‘Young Sheldon’: Everything We Know About Season 5 so Far
Young Sheldon is set to premiere its fifth season this week. The successful spinoff of The Big Bang Theory has amassed new fans while also retaining fans from its predecessor. The fifth season is highly anticipated after season 4 ended in a cliffhanger. So what exactly can fans expect from Sheldon Cooper and the entire Cooper family in the latest season? While not a ton is known about the planned story arc, some information has been shared.
When does season 5 premiere, and how many episodes will there be?
Season 5 of Young Sheldon premiers on October 7 at 8:30 pm. The show will occupy the same timeslot that it has aired in since season 3. Before season 3, the show aired on Thursdays at 8 pm. While it’s unknown exactly how many episodes will be included in the season, all previous seasons have contained between 18 and 22 episodes. The fourth season, filmed in 2020, was the shortest with just 18 episodes.
There will be plenty more Young Sheldon after season 5, too. When CBS announced season 5, they also announced two additional seasons. The sixth and seventh installments are likely to take fans through Sheldon’s middle teen years, including George’s infidelity and presumably his death. Sheldon revealed that his father died when he was 14. Season 7 would, theoretically, take fans through his fourteenth year.
Season 5 will pick up where season 4 of ‘Young Sheldon’ left off
Some fans assumed a large time jump was in the cards for season 5 of Young Sheldon. Reportedly, that’s not the case. While a short time jump is expected later in season 5, the premiere will pick up where season 4 left off. At the end of season 4, Mary Cooper and George argued. The fight ended when George revealed that he was unhappy with his home life. Instead of continuing the debate, George left the house and ended up at a bar. While away from home, he connected with the newly single neighbor. While viewers don’t get to see what happens, it’s assumed George’s infidelity begins that evening.
While it is largely assumed George cheated on Mary after the season 4 finale, it wasn’t explicitly spelled out. There is also a minor timeline discrepancy to consider before making a final call. In The Big Bang Theory, Sheldon revealed that he caught his father cheating on his mother when he was 13. In season 4 of Young Sheldon, Sheldon and Missy are 11. While it’s possible that George cheated on Mary regularly for two years before Sheldon caught him, it’s equally likely he didn’t hook up with Brenda at that moment, but the idea took hold.
Season 5 will explain Sheldon’s hatred for engineering
While the team behind Young Sheldon is keeping the overarching plot quiet, they’ve shared a couple of fun details about the upcoming season. The Big Bang Theory fans probably recall Sheldon ribbing Howard Wolowitz for his lack of education. While Sheldon, Leonard Hofstadter, and Raj Koothrappali all held doctorates, Howard had a master’s degree in engineering from M.I.T. Howard’s lack of a doctorate wasn’t the only problem. Sheldon had a specific distaste for engineering.
Steve Molaro sat down to talk with TV Line in September, ahead of the upcoming premiere. While he didn’t give a ton away, he did promise that fans would be finding out exactly why Sheldon hates engineering as a way of paying homage to the original series. Over the last several seasons, writers have been diligent in their efforts to reference the original series and even plant Easter eggs in Young Sheldon. Beyond that, Molaro isn’t giving much more away, though.
