Young Sheldon’s Step Away From Its Original Idea Made It So Much Better (and Not That Tragic)

Having come to its definite end several weeks ago, Young Sheldon has been CBS’ constant guest with its seven seasons exploring Sheldon Cooper’s earlier life in his family house in Texas, something that The Big Bang Theory fans have been dreaming of for quite a long time before the prequel finally arrived.

The original show has repeatedly proved that Sheldon’s quirkiness didn’t come just out of nowhere and there must have been something in his childhood that eventually had such an impact on him in his adult life.

With that in mind, Young Sheldon indeed unveiled a lot about the character’s early years that did form his eccentric identity, though the show’s initial idea never made it to the screen, and seems like it was a huge relief for everyone.

In The Big Bang Theory, Sheldon appears to be some kind of an outsider whose pedantry and quirkiness usually pushes people away from him and every so often even drives his few friends crazy.

Considering that Sheldon was very unlikely to be somehow different in his younger years, Young Sheldon’s creators initially had a plan of continuing this narrative of an introverted nerd and outsider who always struggled with finding friends that never came around. However, such a cruel storyline was quickly dropped after the show’s heartbreaking season 2 finale.

In the episode titled A Swedish Science Thing and the Equation for Toast, Sheldon is seen planning a party for his co-worker Dr. Sturgis who potentially had chances to win a Nobel Prize.

The seemingly great idea that was supposed to bring some fun to Sheldon and his friends turned into the character’s bitter realization that he in fact had no friends, as the party, which actually took place at 5 am Texas time because the Nobel Prize winners were announced at that time, was attended only by Sheldon’s mother Mary.

The character is then shown crying in a heart-shattering scene where he suddenly becomes aware of the fact that his exceptional intelligence has relentlessly deprived him of any friends.

Young Sheldon’s narrative eventually took a very different turn, probably due to its creators’ decision to stop Sheldon’s suffering as he already had enough of it. Starting with season 3, the show took a closer look at the titular character’s family diving deeper into their own personalities and the way they built their communication with Sheldon during all those years.

With Young Sheldon’s changed approach that opted for giving other family members a proper development, it doesn’t come as a surprise that The Big Bang Theory’s universe is getting yet another expansion, this time entirely dedicated to Sheldon’s brother George and his own family.