"Graduation" is the premiere episode of the fourth season of the American sitcom Young Sheldon. It aired on November 5, 2020.
Summary[]
After graduating high school, Sheldon has a breakdown when he realizes he may not be ready for college. Also, Dale tries to make amends with Meemaw.
Extended Plot[]
The season premiere opens with Sheldon wondering why people hate going to the principal's office because he thinks it is great. The principal tells him he is a remarkable young man and he responds by saying he is a remarkable old man. Mary admonishes him while George wonders if Sheldon has all the credits to graduate. The principal says he has everything he needs, including a good grade in PE which he got for snitching on kids smoking.
Mary asks again if he is ready to graduate and the principal says yes and this has never happened before. Usually kids finish high school in two years due to pregnancy or prison. George quips that they may hit the trifecta with Georgie and Missy, causing Mary to yell at him.
The principal then states that Sheldon is also the valedictorian. His parents are happy, which surprised him. He says it isn't that much of an accomplishment in this school and the principal says they will miss him.
Sheldon then tells Tam that he is graduating and he will have the table to himself. Tam says he is joining the jazz band and the drummer has a goatee. He also sarcastically says being with a little kid boosts his game with the ladies with Sheldon, of course, missing the sarcasm.
Sheldon realizes his goggles are missing, causing him to worry about having to use the classroom ones and get eyebrow lice. He goes to look for them, warning Tam not to eat his fluffernutter. Tam steals it as soon as he is gone.
Meemaw's boyfriend Dale comes over to apologize. She has trouble accepting it, but softens when she sees he has purple flowers that he went to three stores to get. She says they are pretty, but he says they are not as pretty as her.
Sheldon continues to go crazy looking for his goggles, running around and retracing his steps. He interrupts a test (where he tries to help a girl figure out an answer), a meeting with the principal and what seems to be a crying pregnant student.
He finally asks his dad to take him home, but he is busy. He asks him to call his mom, but she is working causing Sheldon to freak out even more. George asks if this is how he will act in college and reminds him he needs to do things on his own.
Adult Sheldon says he used the classroom goggles and did not get eyebrow lice. However, eight months later, he got a mild case of pinkeye and claims the two things are related.
At home Sheldon tries making his schedule and worries about missing “Professor Proton.” Mary suggests he tapes it, but then he worries about spoilers. Mary asks if anyone ever talks to him about the show and he says no one other than her.
Georgie and Dale talk about their misunderstanding. Dale gives him money he owes him and lets him keep it, even after Georgie admits to him and MeeMaw egging his store. He shares the news with his family and even admits to the egging. Mary is upset, as is Missy, but only because he went without her. Georgie says Dale forgave him, so God has to as well.
Dale and Meemaw go out on a date to a Mexican place. He decides not to drink, even though she suggests margaritas. He says she can still have one and it gets weird, so they tell the waiter to come back later.
Mary suggests they do a joint graduation party for Sheldon and Missy, who is graduating elementary school. Sheldon is surprised this is a thing and Mary reminds him that Missy is also going to a new school with new teachers. Missy snarks that she won't get new clothes because they are poor. George says they aren't, but they aren't rich so no new clothes for Missy.
The phone rings and as George goes to answer it Georgie wonders if he has to go to both graduations. Mary says yes because Sheldon is giving his speech. Missy says she and her class are singing “This Land is Your Land.” Mary says she is equally proud of them when George comes in to say they want to interview Sheldon for the news.
Dale and Meemaw continue their date and talk about the egging of the store and Georgie getting his job back. Dale then says he wants to go to church with her and Mary's Bible study, surprising MeeMaw.
The news interview begins with Missy and Georgie wanting air time. However, it is just Sheldon and his parents talking about Sheldon graduating. He worries about bathroom schedules and bedtime and then ends up freaking out on camera.
Sheldon, George and Mary discuss his options and if he should stay in high school. He isn't sure what to do, so he ends up having a heart to heart with Missy. She says she feels the same way about going to middle school. She says that can be scary, but should do it anyway. Sheldon tells her it is comforting that she feels the same way and she says that is why she said it. He then tells his parents he is ready to graduate.
On graduation day the principal introduces Sheldon with an introduction Sheldon wrote. His speech makes him nervous, so he focuses on Missy and thanks her for helping him get through this. The speech talks about change and not being alone. They should all be as brave as Missy and he will give her advice if she makes it to high school since he skipped middle school. We then see Missy and her class perform with Sheldon and Missy sharing a twin look.
The show ends with the graduation party and Dale leading the prayer. Adult Sheldon says he is okay with Dale inviting Jesus because it was the best party until his son Leonard Cooper graduated. He wanted his son to be called Leonard Nimoy Cooper, but Amy didn't want that.
Amy then joins Adult Sheldon and says he is lucky she let him be named Leonard. They say “I love you” to each other as the episode closes.
Credits[]
Main[]
- Iain Armitage as Sheldon Cooper
- Zoe Perry as Mary Cooper
- Lance Barber as George Cooper Sr.
- Montana Jordan as George Cooper Jr.
- Raegan Revord as Missy Cooper
- Jim Parsons as the voice of Sheldon Cooper
- Annie Potts as Meemaw
Recurring[]
- Craig T. Nelson as Dale Ballard
- Ryan Phuong as Tam Nguyen
- Wyatt McClure as Billy Sparks
- Danielle Pinnock as Ms. Evelyn Ingram
- Rex Linn as Principal Tom Petersen
Guest[]
- Mayim Bialik as Amy Farrah Fowler (voice over cameo)
- Katherine Von Till as Kimberly
- Luis Victor Jiminez as Waiter
- Emily Paige Arrington as Student
Notes[]
- Chuck Lorre's vanity card.[1]
Critics[]
Trivia[]
- This was supposed to be the Season 3 finale but due to the COVID-19 pandemic forcing production to shut down, the episode wasn't able to be filmed.
- Instead, this episode became the Season 4 premiere.
- This is the third Young Sheldon episode title not to follow the naming convention of a list, with the other two being "Pilot" and "Pasadena".
- Sheldon revealed that he and Amy have a son named Leonard and that he wanted to give him the middle name "Nimoy" (which Amy wouldn't let him do). This proves Sheldon didn't keep his promise to name all his kids Raj, though having multiple children with the same name would be very complicated.
- According to an interview in TVLine.com with Young Sheldon co-creator Steven Molaro, he wanted to include a joke about Sheldon having a son named Leonard and giving him the middle name "Nimoy" (in homage to the late Leonard Nimoy) and toyed with the idea of having Amy pipe in with, "Just be glad I let you name him Leonard." He approached Mayim Bialik about doing the voice-over and she was happy to do it.[2]
- Leonard Cooper is named after Sheldon and Amy's best friend Leonard Hofstadter, but that's just implied. In the interview with Steven Molaro, he states that it was always intended for Leonard Cooper to be named after Leonard Hofstadter, with "Nimoy" being an added bonus.
- Though he named his son after him, Sheldon usually forgets that Leonard Nimoy filed a restraining order on him.
- With her voice cameo, Mayim Bialik becomes the second actor from the main cast of The Big Bang Theory to reprise their roles and the third overall to contribute to Young Sheldon: Kaley Cuoco previously provided the uncredited voice of the pool in "Teenager Soup and a Little Ball of Fib".
- Sheldon and Amy's other children still haven't been named.
- Most of the high school (teachers, principal and students) are thrilled that Sheldon's leaving.
- This is the class of 1991. George Cooper Jr. won't graduate high school until 1993 or 1994 and Missy Cooper won't graduate high school until 2000 or 2001 since it took her six years to graduate high school and she will probably be 20–21 years old.
- George was to revealed to have dropped out of high school in the next season.
- Missy moved to Houston with her mother after they sold the house after George Cooper Sr. passed away and went to high school in Houston.
- This episode marks the first time that Tam is seen with Meemaw and Dale.
Gallery[]
Quotes[]
- Adult Sheldon (VO): The next day, the local news showed up to me and my family. Which may sound impressive, but this is the same local news that covered a potato chip shaped like Texas.
- Adult Sheldon (VO): In fact, it was the best graduation party I had ever been to, until the one we had for my son, Leonard Cooper.
- All: Amen.
- Missy: Cake!
- Adult Sheldon (VO): I wanted his name to be Leonard "Nimoy" Cooper, but Amy wouldn't let me.
- Amy (VO): Be happy I let you name him Leonard!
- Adult Sheldon (VO): Okay, okay!
- Amy (VO): Love you.
- Adult Sheldon (VO): Love you, too.