When Young Sheldon first made its debut, it barely referenced the events or characters from The Big Bang Theory, even though both series featured Sheldon Cooper as the central figure. That changed after The Big Bang Theory wrapped up in 2019.
CBS began merging the two shows more actively, bringing in connections like Sheldon’s childhood best friend, Tam (played by Robert Wu), who also showed up in the original sitcom. This effort led to a touching reference in Young Sheldon’s season 2 finale.
Tam returns to remind fans where it all began (Photo: Young Sheldon Season 2/Warner Bros. Television)Where adult Sheldon recalled winning the Nobel Prize alongside Amy (Mayim Bialik), something that directly tied into The Big Bang Theory’s last episode.
Young Sheldon’s Season 2 Finale Loses Emotional Weight After Episode 100
Sheldon’s Nobel Prize celebration in the season 2 finale carried a lot of emotional weight, as it showed him alone and disappointed after none of his peers came to his party. While sitting and listening to the Nobel announcement, his adult voiceover described how hurt he felt, and how grateful he later became for his Pasadena friends.
A montage followed, showing young versions of Leonard, Penny, Amy, Raj, Howard, and Bernadette—each going about their daily lives, unaware of Sheldon’s pain. That moment was moving, suggesting that Sheldon had a long wait before building meaningful friendships.
But with the events in Young Sheldon’s 100th episode, that idea doesn’t carry the same power anymore. It turns out that he already had a circle of friends before ever meeting the characters from The Big Bang Theory, as he had started bonding with his dorm mates and genuinely liked spending time with them.
Dorm Friendships Seem More Important Than First Believed
Earlier episodes never hinted that Sheldon stayed close with his dorm friends after their initial meeting, especially since the last known interaction led to him getting a stomach ache from too much junk food and video games. That episode made it seem like a one-off event.
But the 100th episode makes it clear they stayed friends, and not for any hidden reasons—they sincerely cared about him and brought him into their group. This brings up an interesting issue: why were they never brought up in The Big Bang Theory?
It now looks like the only logical way to explain this gap would be a falling out. That same technique had already been used with Tam’s character—Young Sheldon showed the two arguing, justifying why Tam was never mentioned later in Sheldon’s adult life.
Sheldon’s College Life Continues To Grow Apart From His Family Storylines
As Sheldon carries on with his studies at East Texas Tech, it seems very likely that he’ll remain close to his dorm neighbors. Much of Young Sheldon season 5 has shown him on his own at school, while the more emotional storylines play out with his family at home.
Given that problems are starting to surface between George (Lance Barber) and Mary (Zoe Perry), it’s comforting for viewers to see Sheldon forming bonds outside the house.
Still, the choice to show him having reliable college friends earlier than expected does reduce the emotional pull of his loneliness in that Nobel Prize moment, slightly weakening how strongly Young Sheldon once connected back to its predecessor, The Big Bang Theory.
