Young Sheldon: George & Mary’s Marital Problem Is More Serious Than You Think

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Warning! Spoilers ahead for Young Sheldon season 5.

George (Lance Barber) and Mary's (Zoe Perry) marital issues are more serious than perceived on Young Sheldon. It's no secret that Sheldon's (Jim Parsons) parents had a tumultuous relationship as both he and his mother often recalled on The Big Bang Theory. Young Sheldon has yet to explicitly tackle the couple's woes, often dancing around it to keep the sitcom's lightheartedness, but a recent detail in the spin-off suggests that their marriage is dangerously on the cusp of deteriorating. 

Since George already died before the events of The Big Bang Theory, he never physically appeared on the sitcom unlike the rest of his family. But, he was very much a part of his son's narrative as Sheldon frequently shared stories about him. One thing was clear based on his anecdotes, however: George wasn't a good dad. This was supported by Mary (Laurie Metcalf), who never missed a chance to rag on her dead husband. So viewers were naturally surprised when Young Sheldon introduced a decent family man in George. 

Related: Young Sheldon's George Change Ruins Its Big Bang Theory Crossover

This is the biggest plot inconsistency between The Big Bang Theory and its prequel; at this point, it's unclear how CBS is planning to address the issue. But Young Sheldon appears to be setting up the fall of the Coopers' marriage, albeit gradually and subtly. Considering what has happened in the sitcom the last few episodes, it seemed like everything is back to normal for the couple following George's cheating scare and Mary's growing attraction to Youth Pastor Rob (Dan Byrd). But, that isn't the case. In fact, Young Sheldon season 5, episode 14 titled, «A Free Scratcher and Feminine Wiles,» revealed