Young Sheldon S2—S6
Compared to The Big Bang Theory, Young Sheldon is surprisingly more complex and nuanced. I kept binging from one season to another, so they are all a blur to me now.
In some ways, there are huge disconnects between TBBT and Young Sheldon. For example, in TBBT, Sheldon remembers his dad as a drunk lout, uninvolved dad, a liar, and a cheater. But George Cooper is far from that. Sure, he is very much an old-fashioned man who sits on the couch and drinks beer while his wife does all the chores. But he is not a drunk lout nor is he uninvolved. He is an involved dad who shows genuine concern for his children.
The cheating arc is presented in a mature manner with emotion. George never cheated on his wife with Brenda Sparks. But he would have had it not been for a heart attack. And there is an emotional vulnerability and attachment developed that is lacking in his marriage. Mary herself has her temptations despite her piousness. She finds herself having sexual and romantic fantasies of men other than her husband like Pastor Rob.
It is well done and explores the truth about marriage. What is cheating? When is a marriage over? People change and drift apart. Mary Cooper went from being a fun-loving teen who dated and got pregnant before marriage to a born-again devout Christian, while George Cooper stayed the same. No wonder they drifted apart and struggled to connect as a couple.
There are other nuances too. George's colleague Wade appears to have a picture-perfect marriage that falls apart quickly. But George and Mary somehow manage to work it out despite their struggles. And should you try to make it work? Especially for the kids. Paige's rebellion may make it seem that divorce is hard on teens and makes them act up. But then Missy goes through the same wringer because her parents are unhappily together. Speaking of Missy, she has some remarkable emotional intelligence and is so intuitive about what is going on. Then there is Billy Sparks who is deeply sad after his parent's divorce but still manages to be the sweetest kid.
Dale and Meemaw have their own unique dynamic, showing that sometimes marriage isn't necessary for a ride-or-die relationship. Finally, there is Georgie and Mandy. At first blush, Georgie is a fcuk boy who lies about his age and gets a much older woman pregnant. That he is, but when he realizes he is about to be a dad, he matures significantly, stepping up to the plate and taking responsibility.
Young Sheldon's most important achievement is establishing how he became the Sheldon we know in TBBT. Mary Cooper is often insufferable and coddles Sheldon. Every time he has an opportunity to learn or concede, she overrides everyone else because he is special. Every act of stubbornness and selfishness is reinforced.
I can't wait to see how the show concludes.
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