Young Sheldon is gradually revealing how George Cooper Sr. becomes the problematic father and husband that Sheldon described in The Big Bang Theory. Incongruous portrayals of characters between the two shows have caused some plot holes, but subtle hints in Young Sheldon suggest that George's eventual downward spiral will be fueled by his internal struggles. As the Coopers' financial needs increase, George becomes more obsessed with keeping their budget tight, inadvertently creating animosity between him and Mary. He struggles to show interest and validation towards her, something she craves, and his comment about being unhappy sets the perfect stage for his eventual bad behavior. This would make his fallout with Sheldon much worse, as the younger Cooper never understood why his dad suddenly became bad.