Warning! Spoilers ahead for the Young Sheldon series finale.
George's emotional funeral in the Young Sheldon series finale had a couple of scenes left on the cutting room floor. Coming from George's unexpected death in Young Sheldon season 7, episode 12, the first half of the Coopers' special send-off was devoted to the fallout from the tragedy. Sheldon and his family coping with grief made their patriarch's funeral much sadder. Apparently, however, the outing almost featured some more comedic scenes.
In a new interview with EW, co-showrunner Steve Holland reveals that they decided to cut two particular sequences from Young Sheldon season 7, episode 12, "Funeral" — both were more lighthearted than the rest of the outing. The first one featured Mandy and Georgie's daughter, Baby Cece, unable to stop crying throughout the service. Meanwhile, the other one featured Sheldon's mentors distracting him by talking about science. Holland says that dropping the latter one was difficult, saying:
That was a hard cut, but it also felt better to keep Sheldon just sort of in his own head. All the cuts made it a stronger episode.
George’s Death And Funeral Highlight Young Sheldon's True Appeal
Young Sheldon Is A True Family Comedy/Drama
The Coopers' biggest tragedy, however, highlighted Young Sheldon's true appeal, which was its grounded storytelling.
George's death was vital to the Young Sheldon finale, as devastating as it was. It's no secret that The Big Bang Theory's version of the Cooper patriarch differed greatly from the prequel's depiction. Rehabilitating Sheldon's dad's image had been in the works since the spinoff started in 2017 and retconning George's cheating scandal was the final stage of fixing his character. This endeavor created a plethora of plot inconsistencies, but it was all worth it, considering George's significance in Young Sheldon's success. Unfortunately, this also meant that losing him would be more difficult.
The Coopers' biggest tragedy, however, highlighted Young Sheldon's true appeal, which was its grounded storytelling. George and his family went through so many ups and downs throughout the prequel's run, with the show tackling universal themes of love and loss. This broadened its audience beyond those who knew the series through The Big Bang Theory. Having a single-cam set-up also allows the show to stage more dramatic moments, including George's death and eventual funeral. It may not be as comedic as its parent series, but its brand of comedy mixed with drama arguably makes it the superior show.
Iain Armitage as Sheldon and the cast of The Big Bang Theory
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The Young Sheldon finale features a flashforward featuring Sheldon and Amy, making the rest of The Big Bang Theory cast's whereabouts curious.
Despite Young Sheldon ending, The Big Bang Theory universe will live via the upcoming sequel series, George and Mandy's First Marriage. Aside from its titular characters, however, no other Cooper will be series regulars on the show. It will also be a multi-cam show, like The Big Bang Theory. It's a new era for the franchise, but the next project has its work cut out for it in terms of the storytelling quality that Young Sheldon set.