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Young Sheldon Season 5 Ending Explained (In Detail)
Young Sheldon's season 5 finale continued the Coopers' individual problems, effectively setting up a more serious season 6 for Sheldon and his family.

Young Sheldon Season 5 Ending Explained (In Detail)

Warning! SPOILERS for Young Sheldon season 5 finale.

The Coopers go through a lot of highs and lows in the Young Sheldon season 5 finale. CBS’ premier comedy wraps up its fifth year, completing its usual 22-episode run for the first time since the coronavirus pandemic started in 2020.  The episode titled “A Clogged Pore, a Little Spanish and the Future” effectively sets the stage for a more serious Young Sheldon season 6. 

CBS diversified its storytelling for Young Sheldon season 5, noticeably putting more attention on other members of Sheldon’s family instead of simply tackling the boy genius’ personal dilemmas. The first half of the year was focused on George’s (Lance Barber) almost cheating scandal with Brenda Sparks (Melissa Peterman) as set up by the Young Sheldon season 4 finale. Eventually, even Mary (Zoe Perry) was tempted to start her own affair with Pastor Rob (Dan Byrd). Meanwhile, Sheldon briefly reunited with Paige (McKenna Grace) and grew to hate engineering, while Missy (Raegan Revord) faced some hurdles at school. Ever since Young Sheldon revealed that Georgie (Montana Jordan) got Mandy (Emily Osment) pregnant, however, the Coopers have been preoccupied with the situation. 

In Young Sheldon‘s season 5 finale, the Coopers finally start to get acclimated to the idea that a new baby is coming to their family.  That doesn’t make things any easier for them as they are separately faced with a slew of new problems. Some of these issues are resolved, while others are still waiting for a verdict. 

Young Sheldon Finally Introduces Big Bang Theory’s George

For a while now, George’s job in Young Sheldon at Medford High School has been in danger, and in the Young Sheldon season 5 finale, he finally loses it. Instead of being fired, however, and given until the end of the year to find new employment, the Cooper patriarch decides to save face and quit on his own terms. While this saves him his pride, it puts his family in a direr financial situation, as Mary has previously lost her job at church. Despite the clear need for money, George refuses to take on the grocery gig that Mary scores for the both of them, explaining that it’s embarrassing for him. Instead of pulling himself up, he remains cranky and unmotivated, opting to lounge at home and watch TV while waiting for his shift at Ballard which doesn’t really cover all of their bills. This version of Sheldon’s father is reminiscent of the George described in The Big Bang Theory. Considering their situation, it’s possible that he’s only going to get worse from here on out. 

Why Mary Starts Working With Brenda (& What It Means)

After getting fired by Pastor Jeff (Matt Hobby) and with her husband also losing his primary source of income, Mary is compelled to find new employment very quickly in the Young Sheldon season 5 finale. She realizes, however, that the job market has been more competitive than ever forcing her to reach out to Brenda at the town bowling alley for work. Despite being initially hesitant to accept Sheldon’s mother considering her complicated relationship with George, Brenda ultimately hires Mary after the Cooper matriarch essentially begged her. While Mary thinks of this as a win, she may not know yet what she’s getting herself into given Brenda and George’s mutual attraction in Young Sheldon. Assuming that Mary retains her new job at the bowling alley, then it hints that Young Sheldon season 6 will further delve into Brenda and George’s evolving relationship — something that was sidelined in the second half of season 5. 

Meemaw & Georgie’s Arrest Is Even Worse Than You Realize

Elsewhere in the Young Sheldon season 5 finale, Meemaw (Annie Potts) and Georgie take a trip to Mexico to buy cheap cigarettes for their gambling business. Unfortunately for them, the pair gets arrested, although it’s unsure which side of the border they are being held and what exactly are their charges. The whole road trip is done for comedic purposes and even Meemaw’s call to George for help is played off for laughs, but this arrest is actually more serious than perceived. For starters, the family is already strapped for money, so getting the bail money will be more difficult. Granted that Meemaw’s business is thriving in Young Sheldon, this could wipe out all of her savings. Secondly, now Georgie has an arrest record which will not sit well with Mandy. It isn’t outside the realm of possibility that she fully cuts him off after finding out about this incident, further complicating their situation. 

Young Sheldon Season 5 Finale Makes Missy’s TBBT Fate Worse

Throughout Georgie’s Young Sheldon season 5 situation, Missy demonstrated her emotional maturity by being the most sensible member of the Cooper family. She offered Mary and Georgie genuine support when they were going through difficult times. In the Young Sheldon season 5 finale, she does the same for Sheldon who is freaking out about starting puberty and the future overall. For some reason, she’s the only one who is able to calm the boy genius down as he also gets increasingly affected by the constant fights between George and Mary. Suffice to say, Young Sheldon shows that Missy is the best-adjusted Cooper sibling, so her The Big Bang Theory fate doesn’t make sense. Out of all three Cooper kids, Missy became the least successful in the traditional sense. Granted that she took a different path than her brothers but it’s such a shame to think that despite all her great qualities, she didn’t quite reach her full potential.

Young Sheldon Gives Him His First Big Bang Theory Flash Shirt

Missy’s pep talk settles Sheldon’s fears. At the end of Young Sheldon season 5 finale, he expresses his newfound optimism through his sartorial choices. Instead of the polo and bow tie that he has been sporting for the last five seasons of the show, Sheldon finally debuts his first Flash shirt — styled the same way he usually wore them in The Big Bang Theory. It’s undoubtedly a fun Easter egg for fans of the geek-centric sitcom, but Young Sheldon producer Steven Molaro reveals that this doesn’t mean that Sheldon will finally ditch his more formal attire moving forward. 

How Young Sheldon Season 5’s Ending Sets Up Season 6

Unlike its predecessor, Young Sheldon‘s season 5 finale is arguably tamer and with less drama. That makes sense considering that the last few weeks have been quite tumultuous for the Coopers. Instead, “A Clogged Pore, a Little Spanish and the Future” functions more as a launching pad for what comes next for the Coopers. Given the state of Mary and George’s relationship, it seems like things are only going to get worse for Sheldon’s parents as they now also have to deal with financial woes. Pastor Rob (Dan Byrd) may no longer be actively involved in Mary’s life, but Brenda’s return is concerning with regard to George’s infidelity plot. The season 5 finale finally accepts the fact that the Cooper kids are growing in Young Sheldon, hence, they can no longer slow down the show’s timeline. With that comes a myriad of more mature storylines for Young Sheldon season 6, completing its transition from a straightforward sitcom like The Big Bang Theory to a family dramedy.