Young Sheldon Season 7 Won't Ignore One Major Big Bang Theory Universe Death

From the time that "Young Sheldon" premiered in 2017, it was clear that the series would be indebted to its forebear, "The Big Bang Theory," while also decidedly being its own animal. The spin-off certainly feels different, thanks to its use of a single camera and lack of a laugh track, but the Cooper family lore remains firmly intact — even under the most tragic of circumstances.

Given that "Young Sheldon" is ending after Season 7, fans have begun to anticipate George Sr.'s (Lance Barber) death. In Season 7, Episode 9 of "The Big Bang Theory," Sheldon (Jim Parsons) reveals that his father passed away when he was 14 years old. For those keeping track, Sheldon (Iain Armitage) is 13 years old in Season 6 of the spin-off, meaning the event is fast approaching.

In an interview with TVLine, executive producer Steve Holland revealed that "Young Sheldon" won't skirt around the impending tragedy. "I don't want to say what you will or won't see, but things will get addressed," he said. "We are not beholden to every joke that was ever made on The Big Bang Theory, but we do feel beholden to the larger canon and the larger events that shape Sheldon's life. We want to honor those."

Steve Holland and the "Young Sheldon" gang are keeping the details of George Sr.'s death close to the chest. It is unclear whether it will happen in the middle of the season or toward the end as an emotional climax. It could even happen off-screen.

Still, Holland is steadfast that the death will be acknowledged in some way, shape, or form. "We are living in the same universe as Big Bang and that sort of world[-]building is important," he told TVLine. "Big things that [adult Sheldon said] happened in his life without a doubt happened."

Lance Barber has all but confirmed his character's death as well. On January 12, the actor took to Instagram to post an emotional photo from the "Young Sheldon" set featuring himself, Montana Jordan, Iain Armitage, and Raegan Revord. The caption reads, "Gonna miss my Cooper kids."

The end of the series has a particular sense of finality for Barber, who, for obvious reasons, won't be appearing in the spin-off "Young Sheldon" is getting, which will follow Georgie (Jordan) and Mandy (Emily Osment) as they navigate parenthood.