Contrary to what’s shown in ‘Young Sheldon’, Sheldon painted the picture of a fighting family in ‘The Big Bang Theory’. Was he right in doing so, or was he simply exaggerating?
‘Young Sheldon’ is a spin-off prequel to ‘The Big Bang Theory’ series on CBS that follows Sheldon Cooper as a child and his family life back then. TBBT fans have been following this prequel since the original went off the air. The prequel stars Iain Armitage as Young Sheldon, played by Jim Parsons in the original show. Older Sheldon speaks harshly of his family while ‘Young Sheldon’ portrays otherwise. Why is it so? Did adult Sheldon lie to us, or is there more to come in the prequel?
Highlights —
- ‘Young Sheldon’ vs. ‘The Big Bang Theory’: Sheldon’s family portrayal.
- Why does Sheldon rant about his family?
- How are fans reacting to this?
Why did ‘The Big Bang Theory’ paint the picture of a fighting Cooper family when ‘Young Sheldon’ shows otherwise?
‘Young Sheldon’ vs. ‘The Big Bang Theory’: Sheldon’s family portrayal.
‘The Big Bang Theory’s’ grown-up Sheldon paints a different portrait of Sheldon Cooper’s childhood than ‘Young Sheldon’s’. While grown-up Cooper remembers traumatic things like getting bullied by his friends, walking in on his father in bed with his mistress, etc., the prequel features his childhood in a different light.
Though Sheldon’s dad has his flaws and his tensions with his wife Mary are oozy, he doesn’t seem like the kind of guy who would hurt his family, especially his younger son. But then, there can always be more to what is portrayed.

Why does Sheldon rant about his family?
Fans of ‘The Big Bang Theory’ know that Sheldon never speaks highly of his family. Often, he describes his father George Cooper (played by Lance Barber in ‘Young Sheldon’) as a verbally abusive husband, and that he was also a raging alcoholic.
Sheldon is open about his family life growing up and mentions how his dad cheated on his mom, how his brother bullied him for being a nerd, how he had almost no friends and many more stories.Though these issues are yet not addressed in the series prequel ‘Young Sheldon’, fans are wondering if it will ever be. The captivating question is whether the grown-up Sheldon is speaking the truth about his family or is he just being the Sheldon Cooper?
Did adult Sheldon intentionally ruin the perception of fans towards his family?
See, Sheldon is the only member of his family who is a man of science and logic. In ‘Young Sheldon’, you actually get to know his family first-hand, but in ‘The Big Bang Theory’, he paints a picture for you. It might be because human beings have the tendency to exaggerate their problems when they are let out to speak on their own according to what favours them. What do you think?
How are fans reacting to this?
‘The Big Bang Theory’ fans can’t help but get consumed by the ‘Young Sheldon’ plotholes. ‘Young Sheldon’ portrays a happy family against how the grown-up Sheldon has painted it. The minds of viewers are stuck on the continuous loop of thought of whether the darkness that is discussed in TBBT will come further down the road in the prequel or is it just Sheldon who’s making a mountain of a molehill? Nothing is clear, at least, not yet! That said, ‘Young Sheldon’ is returning with season 4 on November 5, 2020.
Some viewers feel the grown-up Sheldon is distorting the truth while speaking of his family to his adult friends.
A Reddit user says, “My problem with ‘Young Sheldon’, I was watching reruns of ‘The Big Bang Theory’ and Sheldon makes his childhood seem a lot worse than it is shown in the show”.
While others believe it is Sheldon’s story to tell and he can narrate it in any way he likes, some fans are of the opinion that Sheldon might be painting a fighting family to draw his friends’ attention and sympathy. What do you think? Let us know in the comments.
