Young Sheldon Proved The Big Bang Theory’s Cheating Storyline Was Sadder Than It Seemed

Although The Big Bang Theory treated Sheldon’s fears about Penny’s potential infidelity as a joke, Young Sheldon proved that there was a tragic root to these baseless suspicions. The Big Bang Theory’s finale showed that, although the series was originally focused on Leonard and Penny’s budding romance, the sitcom eventually came to center on Sheldon. Jim Parsons’ irascible misfit won over audiences and became the breakout character of the series, as evidenced by The Big Bang Theory’s first spinoff, Young Sheldon. By Young Sheldon’s finale, Sheldon’s family had become similarly popular among the sitcom franchise’s fan base.

Although The Big Bang Theory’s next spinoff will focus on supporting stars from the original show, the fact that Young Sheldon was the show’s first follow-up is telling. Sheldon gradually became the main character of the series as it continued, particularly after Penny and Leonard settled down for good. As a result, Sheldon’s character development received more focus, and he soon proved a more complex figure than he had initially seemed. This meant that some previously funny stories took on a surprisingly dark shadow upon a re-watch. This phenomenon was epitomized in season 7, episode 2, “The Deception Verification.”

The Big Bang Theory’s Sheldon Mistook Leonard’s Return For Penny Cheating

Sheldon Assumed Leonard Would Meet With Him Before His Romantic Partner

In “The Deception Verification,” Sheldon assumes that Penny’s distraction and obvious lies mean she is hiding her infidelity. What he didn’t realize was that Leonard had secretly completed a work project early and was visiting Penny before spending time with Sheldon as he had missed her. Sheldon’s fear that Penny is cheating on Sheldon is so much sadder considering he made the exact same mistake with his parents, which was revealed in Young Sheldon’s final season. Until Young Sheldon season 7, viewers thought that Sheldon had traumatically caught his father cheating on his mother with another woman during his childhood.

In The Big Bang Theory season 10, episode 5, “The Hot Tub Contamination,” Sheldon tells Penny that his habit of always knocking thrice came about after he witnessed his father having an affair at the age of 13. In Young Sheldon season 7, episode 4, “Ants on a Log and a Cheating Winker,” the spinoff revealed that Sheldon had, in reality, walked in on his father and mother engaging in role-play. His mother’s wig and his hurried exit resulted in Sheldon misreading the situation, which in turn resulted in lifelong trust issues. This makes the episode’s story tragic in retrospect.

Sheldon Made The Same Mistake In Young Sheldon Season 7

Sheldon Mistook His Mother And Father’s Reunion For George Sr. Cheating

While it seemed funny when Sheldon was accusing Penny of infidelity, Sheldon’s fear of Penny cheating on Leonard was secretly deeply sad. He was projecting his traumatic childhood experience onto his two closest friends and, since Penny and Sheldon’s The Big Bang Theory friendship was one of the show’s closest relationships, it is no surprise that he accused her of the betrayal. Although Sheldon spoke of his father sparingly and disdainfully throughout The Big Bang Theory, Young Sheldon revealed that he was unexpectedly close with his surprisingly supportive father despite their lack of shared interests during his childhood.

It seems as if a combination of George Sr.’s sudden death and the betrayal that Sheldon felt around the affair resulted in him disparaging his father’s memory, but his admiration for George Sr did peek through on occasion. When Professor Proton died, a tearful Sheldon admitted that all his formative male mentors, his grandfather, his father, and the children’s TV host, were now gone. This makes Sheldon’s fear of Penny cheating on Leonard sadder, as it becomes clear that he fears the prospect of being betrayed once again. The similarities between the two plots make this all the more striking.

The Big Bang Theory Proves Young Sheldon’s Cheating Story Scarred Sheldon

Sheldon Didn’t Even Trust Penny To Remain Faithful To Leonard

In both Young Sheldon and The Big Bang Theory, Leonard and Mary arrive home to surprise their romantic partners and Sheldon misreads this as infidelity on the part of Penny and George Sr. The fact that Sheldon didn’t trust Penny to remain faithful proves just how much the events of “Ants on a Log and a Cheating Winker” scarred him. The episode attempts to play off the reveal of what really happened as a harmless misunderstanding, but viewers have already seen the impact the event had on Sheldon’s adult behavior. Even his relationship with Amy was marred by this on occasion.

One of Sheldon’s sweetest moments with Amy was his unexpected proposal in season 10, episode 24, “The Long Distance Dissonance.” However, it is worth noting the background for this gesture. Sheldon flew across the country to propose immediately after his coworker Ramona admitted that she was attracted to him and kissed him. Sheldon’s romantic proposal was fueled partially by his guilt over this, even though he had done nothing to encourage Ramona and didn’t return her advances. Even in his most moving moments, Sheldon was seized by a deep-seated fear of infidelity rooted in his childhood experience.

Young Sheldon’s Finale Failed To Explain A Cheating Plot Hole

It Is Unclear Whether Sheldon Ever Learned The Truth

One of the biggest The Big Bang Theory plot holes that Young Sheldon left unanswered was whether Sheldon ever learned the truth about his father’s supposed “Affair.” Sheldon’s older self narrates Young Sheldon and his appearance in the show’s finale makes it clear that he has grown up a lot since The Big Bang Theory’s finale. However, it is not clear how much of Young Sheldon’s individual episodes stories he recollects directly and how much is only shown to viewers. It is possible that the prequel is taken directly from Sheldon’s memoirs, which raises an intriguing possibility.

If this is the case, Sheldon’s mother, Mary, must have told him the truth about the so-called affair after The Big Bang Theory ended. This would explain why the incident is treated as a light-hearted anecdote in Young Sheldon and not a formative, life-altering trauma. However, this is never confirmed in the prequel itself. It is also possible that Sheldon’s memoirs are merely a framing device for the narration and the events depicted onscreen aren’t necessarily the story Sheldon’s book tells. If this is the case, The Big Bang Theory’s hero may never discover that he unknowingly misread one of Young Sheldon’s pivotal moments.