When Young Sheldon was first announced, I remember the reaction of my closest friends: disgust, terror, confusion. The Big Bang Theory is a tired and poorly aged sitcom about a herd of nerds who suddenly fall in with a hot lady friend. The breakout protagonist, Sheldon Cooper, is an obnoxious know-it-all, and the last thing that I expected to enjoy is an origin story for the character. Years later, my social media feeds are filled with Young Sheldon clips and content, enough for me to start watching the show out of morbid curiosity, only to find out: It’s actually quite good. Now, I understand why there’s a second spinoff related to the deep lore of the Cooper family. I get why the fans are clamoring for an Old Sheldon series starring Michael Keaton. Young Sheldon is downright heartwarming, and one of the few sitcoms I actually adore.

Young Sheldon centers around the childhood of Sheldon Cooper, who skips grade school and enters high........

© Polygon