The Young Sheldon Series Finale Echoed The Pilot In Two Big Ways
Contains spoilers for "Young Sheldon"
After seven seasons, "Young Sheldon" has met an emotional end. The final four episodes of the show are mostly concerned with George's (Lance Barber) death and the aftermath of this tragic event, as the sitcom bosses have been planning this storyline since Season 1. But there is still plenty of time for the series to tie up a few loose ends and even pay homage to Season 1, too. Scenes in the second part of the finale, which is titled "Memoir," echo the pilot episode in two big ways. The first is with a line which Sheldon (Iain Armitage) says in both episodes, and the second is through the song "Walk of Life" by Dire Straits, which reappears in the finale.
The "Young Sheldon" finale reveals why Mary is so religious in "The Big Bang Theory," as it explains that she turned to God after George's death. In the episode, Mary (Zoe Perry) also gets in her head that Sheldon and Missy's (Raegan Revord) souls won't be safe if they don't get baptized. Although neither of the siblings are keen to go through with the religious ceremony, when Sheldon sees how much their resistance is distressing her, he agrees, repeating a memorable line to her. He says, "I believe in you," which is almost word-for-word what he tells Missy in the pilot when he agrees to go to church with her despite being an atheist.
A song in the Young Sheldon finale helps bring the show full circle
Ahead of the release of the "Young Sheldon" finale, star Iain Armitage promised that the show would come to a satisfying conclusion. He was dead on when he told People, "it very much comes full circle, and I think we are trying to do our best to satisfy both fans of our show and [The Big Bang Theory]." It was thought that Armitage was referring to Jim Parsons' appearance in the finale, but viewers now know he could have been talking about the smaller details like that memorable, heartfelt line of dialogue. Armitage could also have been referencing the return of the Dire Straits song "Walk of Life," which appears in both the pilot and the finale.
Almost immediately after Sheldon's comical baptism, which sees him don a full body wetsuit, hardy rain boots, and a snorkel for the ceremony, the young scientist heads off to start his new life in California. The music played over this scene is another callback to the Jon Favreau-directed pilot episode. The iconic sounds of Dire Straits play when the show begins and we first meet Young Sheldon, and it returns to guide a slightly older Sheldon as he proudly walks through his new college campus. "I'm exactly where I'm supposed to be," he says as he soaks in his new environment.