This story contains spoilers from the final season of Young Sheldon.
Young Sheldon just delivered a devastating full-circle moment.
During the penultimate episode of The Big Bang Theory prequel, Sheldon's father George Cooper, played by Lance Barber, died of a heart attack.
While heartbreaking, it's a moment fans of the series knew may be coming as in season seven of The Big Bang Theory, Sheldon—played by Jim Parsons who also narrates Young Sheldon—explained his dad had passed away when he was 14, the same age his character is in the final season of the prequel series.
And after the episode aired May 9, Iain Armitage, who stars in the titular role, shared a tribute to his onscreen father. "Love you, George!" he wrote alongside heart emojis and photos with Barber on set. "Love you, Lance!!!"
And despite laying the groundwork for George's death years earlier, Young Sheldon producers Steven Holland and Chuck Lorre made a conscious effort to make it as least sad as possible.
"There was a version of this," Holland explained to Variety, "where it would have been: The finale would have been the death and the funeral. I think it was Chuck who said, ‘This is mostly a positive, uplifting show. Let's not leave the audience deep in their grief. Let's watch the family start to piece itself back together, and let's end with a little hope.' So then that re-shifted when we were going to do it."
The series takes its final bow after seven seasons on May 16—with appearances from Parsons and Mayim Bialik—as the Cooper family picks up the pieces following George's death and Sheldon prepares to head off to Caltech.
However, this isn't the last we'll see of the Coopers as Montana Jordan, who plays Sheldon's brother Georgie, and Emily Osment are returning for Mandy and George's First Marriage, which is set to premiere this fall.
Keep reading to see when more of your favorite shows are returning this year.
Virgin River (Netflix) - Dec. 19
This sixth season promises fresh twists and turns, escalating love triangles, delightful wedding drama, as well as uncovered secrets from Mel’s father’s past which will transport us to the magic and mystique of Virgin River in the 1970s.
Laid (Peacock) - Dec. 19
In the new series, a woman finds out her former lovers are dying in unusual ways and must go back through her sex timeline to confront her past in order to move forward. Laid is a f--ked up rom-com where the answer to “why can’t I find love, is there something wrong with me?” is a resounding “Yes. There is. The problem is definitely you.”
Ilana Glazer: Human Magic (Hulu) - Dec. 20
The Broad City alum tackles everything from motherhood to being a stoner in her new stand-up special.
Josh Groban & Friends Go Home for the Holidays (CBS) - Dec. 20
Hosted and executive produced by Josh Groban, the special features a new format combining compelling stories, music, comedy and a live adoption on stage, celebrating the creation of a new family. Musical performances include holiday classics, new releases and original duets with Groban and his guests, including James Bay, Jennifer Hudson, Tori Kelly and The War And Treaty.
2024 Back That Year Up with Kevin Hart and Kenan Thompson (Peacock) - Dec. 23
2024 Back That Year Up With Kevin Hart and Kenan Thompson returns for a third annual special highlighting the biggest moments of the year. The comedic duo will close out the year with their unfiltered humor as they recap the past year of pop culture, sports, social media and politics. The special will feature guest appearances from the year’s most talked about celebrities, including Nate Bargatze, Mookie Betts, Kenny G, Blake Griffin, Jon Hamm, Jonquel Jones, Seth Meyers, mgk and Rashida ‘Sheedz’ Olayiwola.
The Flipping El Moussas (HGTV) - Dec. 26
Real estate power couple Tarek and Heather Rae El Moussa will continue to grow their working relationship while juggling the addition of a rambunctious toddler to their busy family life in the newest season of their follow-doc series.
The season will kick off in Hawthorne, California, where Tarek and Heather Rae tackle their most extreme flip project to date.
Squid Game 2 (Netfix) - Dec. 26
Three years after winning Squid Game, Player 456 gave up going to the states and comes back with a new resolution in his mind. Gi-hun once again dives into the mysterious survival game, starting another life-or-death game with new participants gathered to win the prize of 45.6 billion won.