Young Sheldon Confirms The Return Of A Big Bang Theory Universe Character

"Young Sheldon" is ending after Season 7, but fans will get to say goodbye to one long-absent character before the finale airs. While speaking to TV Line, executive producer Steve Holland confirmed that Tam (Ryan Phuong) will return to the series for the first time since 2021, presumably to explain why he and Sheldon (Iain Armitage, Jim Parsons) become enemies in later life.

Bonding over their mutual love of comic books, Tam and Sheldon form an instant friendship when they first cross paths on "Young Sheldon." The titular boy genius even allows Tam to come to his house for dinner, suggesting that it's the beginning of a strong friendship. However, "The Big Bang Theory" Season 12 sees adult Tam (Robert Wu) tell the gang that Sheldon disowned him after he chose to stay with his girlfriend over rooming with the young genius at Caltech. Sheldon deems this an act of betrayal, and that's the end of that friendship for a while.

With that in mind, viewers can probably expect conflict between the pair when they are reintroduced to each other in Season 7. Furthermore, Holland has given a sneak peek into what fans can expect from the upcoming episode.

"Young Sheldon" EP Steve Holland refuses to give away too many details about Tam's upcoming appearance. However, he did tell TVLine that the episode in question will acknowledge the incident that drove a wedge between him and Sheldon's friendship, according to the events previously established in the "Big Bang Theory" lore.

Of course, "Young Sheldon" has never been fully committed to staying true to "Big Bang Theory's" record of events. With that in mind, it's possible that the upcoming episode might not make a big deal out of Tam and Sheldon's fallout, similar to how the spin-off has downplayed adult Sheldon's memories of being bullied by his neighbor, Billy (Wyatt McClure). While Holland has promised a mention of the tiff between friends, it remains to be seen if it will be genuinely life-altering for Sheldon.

Despite having a history of inconsistencies, though, the "Big Bang Theory" prequel series is out to tie up loose ends in Season 7. It's already been confirmed that "Young Sheldon" Season 7 will address a major character death that fans have expected since the show premiered. While Tam and Sheldon's fallout is milder than a life-ending tragedy, it's nice to know that the show's creators are paying attention to the finer details.

If you want to learn more about this franchise, check out these nerdy facts about "The Big Bang Theory."