Young Sheldon S5’s Disappointing Finale Highlights Its Biggest Problem

screenrant.com:

Warning! Spoilers ahead for Young Sheldon season 5.

After a long build-up, Young Sheldon season 5 finale ultimately ended up being a disappointment, highlighting the show's biggest issue. CBS' premier sitcom wraps up its season with an eventful, but somehow still lacking episode. Instead of paying off any active plotlines, Young Sheldon season 5 decides to totally go a different creative route which reveals one important storytelling issue that it needs to overcome moving forward. 

Georgie (Montana Jordan) getting Mandy (Emily Osment) accidentally pregnant resulted in a string of problems for the Coopers. In Young Sheldon season 5, Mary (Zoe Perry) and George (Lance Barber) were forced to re-examine their marriage. Missy got in trouble for punching a kid who was gossiping about her family, while Sheldon struggled to focus on his academics due to what was happening at home. This was when it became clear that Young Sheldon was starting to veer away from being a straight-up sitcom to transition into a family drama instead. It's a great change, especially since there's ample interest in all members of the Cooper clan.

Related: Young Sheldon Season 5 Ending Explained (In Detail)

While diversifying the show’s storytelling is a clever move, it also results in a brand new challenge for CBS. While it was busy developing Georgie's arc, Young Sheldon sidelined Sheldon, relegating the boy genius into a side player rather than its titular character. This is why when Young Sheldon season 5 finale shifted back the spotlight on him, the episode felt underwhelming. Much of it was devoted to Sheldon's fear of starting puberty and the future as a whole, leaving all the other lingering plotlines either barely tackled or totally ignored.