Young Sheldon's Final Scene Was Planned From The Beginning

Even from the get-go, viewers had an idea of how "Young Sheldon" was going to end, and that would be with the death of the titular character's father, George Cooper Sr. (Lance Barber). That tragic event did come to pass, though series creator Chuck Lorre later admitted that he regretted the decision to establish George Sr.'s death on "The Big Bang Theory." As such, it makes sense that "Young Sheldon" actually ends on a somewhat high note, as Sheldon (Iain Armitage) stands in front of the Caltech sign, where he's approached by a professor who asks him if he's lost. After Sheldon tells the professor that he's "exactly where [he's] supposed to be," he continues walking on the Caltech campus, with the intro of Dire Straits' 1985 hit "The Walk of Life" playing over the scene.

In a 2024 interview with Variety, executive producer Steve Holland explained that this hopeful last moment was planned from the start as a way to offset the sad tone of George's death and subsequent funeral in the first part of the "Young Sheldon" series finale. "Our last moment was always going to be Sheldon at Caltech," he explained. "And, as we were writing, it just made sense after the death and the grief of the funeral, to end on a little bit of hope that Sheldon is walking off into this new chapter of his life where we know good things happen to him and a fun little Easter egg that no one will or should know."

The aforementioned "Young Sheldon" series finale Easter egg tied in with its parent series, "The Big Bang Theory," as the professor who approached Sheldon at Caltech was played by David Saltzberg, a real-life UCLA educator who served as a scientific consultant on both shows. According to Steve Holland, Saltzberg was chosen for the cameo because having someone more famous in the role of the professor would've distracted from young Sheldon's final — and, ultimately, very important — moment on his eponymous show. But what would come next for the boy genius after that random encounter?

Most fans, myself included, wouldn't mind having this scene lead into one where Sheldon meets his longtime best friend, Leonard Hofstadter (played by Johnny Galecki on "The Big Bang Theory), and theoretically, a spin-off series focusing on their more youthful (but still nerdy) hijinks. But in a separate interview with Deadline, Holland agreed with the outlet, which posited that a spin-off featuring younger versions of Sheldon and Leonard might be "too much to dream about."

"I think so," the executive producer replied. "You also get into this weird thing where somehow, he would have to morph into Jim Parsons." Holland did, however, stress that the important thing about the final scene of "Young Sheldon" was that the character would be fine going forward despite the tragedy he and his family had just been through. "[W]e at least know we're sending him off on that hopeful note, and we know that his future is full of friends and relationships and good things," he continued.

"Young Sheldon" is currently streaming on (HBO) Max.