Young Sheldon's Fatal Mistake? Stretching The Show For Too Long
Do we really need the show to continue beyond season 7?
Well, while Young Sheldon might be heading towards the finale with Season 6, it is a fairly common viewpoint that the show had already went on for too long, and stretched its plot thin… but this time, we won't be talking about that.
Rather, there is another problem associated with Young Sheldon going on for too many seasons: Iain Armitage, who plays the young version of Sheldon Cooper, growing up.
First, as he's entering his teenage years, he's increasingly losing any sort of visual resemblance with old Sheldon – it is harder and harder to connect the two faces of supposedly the same character.
Yes, Iain is trying his best, though his range of expression is sometimes considered to be lacking, but he cannot miraculously change his appearance. Not only his face is increasingly different, he is growing up too big and strong, and he doesn't sound as squeaky and annoying as the adult Sheldon did.
This problem is aggravated by the showrunners decisions regarding the series' timeframe. Usually in sitcoms and other series where time is supposed to advance, one season equals one year. But in Young Sheldon seasons take less in-series time.
The chronology is a bit muddled, but generally it is agreed that the six seasons unfolded over four years, so young Sheldon was 9 in Season 1, and is 13 in Season 6. Meanwhile, Iain Armitage is now 14 – the actor is outgrowing the character. While the writers can't, of course, control a child's growth, they can control how fast the show goes – and it doesn't go fast enough.
The fans of the series are noticing it by now, and though they opinions on Iain Armitage's acting skills may vary, they largely agree that he no longer fits the character.
In any case, now we can hope that the final episodes of Season 6, to be aired in May, will conclude the series, before this problem becomes too bad. However, if, as some sources state, the series is going to continue beyond Season 7, things might just become really awkward for the cast and the viewers.