Young Sheldon finale could see tragedy

The cast of Young Sheldon holding hands around a dinner table
(Image credit: Robert Voets/ 2022 Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc)

The Young Sheldon season 6 finale could leave fans hanging off a cliff as a tornado makes its way toward Medford, Texas. But could this natural disaster be a precursor to another tragedy that The Big Bang Theory fans have been dreading?

The two-part season 6 finale will begin with Sheldon (Iain Armitage) preparing for his summer study abroad trip to Germany, and part two will reveal what happens when he arrives there with his mother, Mary (Zoe Perry). 

Take a look at the Young Sheldon season finale episode descriptions below: 

  • Part 1, "A Romantic Getaway and a Germanic Meat-Based Diet": "Mandy (Emily Osment) surprises Georgie (Montana Jordan) with a spa weekend and Sheldon (Iain Armitage) prepares for his summer in Germany."
  • Part 2, "A Tornado, a 10-Hour Flight and a Darn Fine Ring": “Sheldon (Iain Armitage) and Mary (Zoe Perry) head to Germany while the rest of the Cooper family braves a tornado that is heading straight for Medford.  

Obviously a tornado heading for Medford is cause for concern, especially when Sheldon and Mary are half a world away in Germany. 

But the stress from the tornado and being separated from the family could be a precursor to another story that's expected to play out in season 7: the death of Sheldon’s father, George (Lance Barber).

Adult Sheldon (Jim Parsons) revealed that his father died of weight-related issues when he was 14 years old. In Young Sheldon season 6, Sheldon and his twin sister Missy (Raegan Revord) are 13, which means that they should be turning 14 in season 7. George Sr. already suffered a heart attack in an early season 5 episode, foreshadowing the Cooper patriarch's fate. 

Could the stress of the tornado, compounded by being separated from his family, lead to George's death early in season 7?

There are a few ways to look at how this could play out. With the show's young cast members outpacing the age and physical growth of their characters (Revord is 15 and Armitage will turn 15 this summer), there's a limited amount of time left before the show will reach the end of its run. 

Should season 7 be the final season, it makes sense to have George's death factor into the story early on so that the focus of the remaining episodes can be on how the Cooper family copes with the loss. 

While the tornado in the season 6 finale might not directly impact the Coopers, it could trigger George's underlying condition, which eventually leads to an event that will change their lives forever.

The two-part Young Sheldon season 6 finale airs May 18 at 8 pm ET/PT on CBS.

Sarabeth Pollock
Editorial Content Producer

 

Sarabeth joined the What to Watch team in May 2022. An avid TV and movie fan, her perennial favorites are The Walking Dead, American Horror Story, true crime documentaries on Netflix and anything from Passionflix. You’ve Got Mail, Ocean's Eleven and Signs are movies that she can watch all day long. She's also a huge baseball fan, and hockey is a new favorite.  

When she's not working, Sarabeth hosts the My Nights Are Booked Podcast and a blog dedicated to books and interviews with authors and actors. She also published her first novel, Once Upon an Interview, in 2022.