Young Sheldon, the prequel to The Big Bang Theory, is actively contradicting and sabotaging its parent show by changing the portrayal of George, the Cooper patriarch. While The Big Bang Theory showed him as a drunk and negligent father, Young Sheldon portrays him differently as a flawed but mostly good family man.

Furthermore, in an effort to justify its version of George's character, the spin-off is planning to depict Mary having an affair, which contradicts The Big Bang Theory's storyline. However, this approach poses problems for both shows' continuity and character arcs. To avoid further plot holes, Young Sheldon needs to handle the situation with nuance and stick closely to Sheldon's story about catching his dad's infidelity.