Young Sheldon: What Episode Does George Sr. Die?

Killing off George Cooper Sr. (Lance Barber) in "The Big Bang Theory" is one of creator Chuck Lorre's biggest regrets. The sitcom reveals that he died when Sheldon Cooper (Jim Parsons) was a teenager — an idea that came to Lorre and the gang before they even thought about making a prequel series centered around the socially awkward physicist's upbringing. However, "Young Sheldon" eventually became a thing, and everyone went into it knowing that George's death was more inevitable than Thanos. But while his controversial cheating storyline was retconned, there was no going back in regard to George's fateful outcome, and viewers bore witness to a plot thread they dreaded from the show's inception.

Of course, George's journey on "Young Sheldon" isn't entirely depressing. The sitcom keeps the beer-drinking football coach alive for seven seasons, allowing him to become a fleshed-out character who is more caring and lovable than adult Sheldon remembers him being on "The Big Bang Theory." But the Cooper family patriarch's death is still really depressing and casts a dark cloud over a show that is usually very funny. With that in mind, it is time to grab some tissues as we revisit George's death on "Young Sheldon."

George Cooper Sr. dies of a heart attack in "Young Sheldon" season 7, episode 12, "A New Home and a Traditional Texas Torture," which aired before the series' emotional two-part finale. The heartbreaking moment happens while he's at work, not long after telling his family that he will see them later.

The one upside is that he passes away off-screen, so we don't have to witness the beloved character's sudden demise and face the misery head-on. However, the effect George's death has on his family on "Young Sheldon" is devastating to watch in its own right, as the sitcom doesn't shy away from exploring each member's grief and regrets in an emotional way.

Fear not, though, as George's death didn't mark the end of the character or Lance Barber's time in the franchise. For a start, Barber has a secret cameo at his character's funeral, and he returns from the grave (sort of) in an episode of "Georgie & Mandy's First Marriage."

Lance Barber once said that he will only reprise the role of George Cooper if it's meaningful, as he doesn't want to cheapen the character's death. However, his cameo on "Georgie & Mandy's First Marriage" is actually quite spooky, culminating with a jump scare that wouldn't feel out of place in a horror flick.

The latest spin-off in the ever-growing franchise chronicles the aftermath of George's death and shows his son, Georgie Cooper (Montana Jordan), trying to navigate life without him. His dead dad eventually appears to him in a dream sequence, which can be found in season 1's "Typhoid Georgie" episode, with the pair having an emotional moment before George Sr. turns into a zombie, causing his son to wake up feeling startled.

Whether or not Barber's cameo lives up to his character's legacy is up for debate, but it is an entertaining scene nonetheless. It remains to be seen if George Sr. will visit his son again on "Georgie & Mandy's First Marriage," but never say never. Let's just hope their next meeting is less terrifying for the grieving young man.