Young Sheldon season 4: About that big Leonard Cooper reveal…
So what did we learn? We already knew that Sheldon becomes a father at some point in the future, but Jim Parsons-as-narrator revealed that he has a son! Not only that, but his son is named Leonard Cooper. He related his own graduation from high school into a future graduation for his son, and then we got a voiceover cameo from Mayim Bialik in here as Amy Farrah Fowler. There was a joke that Sheldon originally wanted to name his son Leonard Nimoy Cooper, but that was a bridge too far.
So is Sheldon’s son really named after the legendary Star Trek star, or his longtime friend and Big Bang Theory roommate Leonard Hofstadter? As it turns out, the answer is probably more of the latter, as executive producer Steve Molaro noted to TVLine upon being asked the question:
He is named after Hofstadter. The middle name of Nimoy seemed like an added bonus, but to me, he is named after Leonard Hofstadter, for sure, without a doubt.
This is the sort of reveal that is just SO easy to smile about. It adds even more warmth to the relationship between Sheldon and Leonard, and also a reminder that Sheldon gets to be a father down the road and be incredibly proud of his son. That is an immense amount of growth for this character, given that for much of The Big Bang Theory one of his more frustrating qualities is his rampant selfishness and inability to see outside of his own lens at time. Yet, over the years he changed and understood the advantages and disadvantages of his intellect.
Will this be the last reveal of Sheldon’s future? Probably not, but Young Sheldon is going to take its time. Remember that they have plenty of stories to tell in their own timeline.
What did you think about the surprise at the end of the Young Sheldon premiere?
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This article was written by Jessica Carter. Be sure to follow her on Twitter.