Bill Inoshita/CBS
"Young Sheldon" may be one of the few modern sitcoms that got a definitive ending without being cancelled, but not every cast member was satisfied with the series finale. Though "Young Sheldon" was originally a spin-off of "The Big Bang Theory" to show Sheldon's childhood, it grew into a wholesome family sitcom that showed Sheldon grow into a mature, more sociable, more caring teenager. This obviously sparked questions about whether or not "Young Sheldon" fits "The Big Bang Theory" canon, since Sheldon reverts to a narcissistic person with few social connections as an adult.
"Young Sheldon" sidestepped this conundrum by setting the penultimate finale scene in the future after "The Big Bang Theory," with Jim Parsons and Mayim Bialik returning to play Sheldon and Amy as parents to two children. Sheldon is initially reluctant to support his son's hockey hobby, but, after finding footage of young Sheldon's baptism, Amy reminds him that his parents supported him despite their differences. Sheldon realises the error of his ways and changes his mind — shortly before learning his daughter also wants to be an actor rather than a scientist.
Though Sheldon is a little stubborn in this future scene, he is far more mature than in his previous appearances, showing the growth over the two shows actually had an impact. However, "Young Sheldon" star Annie Potts, who played Sheldon's Meemaw, did not like the scene. "I thought the show could have ended [with young Sheldon] and not to the dreaded scene with Jim and Mayim as Sheldon and Amy revealing he was unchanged and unrepentant," Potts said in Jessica Radloff's behind-the-scenes book "Young Sheldon: The (Juicier-Than-Meemaw's-Brisket) Inside Story of the Hit Comedy" (via Us Weekly), adding, "That gave me a stomach ache."
Potts wanted Young Sheldon to continue without Sheldon
Robert Voets/CBS
The writers and producers of "Young Sheldon" were in a tough position by Season 7. The actors playing Sheldon and his siblings were becoming too old to play teenagers. They couldn't ignore the show's success, but they didn't want to continue past Sheldon's youth and mess with "The Big Bang Theory" canon, so hard calls were needed. However, not all the cast were sympathetic to this. According to Jessica Radloff's book, Annie Potts was very much against ending the show when they were all told over a Zoom call in 2023 that Season 7 would be the final season.
"I said, 'Well, that sucks! I don't like that at all!'" Potts recalled to Radloff (via The Hollywood Reporter). "I think the audience would have been fine with letting [Sheldon] go off to Pasadena and hanging with the rest of us. But it wasn't my call." According to Lance Barber, who played Sheldon's father, the drama began to impact the atmosphere on set. "There was a different quality to the air, knowing that this was gonna be it," he said. "Annie [Potts] was very obviously p***ed, vocally so, as she tends to be."
Barber was personally ready to say goodbye to the show, and, most importantly, so was young Sheldon himself, Iain Armitage. "I would hate to be on a show playing 23-year-old Sheldon. That would suck. I wouldn't want to do that. So it was a perfect time to end it," Armitage said. It's a shame there was some acrimony towards the end, but at least many of the cast members, including Potts, returned for the "Young Sheldon" spin-off "Georgie & Mandy's First Marriage."
