Arguably the Worst Thing Sheldon Cooper Ever Did in ‘Young Sheldon’ Makes His The Big Bang Theory Actions Look Mild
- Sheldon Cooper's eccentric and self-indulgent nature has not changed much even as an adult.
- However, something he did in Young Sheldon seems to top all the bad things he did in The Big Bang Theory.
- Sheldon's actions in an episode of Young Sheldon were very hurtful to his mentor.
Sheldon Cooper is one of the most beloved sitcom characters, whether as the eccentric adult in The Big Bang Theory or the precocious child in Young Sheldon. His character arc is one of the best in television, balancing moments of brilliance with personal growth. While undeniably adorable, some of his actions in both shows can be downright infuriating, especially considering the consequences of his petty behavior.
In The Big Bang Theory, Sheldon often crosses the line with his friends, from downplaying their achievements to interfering in his best friend Leonard’s relationships. However, none of these actions seem as heinous as his behavior in an episode of Young Sheldon, where he accuses his pal-turned-mentor Dr. Sturgis of plagiarism and attempts to report him to the university.
Sheldon Cooper’s actions in a Young Sheldon Season 3 episode are arguably the worst
Sheldon is just as ambitious and brilliant in his youth as he is as an adult (portrayed by Jim Parsons). However, his younger self is equally self-centered and oblivious to the feelings of others. This lack of social awareness often casts him as the bad guy, even to the people he loves and idolizes. One such person is Dr. John Sturgis (Wallace Shawn), the guest professor of physics at East Texas Tech.
Sheldon first meets Dr. Sturgis in Season 1 of the show and the two take a liking to each other due to shared intellect and curiosity about Physics. Dr. Sturgis also dated Sheldon’s Meemaw with the child prodigy’s approval. However, things take a dark turn in Season 3’s seventeenth episode titled An Academic Crime and a More Romantic Taco Bell.
According to some Redditors, the worst thing that Sheldon ever does in the prequel show is trying to ruin Dr. Sturgis’ career by accusing him of plagiarism after he helped with the professor’s Time Quantification paper and was only given credits in the footnotes for his contributions.
It is not unusual for Sheldon to be petty or demand certain things that he thinks he deserves. Although he is a prodigy, he is also most definitely a child who needs moral guidance from time to time. However, there is a lack of this guidance from his mother, Mary (Zoe Perry), who overlooks most of his mistakes and rude mannerisms because he is smart. If Mary were to be a little more strict with him, Sheldon might have known better.
What happened between Dr. Sturgis and Sheldon in An Academic Crime and a More Romantic Taco Bell?
Among his other good qualities, Sheldon (Iain Armitage) is also very patient. An exhibit of this can be seen at the beginning of the episode. Although the rest of his classmates have given up, Sheldon continues waiting for Dr. Sturgis to arrive for his class. When the professor finally turns up, he reveals that he was busy working on his Time Quantification paper and shares a copy of it with Sheldon.
Sheldon reads the paper on his way home and spots a silly but huge mass calculation error. He plans to call and admonish the professor about it but Georgie (Montana Jordan) convinces him to be nice about it. Failing to sugarcoat his words, Sheldon ends up blurting it all out to Dr. Sturgis and even calls him a bonehead. The two of them talk over the call and Sheldon helps him with the math problem.
A week later, the professor informed Sheldon that he had written the paper from scratch which led to Sheldon asking to be credited as a co-author. However, Dr. Sturgis insists that a credit in the footnote will suffice because the younger prodigy never pursued the research for years as he did and hence doesn’t qualify to be deemed as an author.
This angers Sheldon who speaks ill about him to his Meemaw and even calls Dr. Linkletter to say that Dr. Sturgis has stolen his work. Dr. Linkletter sides with Dr. Sturgis because critiquing a paper is not the same as writing it. He decided to talk with Dr. Sturgis before taking the matters to the seniors at the university because these allegations could cost the professor his job and stain his reputation.
When Dr. Sturgis finds out about Sheldon’s allegations, he is deeply hurt and furious. He calls Sheldon and explains his argument again to no avail. He claims that Sheldon’s actions hurt him both personally and professionally, and even prohibited him from attending his classes in the future.
Young Sheldon is available for streaming on Max.
