Ever sinceYoung Sheldonmade its debut in September 2017, the show has been a hit with viewers. A prequel to CBS' hit comedyThe Big Bang Theory,Young Sheldonchronicles the childhood of Sheldon Cooper. WhileThe Big Bang Theoryrevolves around Sheldon and his fellow science-loving friends, the prequel takes viewers to Sheldon’s family. In documenting the genius’s younger days, the prequel focuses on Sheldon’s family, their dynamics, and the relationships he has with them.
Thefocus on familyis perhaps what has madeYoung Sheldonso popular among viewers. Veering away from solely centering on Sheldon himself, the series also focuses on themes of religion, family dynamics, romantic relationships, and marriage. In doing so, the prequel affords a good amount of focus to Sheldon’s parents, George and Mary Cooper, his siblings, Georgie and Missy Cooper, and his grandmother, Connie Tucker, fondly known as Meemaw. Sheldon’s grandmother is a straightforward, fun-loving, eccentric character onYoung Sheldonand is a personality that viewers soon grow to love. However, her portrayal in the prequel sits in stark contrast to how audiences know her fromThe Big Bang Theory.
Meemaw in Young Sheldon vs. The Big Bang Theory
Connie Tucker, despite being Sheldon’s maternal grandmother, is completely different from her daughter, Mary, inYoung Sheldon.Whereas Sheldon’s mother is conventional, traditional, and strictly religious, Meemaw, played by Annie Potts, is a loose canon. She enjoys her alcohol, is not particularly inclined towards religion, speaks her mind, and doesn’t shy away from doing an illegal thing or two. For instance, Meemaw supports Georgie in smuggling cigarettes across the border. The decision doesn’t have a good outcome, with the duo being arrested for it. However, nothing is perhaps more illegal than the gambling den that Connie runs at the back of a laundromat she purchases.
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Sheldon’s grandmother’s portrayalinYoung Sheldonis a complete foil to the Connie Tucker inThe Big Bang Theory.The parent show’s Connie, played by June Squibb, is more similar to her daughter. Although her love for Sheldon is still apparent, and she appears sweet and caring,The Big Bang Theory’s Meemaw is stricter, homely, more conventional, and admittedly less carefree thanYoung Sheldon’s Meemaw. Sheldon’s grandmother, similarly to his mother, is one of the few women who can chastise Sheldon and put him in his place. With her no-nonsense attitude, the gap that existed between Meemaw and her daughter, Mary, in the prequel does not exist in the parent series.
How Is Young Sheldon Season 7 Setting Up the Big Change?
Young Sheldon had quite a few surprises in store for viewers who were already familiar withThe Big Bang Theorybefore beginning their journey into Sheldon’s childhood. The prequel has been noted for straying away from the established canon and exercising its own creative freedom. While many of the characters inYoung Sheldondiffer from their counterparts inThe Big Bang Theory,there are a notable few who are drastically different. One suchcharacter is George Sr., who goes from being a drunken, negligent father inThe Big Bang Theoryto a loving family man inYoung Sheldon.
However, Meemaw’s character arguably sits on the same level of drastic change as George Sr.’s. ThroughoutYoung Sheldon,a pressing question for audiences has been Meemaw’s character change. It now looks like Season 7 is working towards setting the foundation for the character that viewers encounter inThe Big Bang Theory.
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The new season of the prequel shows Meemaw taking on more risks with her illegal gambling den. Coming off a tornado that destroyed her house in Season 6 and the understandable desperation to rebuild her life, Meemaw appears to be taking risks without fully thinking them through.
In the second episode of the season, Meemaw gets a roulette table forthe gambling den, tempting Georgie with the possibility of affording more diapers and even a nanny. However, the addition of a roulette table makes Meemaw’s business even more illegal, opening Meemaw up to more risk. Despite this, Meemaw appears to throw caution to the wind, a likely aftereffect of having her life destroyed by the tornado.
How Can the Events of Young Sheldon Season 7 Change Meemaw?
Young Sheldon
The change to Meemaw’s character, making her the more reserved, stricter woman that audiences meet inThe Big Bang Theory,could be a result of Meemaw’s decision to move her business in a more obviously illegal direction. With Pastor Jeff promising to ignore Meemaw’s gambling den, Meemaw does not have to worry about any negative impact on her business through religious influence. However, this also means that only the law is left to police Meemaw. With the business now being completely illegal, the police could step in to take action against Meemaw. If Connie loses her business due to legal action, this could change her character fromYoung Sheldon’s carefree, fun-loving Meemaw to the more serious, Mary-like Meemaw in the parent show.
Moreover, Season 7 promises to bring about an event thatfans would prefer to avoid: the death of George Sr. The timeline thatYoung Sheldonis following means that George Sr. should pass away during the current season. Meemaw likely becomes more serious and conventional as she deals with her son-in-law’s death. Although Connie’s relationship with George Sr. is not that close, witnessing how the death affects Mary and the children could impact Meemaw. She could also take on more responsibility, stepping in to help her daughter and grandchildren navigate the aftermath of losing their husband and father, thereby prompting a character change.
Based on the timeline ofYoung Sheldonand Sheldon’s age at the start ofThe Big Bang Theory,there would have been no more than a 20-year gap within which Meemaw’s drastic change could have occurred. Given this, audiences would receive some much-needed closure regarding Meemaw’s character if Season 7 were to lay the foundation for what prompted the switch from utterly carefree to stern and strict. With the clues that the show’s early episodes are dropping, it looks like the season is on its way to doing so.Young Sheldonis currently airing new episodes on Thursdays on CBS, with theSeason 7 finalescheduled for July 26, 2025. The series is streaming on Netflix, Max, Paramount+, fuboTV, and CBS TVE.
