Fans knew that the series finale of “Young Sheldon” was going to be devastating, but “Funeral” and “Memoir” both ended up packing pretty big emotional punches. With a little time having passed since the finale, CBS has ranked these incredibly emotional moments. Over on TikTok — where “Young Sheldon” has developed an intense and surprising popularity among young fans — it’s Mary Cooper’s (Zoe Perry) speech at George Sr.’s (Lance Barber) funeral that gets the duke, and understandably so.
Expressing her anger that George has died just as they were getting their lives on track, Mary can do nothing but voice her sorrow and rage: “How could you do that? I’m so mad at him!” Then, shockingly, the pious Mary admits her anger at God, then at herself. Meemaw (Annie Potts) climbs onto the altar and gently comforts her daughter, putting an end to the heartbreaking moment.
The other moments selected by CBS range from those of bittersweet nostalgia to heartbreaking moments of mourning that anyone who’s lost a family member can relate to. But interestingly enough, the second-saddest moment CBS mentions didn’t even happen in the two-part series finale.
The second-saddest moment on CBS’ list happened before the finale
Though the moment is present in flashback form at the beginning of “Funeral,” the Cooper family does not learn about George Sr.’s death in the finale but at the tail end of “A New Home and a Traditional Texas Torture.” Yet it’s presented as one of the saddest moments within the series finale. It’s an interesting but understandable choice.
Other moments on the list which actually do appear in the two-part finale include Georgie Jr. (Montana Jordan) picking up the suit his father is slated to be buried in from the drycleaners; Sheldon recalling seeing his childhood home one more time after Mary has sold the house; Mary’s gentle goodbye to George, which echoes his own final words to her; and Sheldon’s (Iain Armitage) repeated reliving of the final time he saw his father, recasting the scene over and over in different ways, including as a pivotal scene from “Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan.” Meemaw’s encouraging her grandchildren to get baptized to help Mary find a way out of her grief also made its way into the top 10.
The Season 7 finale of “Young Sheldon” just might go down in history as one of the saddest — yet most life-affirming — finales in television history. Time will tell if these sad moments still hold the same punch in 20 years that they do now.