On the Young Sheldon Finale

Good afternoon and Shabbot Shalom. We lifted weights Wednesday and did a 6 mile walk yesterday. We are tired and sore and probably over doing things.  

Israel is intensifying operations in Rafah and in Jabailya in northern Gaza. One thing we learned last fall and have seen confirmed in the latest round of fighting, Hamas cannot stop or even hinder Israeli advances into urban areas. Trophy is extremely effective against RPGs and ATGMs. Exit question: what can Hezbollah do?

We've written before that Israel was getting the better of the exchange against Hezbollah. Now Hezbollah is getting the better of the exchange. As we write this Hezbollah has launched a 75 missile volley. Pressure mounts on Netanyahu to 'so something' about Hezbollah. That means nihilistic war. Dark days lay ahead.  

Iran may be 'weeks' away from having nuclear weapons. What then?

The morning after we're not quite sure what to think of the Young Sheldon finale. George is gone and the family deals with his sudden death. The full range of reactions and emotions to the death of a loved one were on display. Sheldon doesn't know what to feel and imagines alternate possibilities as he remembers his father leaving the house for work one last time. Mary's angry and aggressively turns to god. Missy is depressed. Oldest son Georgie tries to fill his father's shoes (this was the best performance of the double episode).

Jim Parsons and Mayim Bialik made cameos playing Sheldon and Amy Farah Fowler from The Big Bang Theory. The most touching part of the finale may have been learning that they named their son Leonard, after Sheldon's best friend in The Big Bang Theory. 

The finale ends with Sheldon going off to Cal Tech, that's it. The family's grief isn't all better and wrapped up. None of the other characters really find solace. Overall we found the Young Sheldon finale emotional and difficult to watch. This makes it utterly unique for a sitcom send off. 

We always related to George Cooper. He was a man in a matriarchy, as are we, but still kinda the head of the house. George is a big guy, fat really. He likes his beer and his Texas barbeque. Heck, George has a heart attack in the very first episode of Young Sheldon.* 

Viewers never saw George in The Big Bang Theory. Through reminiscences he was portrayed as kind of a redneck lout. But in Young Sheldon, Goerge was a caring, if unsure family man. He doesn't know quite how to get on with his daughter (not unusual for a father) and really doesn't know how to relate to the super smart Sheldon. George is a tough but doting father to Georgie, who's the kind of teenage screwup that needs a tough father to set him straight. 

George Cooper wasn't Ward Cleaver, but he wasn't Homer Simpson either. He was an imperfect father and an imperfect man, but he was a good man. He was a family man that went to work every day and came home every night. The Big Bang Theory was unfair to George Cooper. But Young Sheldon gave the man a loving sendoff. 

*Devotees of Stroock's Books will recall we were 10-14 days from a 'cardiac event' as the doctor said, before getting a cardiac catheterization.