Distributor: Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc.
Episodes: 22
Duration: 18 minutes (per episode)
Young Sheldon: Season 1 (DVD) – Series Review
The Big Bang Theory was loved by many and viewers are still sad that the show ended after being a successful hit for twelve years. While arguably the series could have lasted longer, it’s best to quit when you’re ahead and before the quality of things take a dive. Nonetheless, the series spawned many beloved characters, with Sheldon probably being the quirkiest of them all. This, in turn, was enough to create a new series that is based solely on the life of Sheldon, or at least his years as a peculiar child. This brings us to the physical release of the first season of Young Sheldon.
There is no real bigger picture to be found in Young Sheldon. The series will revolve around the nine-year-old Sheldon (Iain Armitage), who is still finding his place in the world. Sheldon is highly gifted, and while he should still be with his twin sister in a lower grade, he is attending high school with his older brother in the same class. It’s strange to see such a young boy between teenagers, but Sheldon has to adapt and overcome. In the beginning, things go rather difficult, as he is somewhat sharp with his comments and doesn’t shy away from giving unwanted critiques.
His parents, Mary (Zoe Perry) and George Sr. (Lance Barber) also need to adapt to the situation with Sheldon. Mary is very religious, making it somewhat difficult for her when her son denies the existence of a god or finds himself enveloped in his growing fascination with comic books. George Sr. on the other hand, simply doesn’t understand his son, but he tries to manage with whatever resources he has at his disposal. Sheldon’s siblings clearly have some affection for their brother, but they often feel ‘less important’ or special, due to Sheldon’s abilities and nature.
The flow is pretty much the same for every episode. There’s nearly always an obstacle on Sheldon’s path and he tries to overcome it in his own way. In the midst of what is going on, we learn more about his brother, twin sister and his parents. The series has some fairly predictable humor at times, and Sheldon does have his quirks that possibly annoy you if you’re not a fan of how he is portrayed as a child. Nonetheless, the series is a fairly decent competitor to the main series, albeit a bit less qualitative in its humor and the overall progress of the series.
Acting performances in Young Sheldon are top-notch. It’s fairly rare to make the remark that child actors aren’t annoying, don’t have enough experience under their belt, or simply feel like they’re overacting all the time. Iain Armitage plays a believable young Sheldon, but Raegan Revord and Montana Jordan also have their (deserved) spots in the limelight too. Both parents are played by Zoe Perry and Lance Barber, who also do a formidable job. Annie Potts plays a believable and loveable ‘Meemaw’, while she does a lot of things you’re supposed to hate. There are many familiar faces when it comes to the supporting roles, making the cast something admirable for a series such as this. A special shout-out goes to Wyatt McClure who truly spices things up with the, sadly, sporadic appearances of Billy Sparks.
There are only two special features to be found on the DVD edition of the first season. You’ll get to know a bit more about the motives behind the series, in a sort of making of sequence, but there’s also a short featurette about Sheldon’s family, or at least about the child actors playing the Cooper’s children. Overall the extras are quite fun and interesting, but the lack of more features doesn’t really give the physical version that much extra value.
Conclusion
Young Sheldon: Season 1 is a fairly entertaining show, even for those that haven’t watched The Big Bang Theory from start to finish (or at all), but the humor sometimes falls flat on its behind and it just misses a certain something. If you’re looking for a casual show to watch, and you’re into TBBT, then this series will certainly provide you with a few laughs, but it doesn’t add that much special to a praised series about the world’s most beloved geeks/nerds.
No Comments