Why Big Bang Theory's Jim Parsons Almost Rejected His Young Sheldon Finale Cameo

Contains spoilers for "Young Sheldon" Season 7, Episode 12 and Episode 13 — "Funeral" and "Memoir"

"Young Sheldon" fans were lavished with a double cameo during the show's series finale. But while it might have seemed like a natural move for "Young Sheldon" to end with a visit to the character's present, Jim Parsons — who played the persnickety genius on "The Big Bang Theory" for 12 seasons — apparently thought twice about returning to his signature role. 

"I felt a slight hesitancy when they first asked, just as I thought, I don't really want to go revisit the character. But the way that they wrote it in was I thought so beautiful that it ended up being like this little extra coda or whatever to my experience with the character," Parsons told People Magazine. As a matter of fact, the actor reports reuniting with Sheldon five years later added an unexpected and rather fortunate benefit. "It was this gift of a second layer of losing it out in a way that I had never seen coming, and it was a real treat."

Parson's scenes reunited him with costar Mayim Bialik, who played Sheldon's eventual wife Amy Farrah Fowler on the show. The two co-stars portrayed an older Amy and Sheldon who are apparently happily weathering the future together — hockey-playing children and all.

The "Young Sheldon" series finale definitely succeeds in tying together some loose ends which had dangled for audience members throughout the show's existence. Why, they may have wondered, did Sheldon's father, George Sr. (Lance Barber) come off as such a horrible redneck in Sheldon's stories? It turns out that Sheldon is so devastated by his dad's death that he decides to highlight George's poorest qualities when speaking to his friends about his family background. That solved a huge "The Big Bang Theory"-based plothole in the series.

Why did Mary (Zoe Perry) become so religious? George's death impacts her so severely that she turns to God for comfort, whereas previously she'd been devout but flexible on topics like her children being unbaptized. 

A few lingering questions remain from both series, like what happens to Georgie Jr. (Montana Jordan) and Mandy's (Emily Osment) marriage when Georgie is portrayed on "The Big Bang Theory" as a multi-times divorcee? But presumably the next spin-off, "Georgie and Mandy's First Marriage" will answer those queries. Until then, Sheldon and his family have ridden off into the sunset — and sitcom history.