Highlights

• Adult Sheldon's appearance on Young Sheldon marked a sentimental nod to The Big Bang Theory while wrapping up the Cooper clan story.
• Fans speculate Leonard's fate given his absence in the finale, linking it to his illness-ridden history on The Big Bang Theory.
• Johnny Galecki revealed the emotional aftermath of The Big Bang Theory ending, emphasizing its impact on the tight-knit cast's bond.

Adult Sheldon (Jim Parsons) made an appearance in the final ever episode of Young Sheldon. The last episode of the CBS comedy not only wrapped up the story of Sheldon and the Cooper clan, but also bridged the gap between Young Sheldon and The Big Bang Theory.

Jim Parson appeared alongside Sheldon's wife, Amy (Mayim Bialik), in the season finale, marking their first on-screen appearance together since The Big Bang Theory ended in 2019. Parson's adult Sheldon has only previously appeared in Young Sheldon as a voiced narrator. Their on-screen cameo wasn't just to please fans, it also allowed fans to get an update on their favorite characters.

Fans think that Amy and Sheldon's appearance hinted at a darker fate for Leonard, who did not appear in the finale episode.

In the following, we discuss why fans think Leonard is dead after The Big Bang Theory and how Johnny Galecki's character's health issues help this theory. We also take a look back at how Johnny Galecki felt about The Big Bang Theory coming to an end after 12 seasons.

Why Fans Think Leonard Died After The Big Bang Theory Finale

Sheldon and Amy are the only The Big Bang Theory characters to appear in the Young Sheldon finale, but there were a few hints which led fans to believe Leonard passed away after the events of the original series.

The couple revealed their son was called Leonard, which was previously confirmed in an earlier episode of Young Sheldon from season four. Their firstborn's name was inspired by Sheldon's love for both Leonard Hofstadter and Leonard Nimoy. Sheldon isn't the kindest and most sentimental to his friends, leading fans to wonder if he named his son after his deceased friend and housemate.

George Cooper's Unavoidable Death Becomes Even More Tragic After Young Sheldon Season 7, Episode 12 Clip

Young Sheldon fans know George Cooper's death is coming, but they never expected this to happen first.

Another reason fans think Leonard died is because the couple mentioned his wife and not him. As Amy and Sheldon walk out of his office to attend their son's Leonard's hockey game in Pasadena. Amy adds that their daughter wants to become an actress, to which Sheldon comments was due to Penny babysitting her. It seems odd that Penny is mentioned, but Leonard is not, especially as the couple got married on the show.

Leonard's lack of appearance in Young Sheldon was explained by producer Steve Holland, who didn't want The Big Bang Theory characters to overshadow the prequel show's ending.

“We didn’t want to go with the whole cast. And we also wanted to keep it on Sheldon and Amy and their kids’ relationship, so it just seemed like a nice coda at the end. And the Sheldon-Penny relationship was always so strong on Big Bang, it seemed like a nice way to do it."

Although the producers admit they hid lots of Easter eggs for fans of the show, so it's likely they knew that people would pick up on the lack of Leonard being mentioned. "We didn’t want it to distract from the scene that’s going on but maybe if people go back and freeze-frame afterwards, there’s a lot of little hidden things decorating that set."

"It was really fun and emotional, actually, to pull those things back into our world.”"

Leonard Suffered From Health Issues Throughout The Big Bang Theory

Leonard suffered a range of well-established health issues through the 12 seasons of The Big Bang Theory.

The Big Bang Theory's Leonard Hofstadter's health issues include:

• Lactose intolerant
• Asthmatic
• Wears glasses due to myopia
• Suffers from carsickness
• Suffers from migraines
• Has sleep apnea
• Gets a nosebleed when he goes jogging

He frequently talks about his many allergies, but one of his main health issues is his lactose intolerance. He avoids most of the food at The Cheesecake Factory, where Penny works in earlier episodes of the show. He avoids all the desserts for the fear his intestines will blow up like a balloon animal and cause the emission of a noxious gas that Sheldon fears could be weaponized.

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Big Bang Theory's Lowest-Rated Episode Made Leonard's Mistreatment Of Penny Painfully Obvious

The way Leonard treats Penny in Big Bang Theory season 10, episode 22 has a lot to do with why it's the series' lowest-rated episode.

He also talks about being prone to heart disease and ear infections. His predisposition to heart issues may have caused his untimely death.

Sometimes, these many illnesses cause plot holes and inconsistencies. In season 5's "The Good Guy Fluctuation," Leonard refuses to drink wine because it gives him a migraine, yet continues to drink it throughout the show.

How Johnny Galecki Felt About The Big Bang Theory Ending

Johnny Galecki admitted he saw his costars "emotionally crumble" when they learned The Big Bang Theory would be ending after Jim Parsons decided season 12 would be his last. The stars of the show were "shocked" and "blindsided" by the sudden news that it would be the last season of the popular sitcom.

"I was shocked. We were just blindsided that day. And not necessarily shocked by Jim's decision, but that he hadn't had that conversation with his castmates first to prepare us. So yes, it could have been handled better. We're a family; have a conversation. And I don't even disagree with how Jim felt, because in many ways, I felt the same way. I just disagreed with how it was managed."

The Roseanne alum actor said that he was "kind of losing it" watching his friends and colleagues "emotionally crumble upon hearing the news," adding that it was "tearing me to shreds watching Kaley break down and see the tears from everyone."

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Jim Parsons' Strict Lifestyle While Filming The Big Bang Theory Took A Toll On His Health

Jim Parsons took a rather radical approach to portraying Sheldon Cooper on The Big Bang Theory.

Despite the upset at the show ending after twelve seasons, Galecki admitted The Big Bang Theory would not be able to carry on without Jim Parsons and Sheldon Cooper.

"I don't think I could have performed in the way I wanted to, or would want to, if we did continue."

The actor also admitted he had reached the end of his own performance as Leonard. "I didn't really know how to serve the character or the great writing anymore," he explained. "But none of us — the actors, writers — were comfortable with doing the show without one of us. And we absolutely would not continue on without."

Reading the final script, Johnny Galecki revealed he didn't quite understand where the writers initially took his character. He wasn't particularly keen on the plot involving Leonard and Penny's pregnancy news.

"The main takeaway is that these friendships will continue; the writers didn’t want someone to move away. We wanted to leave the audience with the idea that these friendships and the love that they have continues.”

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