The ending of *Young Sheldon* provided fans with a great deal of closure, but it also delivered a somewhat confusing and muddled final message. In many ways, it illustrates how the titular character, Sheldon Cooper—portrayed as an adult by Jim Parsons, reprising his role from *The Big Bang Theory*—continues to display a selfish disposition, despite supposedly embracing generosity in the finale of *The Big Bang Theory*.
The entire closing episode centers on Sheldon (played by Iain Armitage) needing to do something unselfish to comfort his mother, Mary (Zoe Perry), and offer her solace following the sudden death of his father. Even though he identifies as an atheist, Sheldon puts on a wetsuit and allows himself to be baptized. As he explains to his mother, he doesn’t believe in God, but he loves and believes in her.
However, in the present-day scenes, adult Sheldon appears reluctant to make any sacrifices when it comes to his own children. He prefers to spend time alone in his study, working on his memoir, rather than attending his son Leonard’s hockey game. Amy (Mayim Bialik) has to coax and gently nag him, pointing out that he hasn’t practiced what he preaches about self-sacrifice and discipline. Eventually, Sheldon agrees to go—and even wears the hockey team jersey after initially insisting he wouldn’t. Yet, one last jab throws his redemption into question.
As they head out the door in the series finale, Amy shares that their daughter wants to be an actor. Sheldon reacts with exasperation and annoyance, remarking, “I told you we never should’ve let Penny babysit,” clearly preparing to withhold his blessing from what he views as an unconventional career path.
While this final “joke” doesn’t quite align with the character arc of Sheldon moving from selfishness toward grace, it could be interpreted as Sheldon unknowingly mirroring his own father’s reaction to his early intellectual pursuits. George Cooper Sr. (Lance Barber) was proud of his son but initially saw Sheldon as an outlier among the Coopers because he wasn’t athletically gifted like the rest of the family. Though Sheldon eventually earns his father’s praise and attention, it took considerable time for that acceptance to develop.
Fans are left wondering if Sheldon and Amy’s daughter will receive the same grace for pursuing her dreams. Given the ambiguity surrounding Sheldon’s character development, her future remains uncertain—and viewers can only guess what lies ahead for her.
https://www.looper.com/2011678/why-young-sheldon-season-7-final-joke-makes-no-sense/