The shortened Young Sheldon season 7 effectively gives CBS the excuse not to tackle these narratives.
George's death has long been established in The Big Bang Theory; it was the reason why he never physically appeared in the show. His demise, however, was preceded by his supposed cheating scandal, as recalled by Sheldon in the nerd-centric sitcom. Apparently, when Sheldon was 13, he caught his dad in bed with another woman. He never talked about it and a year later, the Cooper patriarch unexpectedly died. Considering Young Sheldon's prequel nature, these have been some of the most anticipated plotlines in the show, but while CBS has danced around the matter, it won't be able to get away with it for longer because of the timeline.
The shortened season 7 effectively gives CBS the excuse not to tackle these narratives. For starters, Young Sheldon season 6 already totally ignored George's affair when the incident was supposed to happen during the final stretch of the year. Because of this, the prequel can chalk its continued ignorance of it to limited screen time in season 7. Meanwhile, ending the comedy right before George's death in the timeline gives the prequel a way out of these rather dark arcs. Although the series has dabbled into more mature themes in the past, these plots may just be way too serious and heavy for a family comedy.
Georgie and Mandy are finally engaged to be married.
Despite some rough patches, however, things have finally stabilized for Mandy and Georgie. After the arrival of Baby Cece, they're finally engaged to be married as seen in the Young Sheldon season 6 finale. It's a big cause of celebration for everyone, especially seeing how madly in love they are with each other. That being said, The Big Bang Theory pre-determined that they eventually split up. It's uncertain when, but the shortened Young Sheldon season 7 can opt not to show that on-screen. Instead, the spin-off's finale could show Mandy and Georgie tying the knot. This way, it can leave the couple in a great place.
It's imperative that Young Sheldon's finale honors the show that it has become.
Admittedly, Young Sheldon took a while for the CBS series to find its own footing, but now, it has already found its own identity. Young Sheldon season 5 marked a transition point for the series, from being Sheldon's origins story to a family comedy. Because of this, it's imperative that the show's finale honors the show that it has become, and the best way to do that is to leave the Coopers on a high note. It can only do that if the clan is complete, which a shortened season allows it to do since Sheldon is still in Medford and George is still alive.
The Big Bang Theory prequel tends to go on several week-long hiatuses during its run.
Due to Young Sheldon's season 7's delayed premiere, the wait will continue for the Coopers' comeback until February 2024. For context, the show should have already released 8-10 episodes before Christmas. The delay is understandably frustrating. That being said, there's actually a big benefit to Young Sheldon's season 7 late start — the elimination of mini-hiatuses. The Big Bang Theory prequel tends to go on several week-long hiatuses during its run due to varying reasons. Aside from the unexpected wait in between episodes, they disrupt the family comedy's weekly storytelling and pacing — something that will not be a thing for season 7.
Young Sheldon has become more serialized over the last couple of seasons.
It's one thing for Young Sheldon to not have multiple weekly breaks throughout its yearly run, but it's another for the show to not have any filler episodes. Like The Big Bang Theory, its prequel takes a more episodic approach to its storytelling. That being said, it has become more serialized over the last couple of seasons due to the nature of its plot lines. So when it releases a filler episode, it's disappointing since it shifts the focus away from more important things happening in the show. With a shortened Young Sheldon season 7, the prequel can no longer afford to do that.
Both Armitage and Revord have already turned 15 this year.
When Young Sheldon premiered in 2017, Sheldon and Missy were both nine years old. This matched with Iain Armitage and Raegan Revord's real-life age at that time. However, because the show can only run until Sheldon is 14 years old CBS slowed down the characters' aging process to stretch out its time on the air. After around seven years, Sheldon and Missy are just about to turn 14 in Young Sheldon season 7. This makes for a huge discrepancy because both Armitage and Revord have already turned 15 this year. The physical growth of the actors became really noticeable in season 6 and was even a point of criticism.
Understandably, CBS wants to keep The Big Bang Theory prequel for as long as it can, but now, it no longer has to do that because Young Sheldonseason 7 is set to end in May. When it returns, there won't be any significant gap in its broadcast, which means that both Sheldon and Missy can realistically look like their age. Had the network attempted to stretch out its storytelling with a season 8 renewal, the cast would have to go through around a three-month filming break.
This is vital in terms of preserving the universe's overall legacy.
Admittedly, Young Sheldon has always been criticized for its lax approach to continuity. Over the years, it has created far too many plot inconsistencies, which led some to believe that CBS was gradually separating it from The Big Bang Theory. The network could have done that but insisted that the shows exist in the same reality. Ending Young Sheldon despite a shortened season means that it can follow the established canon, preventing it from breaking beyond repair. This is vital in terms of preserving the universe's overall legacy, especially with a new The Big Bang Theory spin-off in the works.
