Young Sheldon Season 7 is set to end the hit CBS sitcom, with its release imminent.
Recounting the origins of The Big Bang Theory's beloved Sheldon Cooper, Young Sheldon has spent the last seven years immersed in the life story of the iconic TV genius.
Now, 141 episodes later, the hit TV comedy will come to an end as it rounds out this era of Sheldon-centric storytelling.
When Does Young Sheldon Season 7 Premiere?
Season 7 of Young Sheldon is set to kick off on CBS on Thursday, February 15, which comes nearly a year after the series' last episode aired.
As originally confirmed by a poster for the series, new episodes of the beloved sitcom will be released every Thursday at 8 p.m. ET, running for 30 minutes each week.
Season 7 is planned to have 14 episodes, with a two-part series finale airing on Thursday, May 16 from 8 p.m. ET to 9 p.m. ET.
Here is a full list of confirmed release dates for the start and finish of Young Sheldon's Season 7 episodes:
- Episode 1 - February 15 (8:00 p.m. - 8:30 p.m. ET)
- Episode 2 - February 22 (8:00 p.m. - 8:30 p.m. ET)
- Episode 3 - February 29 (8:00 p.m. - 8:30 p.m. ET)
- Episode 13 - May 16 (8:00 p.m. - 8:30 p.m. ET)
- Episode 14 - May 16 (8:30 p.m. - 9:00 p.m. ET)
[ Young Sheldon Season 7 Release Date Schedule of Episodes Officially Announced ]
Why Is Young Sheldon Ending with Season 7?
Despite Young Sheldon maintaining nearly 10 million viewers an episode on linear TV (plus its audience on streaming services like Netflix), Season 7 will mark the end of the hit sitcom.
As for why this is the case, it has a lot to do with what fans already know about the quirky young genius going forward and where audiences find him at the start of The Big Bang Theory.
According to series creator Chuck Lorre (via Deadline), "There are certain things we know happen in Sheldon’s life at 14" so with the character coming to that age in the Big Bang spin-off, it felt like "the right time for this story to come to an end:"
"There are certain things we know happen in Sheldon’s life at 14. We started talking about the future of show, and what it looked like. This is the right time for this story to come to an end, knowing that at 14, he goes off to Cal Tech. It felt like the right time to end it strong while it was on top."
Lorre added, emphasizing that the series may not have even happened at all if they had not found its star, Iain Armitage. He remarked, "This guy killed it. And if that had not happened, we wouldn’t have gone forward:"
"It’s important to say that we wouldn’t be sitting here, had not eight years ago, Iain’s mom sent us a video of him doing a scene that Steven and I wrote that we never intended to shoot. This guy killed it. And if that had not happened, we wouldn’t have gone forward. It’s the miracle of casting Young Sheldon. It was one we understood was likely not going to happen but it did. And this family blossomed around him."
What Will Happen in Young Sheldon Season 7?
While not confirmed, fans assume Young Sheldon Season 7 is headed towards a tragic end.
As Season 6 came to an end, Sheldon and his mother Mary jetted off to Germany so that the young genius could spend a summer abroad before heading to Caltech in the fall; however, he may be called back as some major events in Sheldon's life are likely to unfold imminently.
The Season 6 finale also saw Meemaw's (Sheldon's grandmother) house decimated by a tornado, with her future uncertain going forward.
Audiences have already been treated to synopses to the first three episodes of Season 7, with Sheldon getting news of the tornado in Episode 1, grappling with his new surroundings in Germany in Episode 2, coming to grips with being away from home in Episode 3:
Season 7, Episode 1 - "A Wiener Schnitzel and Underwear in a Tree"
News of the tornado reaches Sheldon and Mary in Germany; with the Cooper house in chaos, Missy steps up.
Season 7, Episode 2 - "A Roulette Wheel and a Piano Playing Dog"
Sheldon realizes he is the weakest student in his class; Meemaw looks to expand her gambling business.
Season 7, Episode 3 - "A Strudel and a Hot American Boy Toy"
Sheldon explores Germany behind Mary's back; Missy attempts to pull a fast one on George Sr.; Meemaw and Dale adjust to living together.
The biggest plot point Season 7 is likely to explore is the death of Sheldon's father, George.
A significant piece of Sheldon Cooper's story since his days in The Big Bang Theory has been the fact that he sadly lost his dad at the age of 14. Given Young Sheldon's version of the character will be around that age in Season 7, his father's passing could be coming at any minute.
When asked about the potential of his character dying in the last batch of episodes actor Lance Barber played coy, telling Deadline, "I never got the inclination that the end was coming" despite the audience knowing the history of George Cooper:
"I had my fingers crossed from the beginning that I would make it to the end whenever that came. We know the history of George. Personally for me as actor with a character like this, I have this legacy, I get to see what life brings. I never got the inclination that the end was coming anytime soon, nor did I fear it."
While George's death has not been confirmed to be a part of the series, it seems highly likely it will play a part in Season 7 in some form.
Other narrative beats Season 7 will probably explore include Meemaw acclimatizing to moving in with her romantic interest Dale following Season 6's tornado (as shown in recent photos promoting the series), a potential wedding between Montana Jordan's Georgie and Emily Osment's Mandy after the pair got engaged following the birth of their first child in Season 6.
Young Sheldon Season 7 is set to premiere on CBS on Thursday, February 15 at 8 p.m. ET.
