Warning! This article contains SPOILERS for Young Sheldon season 7, episode 14.

Summary

• Sheldon's reference to Penny in Young Sheldon's series finale doesn't necessarily mean Leonard is dead.
• Viewers theorized Leonard died based on a throwaway line, but other scenarios are more likely.
• Killing Leonard off would hinder any potential sequel to The Big Bang Theory, making his death improbable.

Although one line in Young Sheldon’s cast of main characters.

Meanwhile, the subplot featuring Sheldon’s older self sees his wife Amy convince him to attend his son’s hockey game. Initially, Sheldon showed no interest in the event, insisting that his memoir would be much more important. However, reflecting on the many sacrifices that his parents made for him led Sheldon to realize he wanted to learn from them. For all The Big Bang Theory’s jokes about George Sr., Sheldon’s parents did all they could to provide for their kids and Sheldon appreciated it. He ended up attending the game, but not before referencing The Big Bang Theory's heroine.

Young Sheldon's Penny Reference Is Making Viewers Think Leonard Is Dead

Sheldon’s Line In Young Sheldon’s Series Finale Is Ambiguous

When Sheldon finally accepted that his son’s interest in hockey was valid, Amy decided to push her luck and noted that their daughter wanted acting lessons. A frustrated Sheldon said that they should never have let Penny babysit, implying that it was her influence that led to this. Notably, Sheldon didn’t say that Leonard and Penny couldn’t be trusted to babysit, and some viewers theorized that this meant Leonard must have died offscreen sometime after The Big Bang Theory ended. This isn’t necessarily the case, but it is the most dramatic reading of the line.

The spinoff’s ending did change a few details about the earlier sitcom’s story, such as making Meemaw more responsible for The Big Bang Theory’s version of Mary. However, it would be a stretch to say that Leonard is dead based on this throwaway line, as little else about the finale suggests this is the case. For one thing, Sheldon’s son is also named Leonard, so adding his name to the comment could have been unnecessarily confusing. For another, Penny’s ion for acting is what would have inspired their daughter’s interest in it, so Leonard’s presence while babysitting is irrelevant.

Why Sheldon Mentioning Penny Makes Sense Without Leonard's Death

Penny And Sheldon Always Shared A Separate Friendship

Furthermore, Penny could have babysat for Sheldon and Amy without Leonard’s presence for any number of reasons, and death seems like the least likely. Leonard could have been working or otherwise busy, Leonard and Penny could have been in two separate places at the time, or the couple could even have divorced in the years after The Big Bang Theory’s finale. While this last possibility may seem far-fetched, it is more plausible than Leonard dying. George Sr.’s Young Sheldon death might have been unexpected, but his history of heart disease made it less shocking than Leonard’s early exit.

Penny and Sheldon were close for decades by the time Young Sheldon’s finale took place, so Sheldon wouldn’t have felt the need to mention her romantic partner when he referenced her.

Moreover, assuming that Sheldon would need to namecheck Leonard in this line ignores one important fact about the earlier series. Leonard and Penny’s relationship was central to The Big Bang Theory’s story and, by the finale, the pair had spent plenty of time bonding without Amy or Leonard present. Penny and Sheldon were close for decades by the time Young Sheldon’s finale took place, so Sheldon wouldn’t have felt the need to mention her romantic partner when he referenced her. He may have initially seen her as his neighbor, but Sheldon and Penny were good friends by the show’s end.

Killing Leonard Would Destroy Any Hopes Of A Big Bang Theory Sequel

The Big Bang Theory’s Best Follow-ups Would All Need Leonard

Another reason that Leonard’s death seems so unlikely is that The Big Bang Theory’s potential sequel series would need Leonard to work. Sheldon might have been the show’s breakout character, but Leonard was its original audience insertion persona. He remained the show’s protagonist until its final season and any continuation of the series would need his presence, especially after Young Sheldon spent years focusing on Sheldon and none of the other original main characters.

Killing off Leonard would hurt any future sequel to The Big Bang Theory more than almost any other character, short of arguably Penny. The Big Bang Theory’s next spinoff is more likely to follow up the original series now that Young Sheldon has focused on the backstory of one of the original show’s heroes. As such, it seems doubly unlikely that Young Sheldon’s finale would kill off Leonard with a stray ambiguous comment. Thus, Young Sheldon’s ending makes more sense when viewers assume The Big Bang Theory’s hero is still alive and well.