Young Sheldon Star Reacts To George’s Tragic Fate

Warning! Spoilers ahead for Young Sheldon season 7, episodes 11 and 12.

Lance Barber reacts to George’s fate in Young Sheldon season 7. After seven years, George’s death finally happens in The Big Bang Theory prequel. It’s one of two major plot points about the Cooper patriarch that was previously established in the nerd-centric sitcom. With George’s cheating scandal already retconned earlier in Young Sheldon season 7, his death is the only remaining arc left for the character. Despite having been long confirmed to happen, it is still devastating to see the tragedy go down on screen.

On the heels of George’s death in Young Sheldon season 7, episode 12, “A New Home and a Traditional Texas Torture,” Barber talks to TV Insider to unpack the latest and biggest Cooper family tragedy. While the outing is harrowing, the actor is thrilled with how the writers came up with the way to send off the beloved Cooper patriarch. He finishes it off by saying that playing George is part of his legacy. Read his full quote below:

“I love the writer’s choice to end the episode that way, to tell the story that way because it’s a great device. Everyone will feel that kick in the gut and then [they’re] left swirling in their loss the way that our characters do in that moment. And then it’s over. And there you sit with what do you do next? And from an art standpoint, what a fun way to play with the audience and give them that experience? I imagine this whole thing will be polarizing. Some people will not like it because it’s hard and some people will appreciate it because it’s hard. I certainly do. I have a selfish perspective on it ending the way that it is for my character because I think it’s memorable. Selfishly, as a character actor, I get to play [the part of] America’s dad gets to die on TV. To have that as part of my legacy as a TV actor, I think that’s pretty neat.

Why George’s Death Is So Tragic In Young Sheldon

Young Sheldon Season 7 Set Up A More Tragic Death For George

Despite not appearing in The Big Bang Theory, the flagship series established an image of George that cannot be further from Young Sheldon‘s version of the character. While Sheldon and Mary talked about his flaws, the prequel showed his best qualities in a way to flesh out the character. Barber has admitted that he was thrilled to play someone more nuanced than the punch line that George was in The Big Bang Theory. Unfortunately, this makes losing him more devastating for the Coopers, especially in light of what has transpired in this final year.

Life hasn’t been easy for the Coopers, and Young Sheldon leaned on those darker moments. George and Mary’s marriage went through some rough patches, with Sheldon’s dad even admitting once that he was so miserable with the life he had. Things have been turning a corner for the family, however, in Young Sheldon season 7, as highlighted by George getting a new job offer that would help him better provide for his family. His relationships with his kids and Meemaw were at an all-time high, and his marriage was in the best place it had been in years.

It’s so cruel that George won’t be able to experience the life that he was working for. Sheldon and the Coopers’ lives will be drastically changed by this loss. The aftermath of the tragedy will be tackled in the first half of the series finale, which will see George’s funeral. At the very least, however, Young Sheldon was able to fully rehabilitate his image before he passed away.

Source: TV Insider