Now, even Young Sheldon season 6 admits that The Big Bang Theory prequel has outgrown Sheldon and its original premise. When CBS greenlit Young Sheldon in 2017, it was an attempt to further capitalize on the popularity of The Big Bang Theory. In its first few years, the prequel leaned heavily on its ties to its parent series by referencing some of Sheldon's known quirks and behaviors. Over the years, however, Young Sheldon has eventually found its own identity as it came out of The Big Bang Theory's shadow. It still isn't quite as popular as the flagship show, but it is currently one of TV's top half-hour comedies.
Intended to primarily be Sheldon's origin story, Young Sheldon has evolved far bigger than the character. Season 6 has been mostly focused on the birth of baby Constance - Georgie and Mandy's baby - and the breakdown of their marriage. Missy's personal struggles in Young Sheldon have been the focus of a few season 6 episodes. Meanwhile, Sheldon got his grant database project that's not only underwhelming but also felt out of place in the bigger scheme of things.
Season 6 has made it clear that Sheldon is no longer the main character of Young Sheldon; instead, it has become an ensemble as the rest of the Coopers get their respective arcs. The transition is gradual, but the series has now admitted that The Big Bang Theory prequel has outgrown its lead character. In Young Sheldon's "Stolen Truck and Going on a Lam," Sheldon attempts to hijack the family's search efforts for Missy after his theory about where she may be going turns out to be wrong. Instead of indulging her, Mary explicitly tells him that the whole situation isn't about him, so he needs to stop complaining about it.
Mary has been criticized for favoring Sheldon over anyone. It's one of Missy's biggest gripes about her mom, whom she's had an incredibly tumultuous relationship with. Seeing her comforting her twin and not her amid her already existing issues was the last straw that motivated her to run away. So the fact that Mary is the one to call out Sheldon for his tendency to hog everyone's attention makes the scene more effective. Eventually, Mary will be back to coddling Sheldon, but it's great that for once, she prioritized someone else over him.
Talks about wrapping up The Big Bang Theory prequel have already started as it slowly approaches its pre-determined ending. Whether CBS actually pulls the plug on the show is uncertain considering how popular it is. That being said, there's a fairly easy way to continue Young Sheldon beyond season 7. The show outgrowing Sheldon could pave the way for that as it means that it can continue long after he moves to Pasadena, California to attend Caltech. Since not much has been revealed about Missy or Georgie's lives in Texas in The Big Bang Theory, CBS can attempt to rebrand the show to make them its central characters.
