Young Sheldon season 1 introduces Sheldon's very first friend, Tam, who wasn't in The Big Bang Theory. Sheldon was so close to the Pasadena gang that he was almost like family. Despite his quirks and oddities, not to mention being inherently difficult, Leonard, Penny and the rest of the group were mostly patient and understanding of the socially inept genius. The Big Bang Theory made it seem like Sheldon didn't have any social group before he met the Pasadena gang. This made their bond so much more special. However, this apparently isn't the case, as seen in Young Sheldon season 1.

The events of Young Sheldon start with Sheldon entering high school at nine years old.

Despite his clear intellect, his inability to socialize and connect with his classmates, or anyone else at Medford High School, becomes a massive cause for concern for Mary. The Cooper matriarch's issue is eventually resolved in Young Sheldon season 1, episode 2, "Rockets, Communists, and the Dewey Decimal System," when Sheldon meets Tam at school. Tam introduces Sheldon to comic books, which is a massive contribution to his life, so it's curious why he was no longer a part of his group in The Big Bang Theory.

Where Was Tam During The Big Bang Theory?

Sheldon moved to Pasadena on his own while Tam stayed behind in Medford.

As an immigrant, Tam's experiences are very different from Sheldon's, but they are able to make a connection due to their shared interest in wanting to make friends. While he isn't at the same level of intellect as the boy genius, he is smart enough to relate to him. Between that and their shared love of comic books, Tam could have easily been a part of the Pasadena gang. Unfortunately, that wasn't the case. Sheldon moved to Pasadena on his own while Tam stayed behind in Medford. Interestingly, even Young Sheldon eventually phased out Tam. The character hasn't appeared in the prequel for a couple of seasons now.

Why Sheldon Never Talked About Tam In TBBT Until Season 12

Leonard and the rest went to great lengths to find out why Sheldon never brought up Tam.

When Young Sheldon premiered in 2017, The Big Bang Theory was already in season 10. So during the first decade of the franchise, there was never any indication that Tam existed. That all changed when Tam appeared on The Big Bang Theory as a grown-up in season 12. In "The Tam Turbulence," he was visiting Caltech with his son and was planning on meeting up with Sheldon.

The arrival of Tam piqued the interest of everyone, particularly why Sheldon never brought him up. Leonard and the rest went to great lengths to find out. Unfortunately, no one could explain to them why Sheldon was mad — not even Tam.

Ultimately, it was revealed that Sheldon harbored a major grudge against Tam after he decided to choose his girlfriend over moving to Pasadena with his best friend. The pair eventually patched things up, with Sheldon briefly pondering what his life would have been had Tam gone with him when settled in California. The Big Bang Theory featured several flashback sequences, which inserted Tam into some of Sheldon and Leonard's greatest moments over the year.

Before leaving, Tam eventually patched things up with Sheldon, officially resolving the one-sided conflict.

What Happened To Tam After The Big Bang Theory

Young Sheldon hasn't given any indication of how Tam has been doing.

In the last few seasons, Young Sheldon started breaking away from The Big Bang Theory by embracing its familial aspects. Because of this, the show's storytelling has been focused on dealing with what's happening within the Cooper household. Between that and Sheldon's move to East Texas Tech as he started college, there haven't been any opportunities to bring back Tam.

His limited appearance in Young Sheldon hasn't also given any indication of how he's been doing since the last time he appeared in the comedy. Because of that, it's difficult to say exactly where he is in the prequel.

Beyond The Big Bang Theory, however, it's safe to say that Tam returned to Texas to continue living his life as a devoted family man. Despite patching things up with Sheldon, the pair was never able to fully rekindle their friendship, which made sense, considering how much time had passed since they were actually connected. It's uncertain if Sheldon did at least reach out to him from time to time, especially when he would visit his mom in Texas. Considering this, however, it's also unlikely that the prequel will do anything more to Tam's character in its remaining episodes. Young Sheldon's shortened final season will expectedly focus on the Coopers.