (Caltech) in Pasadena, California after finishing his undergrad. His move to Pasadena happened around the same time as the death of his father, George. It stands to reason that when Sheldon heads to California, the show will have reached its end.

In November 10's A Tougher Nut and a Note on File, Sheldon (played by Iain Armitage) created a program to find every available educational grant, despite already having several offers from Ivy League schools. We already know that he's destined for Caltech, and his new creation may be how he winds up there.

Big Bang Theory never explicitly stated where he did his undergrad, just that he looked down on Leonard, Howard, and Amy for their choice of undergrads – Princeton, MIT, and Harvard.

This implied that he went to an equally prestigious school before getting his Master's at Caltech, but Season 3 of Young Sheldon revealed that he attended the fictional East Texas Tech to appease his mother.

With Sheldon soon to graduate, leave for Pasadena, and mourn the death of his father, all hints point to a nearing end to the show.

At the very least, the current version of the show as we've seen it for six seasons will soon face a shift in dynamics. The show has branched out beyond just the story of Sheldon, beginning to focus on the rest of his family. If the show continued after his move, the familial themes would disappear – specifically around George, who is destined to die around the same time.

Despite all of this, the end is not guaranteed.

We could see Sheldon as a teenager thriving at Caltech, introducing a new cast around him. Young Sheldon might follow him into young adulthood, all the way through his education and into the beginning of his professional life.

Beyond that, there's the possibility that Young Sheldon will end with him in Pasadena and yet another spin-off series will follow his life there. Sheldon has been one of the most marketable television characters for CBS since 2007, so while the current series might end, there's no reason to stop the story.

At the very least, we're guaranteed another season-and-a-half of Young Sheldon. Watch Thursday nights on CBS to see how it plays out.