Young Sheldon's Season 7 Journey in Germany: Overcoming Challenges

Incorporating Sheldon into Young Sheldon season 7 seemed like a challenge, but The Big Bang Theory’s Germany plot line has cleverly handled this issue. Young Sheldon season 7 has a lot to cover as the final outing of The Big Bang Theory’s prequel. According to the show's canon, Sheldon witnesses his father's affair, George Sr dies suddenly, Meemaw's personality changes, and Georgie's marriage ends in divorce. Young Sheldon needs to explain how and when all these events occurred.

Thankfully, Young Sheldon has already addressed one plot hole from the canon. While the characters have big storylines this season, Mandy and Georgie will reportedly have their own spinoff after the series finale. This means that Young Sheldon season 7 doesn’t need to rush through explaining their relationship in just 14 episodes. Similarly, the season has found a way to temporarily shift focus from Sheldon without straying from the show's premise.

Young Sheldon Season 7 Separated Sheldon’s Story

Keeping Sheldon apart from the Cooper family has helped season 7

Sheldon eating a pretzel in Germany in Young Sheldon season 7 - Keeping Sheldon apart from the Cooper family has helped season 7 - Young Sheldon Season 7 Separated Sheldon’s Story

Sheldon and his mother, Mary, spent the first three episodes of Young Sheldon season 7 in Germany. This allowed the show to focus on the rest of the Cooper family without making Sheldon's absence feel out of place. Since the season 6 finale, Young Sheldon has balanced Sheldon's fun adventures in Germany with the more serious stories of the Cooper family. The distance between them geographically keeps Sheldon's storylines light-hearted and separate from the rest of the family's more dramatic plots.

Young Sheldon’s Germany Story Fixes A Recurring Sheldon Issue

By sending him to Germany, Young Sheldon has been able to give Sheldon increasingly zany storylines that don’t directly link up to the more grounded events in Texas. As fans of The Big Bang Theory can attest, Sheldon is a pretty absurd character who frequently gets involved in all manner of bizarre plots. However, Young Sheldon takes the rest of the Coopers a little more seriously. Plots like Missy’s teenage rebellion, George Sr. losing his job, or Mary being fired from the church were all portrayed rather dramatically, which can sometimes make Sheldon’s storylines seem low-stakes and pointless in comparison.

Sheldon’s storylines didn’t really fit Young Sheldon’s tone in seasons 5 and 6

Montana Jordan as Georgie Cooper, Emily Osment as Mandy McAllister, Lance Barber as George Sr., Iain Armitage as Sheldon Cooper, Raegan Revord as Missy Cooper, Zoe Perry as Mary Cooper, and Annie Potts as Connie 'Meemaw' Tucker in Young Sheldon - Sheldon’s storylines didn’t really fit Young Sheldon’s tone in seasons 5 and 6 - Young Sheldon’s Germany Story Fixes A Recurring Sheldon Issue

Sheldon is known for being a silly and over-the-top character. In Young Sheldon season 7, Mary found herself feeling like a fish out of water in Sheldon's academic world. Similarly, the spinoff often portrays Sheldon as an outsider in the small-town Texan community where his family lives. While this quality adds to his charm, it can sometimes clash with the more serious tone of his family's storylines.

This contrast can be seen in the way season 6's focus on a grant database storyline didn't quite align with the more impactful and serious issues faced by characters like Missy, Meemaw, and George Sr. The mix of Sheldon's zany subplots with the family's drama may make his sillier stories feel less funny and diminish the gravity of the other characters' struggles.

To address this, Young Sheldon season 7 wisely decided to shake things up by sending Sheldon to a new setting. In just the first three episodes, we see Meemaw dealing with losing her house and getting deeper into her illegal gambling business, while Missy goes back to deceiving her father despite her promises in the previous season's finale. This change of scenery allows for a fresh perspective on the characters and their individual challenges.

Incorporating Sheldon Into Young Sheldon Season 7 Will Be Tricky

Sheldon’s return could be a tonal problem

Lance Barber's George Sr reads a letter in Young Sheldon season 7 episode 3 - Sheldon’s return could be a tonal problem - Incorporating Sheldon Into Young Sheldon Season 7 Will Be Tricky

Meemaw and Missy’s storylines worked well because Sheldon wasn't there to disrupt the emotional moments. In Germany, funny scenes like Sheldon losing a shoe to a wild dog or being tutored by a child smarter than him felt more fitting as they were not in the usual hometown setting. Young Sheldon season 7 succeeded in delivering these light-hearted plots. However, this may pose a challenge in the future.

Since George Sr's death in Young Sheldon season 7, Sheldon must come back home to Texas soon. He needs to be there to discover his father's affair and be present when George Sr passes away. However, this will disrupt the balance in the Cooper family's current dynamic. George Sr's sudden death will also change the tone of the remaining episodes, making it challenging for Sheldon to make a comeback. It remains to be seen how Young Sheldon will bring Sheldon back without negatively impacting season 7, as pulling off this delicate balance will be a tough task for The Big Bang Theory spinoff.

Editor's P/S:

The article provides a comprehensive analysis of how Young Sheldon season 7 has cleverly addressed the challenge of incorporating Sheldon into the narrative. By sending Sheldon to Germany, the show has found a way to give him zany storylines without detracting from the more serious plots of the Cooper family. This separation has allowed the season to focus on the individual challenges of the characters, such as Meemaw's gambling and Missy's rebellion.

However, the article also raises concerns about how Sheldon's return to Texas will impact the show's tone, particularly in light of George Sr.'s impending death. The balance between Sheldon's light-hearted adventures and the family's emotional struggles is a delicate one, and it remains to be seen how Young Sheldon will navigate this challenge. Nonetheless, the article's insightful analysis provides a valuable perspective on the complexities of writing a prequel to a beloved sitcom, and it will be intriguing to see how the show resolves these issues in the remaining episodes of season 7.