Warning! The following contains spoilers for the Young Sheldon episode "A Fancy Article and a Scholarship for a Baby." Do not read until you've watched on CBS or with a Paramount+ subscription.
Young Sheldon is getting closer to its finale, and as such, a major decision had to be made the latest episode. No, I'm not referring to the decision of when to kill off George Sr., but rather when we see Sheldon officially commit to Caltech. At face value, it felt like a boring part of the lore we had to play out, but I'm happy to say I was surprised the episode was anything but.
As the cast continues to share their reactions to the show's cancelation, Young Sheldon is delivering the final bits of the major lore it needs to send Sheldon off to his college and put into motion the events that eventually happen on The Big Bang Theory. As I mentioned, the actual story of picking his college was far more entertaining than I expected because the story was much more nuanced than it may seem.
Sheldon Nearly Stayed At East Texas Tech
After Sheldon was listed as a co-author in a physics paper that even his mentors that helped paid for his Germany fellowship didn't understand, major universities from around the country arrived at the Cooper household to make offers to get him to transfer from East Texas Tech. President Hagemeyer wondered how East Texas Tech could retain Sheldon, knowing that donors would shell out major bucks to boast that they had a world-renowned child genius attending.
Dr. Linklatter and Dr. Sturgis tried their best to sway Sheldon and were even briefly successful when the young student became overwhelmed with the options he had and figured staying put would be best. Both finally interjected, saying their reasons for wanting to retain him would be selfish, and he should pick a university where he can further grow and develop.
Sheldon Didn't Pick Caltech Initially
As The Big Bang Theory fans know, Sheldon went to Caltech at fourteen. What wasn't known, however, is that it wasn't his first choice despite being the place that would eventually lead to him winning the Nobel Prize. Sheldon was torn between two options, and while Caltech was one of them, he announced that the best decision for him was MIT.
Sheldon shipped off with his father to visit the campus in Massachusetts, but the trip was short-lived. They had only just stepped foot out of the airport when they were met with a blustery snowstorm, which was so violent Sheldon immediately changed his mind and decided Caltech was the better option for him. I'm not surprised the Texas boy was uncomfortable with the thought of winter weather and unwilling to stick it out to see if he could make it through. It was a great moment that really elevated what felt like a boring story at face value.
Young Sheldon airs on CBS on Thursdays at 8:00 p.m. ET. There are not many episodes left in the season, so be sure to tune in to see the final episodes and how they set up the upcoming spinoff starring Georgie and Mandy.
