The death of George Cooper Sr. (Lance Barber) was set in stone as soon as “Young Sheldon” aired its first episode. Sheldon Cooper (Jim Parsons) had revealed that he’d been forced to deal with his old man passing away during his teenage years on “The Big Bang Theory,” so the prequel series was always going to chronicle the heartbreaking event. Sure, “Young Sheldon” flat-out changes some plot points from “The Big Bang Theory,” but George’s death was unavoidable, and it’s a tear-jerking viewing experience.
Of course, the creators of “The Big Bang Theory” probably weren’t thinking about making “Young Sheldon” when they decided to seal George’s fate. Fortunately, Steven Molaro and Steve Holland had no regrets about their decision when they returned for the prequel, as they explained in a 2024 interview with Glamour. To quote Holland on the matter:
“I think it gave the show a real strong emotional closure, and death is so important to Sheldon as a character. Looking back on that death as an adult has really framed what this show’s been about, I think.”
This sentiment was echoed by Molaro, who felt that George’s death gave the sitcom a strong ending that was true to life. However, that sentiment isn’t shared by their fellow “Young Sheldon” showrunner and “Big Bang Theory” co-creator Chuck Lorre, who’s expressed his regret over killing the Cooper family patriarch.
Chuck Lorre wishes The Big Bang Theory had handled George Cooper’s death differently
As mentioned, Chuck Lorre has previously said he regrets killing George Cooper Sr. prior to “Young Sheldon” hitting the airwaves. Essentially, the showrunner has admitted to being unhappy about making the character seem like a no-good drunk on “The Big Bang Theory,” as developing him throughout the prequel series made Lorre realize that Sheldon’s dad was actually quite lovable. What’s more, the emotional impact his death had on the characters and actors who played them made Lorre wish he and his fellow “Big Bang Theory” writers had thought it through more.
Still, it doesn’t have to be a permanent goodbye. Despite the fact his character is dead, Lance Barber is open to playing George Cooper Sr. again on the spinoff “George and Mandy’s First Marriage.” However, he’ll only return if the writers come up with a way to resurrect him that’s meaningful and honors the magnitude of his character’s untimely demise, so don’t expect him to play a ghost just for the sake of it. Still, only time will tell if that idea ever comes to fruition.
“Young Sheldon” is currently streaming in its entirety on Max.
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