Lance Barber gets a Young Sheldon send-off after George’s death. Despite his image in The Big Bang Theory, Sheldon’s father is undoubtedly one of the best parts of the family comedy-drama. He was flawed but dedicated to the kids and Mary, which made him relatable.
While he did have his lapses throughout Young Sheldon’s run, he was beloved, so although his death was long-expected, it was still gut-wrenching to watch the Coopers learn of his passing. George’s death happened off-screen, but immediately after his final scene, the cast and crew of the show celebrated Barber’s contributions to the show.
As shared on Instagram by director Alex Reid, the Young Sheldon team prepared a great send-off for the actor on set as he wrapped his time in The Big Bang Theory prequel. Check out the image below:
In the image, Barber is seen in front of a spread that has a cake that reads RIP — a reference to George’s death in Young Sheldon season 7 episode 12, “A New Home and a Traditional Texas Torture.”
The event was laid out in the backyard set of the Cooper family home, and likely happened after George walked out of the house to work one last time before he died in the family comedy/drama.
SEE MORE: How Young Sheldon Fixed George Ahead Of His Death
It’s no secret that The Big Bang Theory was unkind to George. Because there was no chance of him physically appearing in the nerd-centric sitcom, it was easy to make him a punchline, with both Sheldon and Mary piling on the unflattering stories about the Cooper patriarch.
Interestingly, however, neither Georgie nor Missy badmouthed their dad, although it’s possible that it was because they barely had a presence in The Big Bang Theory. Unfortunately, sticking to the original description of George wouldn’t work in Young Sheldon.
Because of this, Young Sheldon had to rehabilitate George’s image. Sometimes the family show could create more plot inconsistencies in the process, which was frustrating for those who were keen on preserving The Big Bang Theory canon.
Other times, however, the prequel can be thoughtful in this endeavor, offering additional context instead of contradicting the flagship project. Slowly, it became clear that George wasn’t the dumb and no-use father that Sheldon and Mary described in The Big Bang Theory.
