Warning! This article contains SPOILERS for Young Sheldon season 7, episode 12.

Summary

• Young Sheldon season 7 revealed that the show had to end due to the character's maturation, ending at the perfect moment.
• Sheldon's father's death marks a turning point, signaling the halt of his childhood and the transition to adulthood.
• The spinoff chose to end with a meaningful storyline, showing growth and closure for the beloved character.

Shortly before George Sr.’s tragic death, Young Sheldon’s cast of characters won over fans of The Big Bang Theory and a large fan base of their own. The sitcom is one of the most popular shows on television, regularly pulling in millions of viewers for each episode. This made its season 7 cancelation surprising.

After Georgie And Mandy’s First Marriage, on the way, and another spinoff from the original series in the works. However, the season 7 finale of Young Sheldon will be the show’s series finale despite its popularity. In season 7, episode 12, “A New Home and a Traditional Texas Torture,” Sheldon’s conversation with his teacher cheekily leaned on the fourth wall and explained this surprising choice.

Sheldon’s Teacher Pointed Out He’s Not That Young Anymore

Young Sheldon’s Original Premise Became Irrelevant By Season 7

Sheldon’s entire subplot in “A New Home and a Traditional Texas Torture” was mildly meta, as the show’s title character struggled with the idea of his family moving to Houston while he was away at Caltech. Sheldon had a hard time letting go of the past, much like many viewers of the spinoff are sorry to see it come to an early end. Before Young Sheldon’s George Sr. death gave the episode a shocking ending, Sheldon’s trip to his alma mater cheekily hinted at the real reason that the show needed to end with season 7’s finale.

When Sheldon attended his old school to meet with an old friend and reminisce, a former schoolteacher told him he was "The same, but taller.” Sheldon blithely replied that this was fun, but in the exchange, Young Sheldon mocked the fact that Iain Armitage’s version of Sheldon wasn’t that young anymore. He might still be in his early teens, but he has already attended one college for more than a year and is now en route to another. Sheldon remains at Caltech until The Big Bang Theory, meaning he is now getting closer to the character seen in the original series.

Young Sheldon Chose The Perfect Ending Point For The Prequel

George Sr’s Death Gives The Spinoff’s Ending Shape and Purpose

Sheldon isn’t the small child of the spinoff’s early seasons, so it makes sense for Young Sheldon to end before Sheldon reaches his late teens. Within this context, George Sr.’s Young Sheldon death was perfectly timed before the series finale. This tragic event marks a turning point for Sheldon, as opposed to an arbitrary moment where he stops being 'Young' Sheldon and becomes Sheldon. Sheldon matures as a result of his father’s death and this tragedy brings a sudden end to his childhood, meaning Young Sheldon was right to end The Big Bang Theory’s spinoff with this storyline.

Young Sheldon season 7 airs every Thursday, 8pm ET on CBS.