After so many years on the air, it's certainly become clear that just because Sheldon said something in "The Big Bang Theory" doesn't actually make it so. Sheldon's father, George (Lance Barber), is a primary example of this phenomenon.
In "The Big Bang Theory," the long-since deceased patriarch of the Cooper family is remembered as a terrible, negligent, alcoholic father. However, for many people, "Young Sheldon" has turned George from a frequently maligned memory into a flesh-and-blood character, complete with his own set of redeeming qualities and disappointing vices.
"I thought Sheldon's dad was supposed to be a bad guy?" u/chubss123 asked on Reddit, perplexed because George is his favorite character in "Young Sheldon." The question pops up on Reddit frequently. "I think, with all that happened, Sheldon's memory of his Dad got tainted along the way," Gotis1313 responded, explaining that his mother and grandmother's reactions over the years colored how Sheldon felt about his father. "Sheldon as the narrator of YS [is] realizing this and re-examining his father."
When u/ever_stoned similarly asked, "When can we see the real George Cooper Sr.?" referring to Adult Sheldon's description, Wandering_To_Nowhere replied, "I think we ARE seeing the 'real' George Cooper. The version of Sheldon's dad that we've been hearing about for years is how Sheldon remembers him, not as he actually was." Skribsbb agreed, saying, "Keep in mind, Sheldon's descriptions of people's behavior haven't been exactly accurate on TBBT either," later adding, "Sheldon often has a way of describing things in a completely exaggerated way."
