Let me start by saying that I truly enjoy "Young Sheldon". From the very first episode, the story is cute, the script well written, the acting is strong and the production value is high. I love Meemaw's eccentricity, the casting of Zoe Perry as Sheldon's mother (she is Laurie Metcalf's daughter and the similarity is eerie), the humanity of Sheldon's dad and, my personal favorite, the spunkiness of Young Missy. Sheldon himself is nine years old and trying to navigate the scary high school corridors. His family does not understand him, although they love him dearly.
He does not fit into his religious community. And he is still finding himself. Throughout the season we see him watching Professor Proton and falling in love with Captain Kirk. We see him learning that superheroes can be safety nets and comic books are not just for silly kids. His obsessive nature is already established, but he is not yet the Sheldon we know and love.
"Young Sheldon" as a series
The style of the series is also very different from the original. Shot on a single camera and without a live audience, "Young Sheldon" is more muted, slightly more grounded and feels more like a film than a sitcom. This is all done deliberately and it works. As a standalone series, it is very enjoyable!
The "Big Bang Theory" expectation
It is just like watching the movie version of your favorite film. It never quite lives up to what you imagined. Sheldon himself has mixed feelings about sequels and prequels. They are often a hit or miss. In this case, it was a pretty impossible task to try and recreate the wonder that we saw over ten (now on eleven) seasons of Jim Parsons perfecting Dr.
Sheldon Cooper. I just miss the character interaction of four male geniuses, two female geniuses and a farm girl wannabe actress turned loving wife. I miss the fact that half the dialogue is so scientific, I can barely follow the gist of it. I miss the color and vibe and the ethnic variety. I miss Jim Parsons. After all, "Big Bang Theory" is a super hit.
We have watched and re-watched it for so long, we think we know them personally.
The sad thing is that in reverse, it would have worked! An adult actor would have made the established character his own and added to it. The color would have intensified. The language and personality would have grown. Everything would have just gained detail and complexity. But "Young Sheldon" will just never measure up to "Big Bang Theory". As a series, it is fun. As a prequel, it just does not have the staying power!
