The death of George Cooper (Lance Barber) was set in stone as soon as "Young Sheldon" aired its first episode. Sheldon Cooper (Jim Parsons) found himself forced to deal with his aging self during his teenage years on The Big Bang Theory, so Prekill was always going to chronicle the heartwarming event. sure, "Young Sheldon" flat-out tweaks some plot points from "The Big Bang Theory," But George's death was inevitable and it is a tear-jerking experience to watch.

Of course, the creators of "The Big Bang Theory" probably did not think of making a "young Sheldon" when they decided to seal George's fate. Fortunately, Steven Molaro and Steve Holland had no regrets about their decision when they returned for the prediction, as they explained in a 2024 interview with Glamour. To quote Holland on this matter:

"I think it gave the show a real strong emotional closure, and death is so important to Sheldon as a character. Seeing that death as an adult really framed what this show was about, I think."

This sentiment was echoed by Molaro, who felt that George's death gave the sitcom a strong ending that was true to life. However, that sentiment isn't shared by fellow "Young Sheldon" showrunner and "The Big Bang Theory" co-creator Chuck Lorre, who expressed regret over the killing of the Cooper family patriarch.

As we mentioned, Chuck Lorre previously said he regrets the killing of George Cooper Sr. Before "Young Sheldon" hit the airwaves. Basically, the show admitted that it wasn't happy with making the character seem like a drunk for no good on The Big Bang Theory, as his development over the course of Prekill led Laure to realize that Sheldon's father is actually quite loved. What's more, the emotional impact his death had on the characters and the actors who played them made Lorre wish he and his fellow "Big Bang Theory" writers had thought more of it.

However, it doesn't have to be a permanent goodbye. Despite the fact that his character is dead, Lance Barber is open to playing George Cooper Sr. again. On the spinoff "George and Mandy's First Marriage". However, he will only return if the writers come up with a way to resurrect him, which is significant and honors the magnitude of his character's untimely death, so don't expect him to play a ghost just for the sake of it. However, only time will tell if that idea ever comes to fruition.

"Young Sheldon" is currently in its entirety on Max.