[Sheldon] Previously on Young Sheldon...
-Oh, dear. -You having a hard time
adjusting to high school?
I'm having a hard time adjusting to Earth.
Hey, doofus.
-[screeches] -[screams]
Who's going to church with me tomorrow?
-I'll go with you, Mom. -You don't believe in God.
No. But I believe in Mom.
Look at my face. Tell me what you see.
That you're old.
I said put me down!
I have a tough time making friends, too.
Well, good luck on your quest to find a friend.
Tell me where it hurts.
"If it's funny, it's a Bazinga!"
What a charming young man.
Kook.
[grunts]
[Sheldon yelps]
You tell my granddaughter she can't play baseball?
Meemaw got a date with the coach.
Why Sheldon Cooper should go to college.
Cheese.
You be Spock, I'll be Kirk.
Aye, Captain.
Greetings, Mother.
Are you running a gambling room in the back of the laundromat?
[chuckling] No.
-[siren chirps] -[officer] Please stop running.
I love you.
Sorry, that was a little hard.
-I'm Georgie. -Mandy.
-I'm pregnant. -She's here.
Dad, we need to get out of the car.
[Dale] Connie, I'm so sorry.
I'm going to MIT.
-Caltech? -Caltech.
[adult Sheldon] It had been 27 days since my father's funeral
and everyone was still understandably out of sorts.
Finish up, we gotta get to church.
We already went Wednesday and Thursday.
Isn't that enough?
Jesus died for you.
He didn't ask if that was enough.
Please let us come live with you.
Just give her some time, she'll settle down.
Do we really have to go?
Yes, you really have to go.
[scoffs]
[adult Sheldon] Even as a child, I was always doing things
to make other people happy.
[Amy] "Doing things to make other people happy"?
You've got to be kidding me.
Don't read over my shoulder.
Are you writing your memoir or a fantasy novel?
For your information, the word "memoir"
comes from "memory" and these memories are mine.
And since when do you go out of your way
to make other people happy?
How about once a year on your birthday?
Other than that, when?
All the time.
Sheldon, while I was giving birth
you Zoomed into a seminar.
You were taking forever to dilate
and I had already made my contribution to the project.
Which, need I remind you, was on your birthday.
I would love to dissect your brain
to see which part is missing.
Or you'll find an all-new structure
no one's ever seen before, an evolutionary leap forward!
Don't push me, I have a bone saw!
All these years and the passion is still there.
[theme song playing]
Let me remind you that Emmanuel means "God with us,"
and I promise you, he is.
Now let's all bow our heads in silent prayer.
-What is that? -It's my new laptop.
Dr. Sturgis and Dr. Linkletter gave it to me
as a graduation gift.
-[laptop beeps] -Why is it here?
It's a laptop, this is where my lap is.
Does it have games on it?
Solitaire and Minesweeper.
-Let me try. -No.
Put it away.
Uh, Coopers?
Is there an issue?
-No, no, keep praying, we'll catch up. -[Sheldon typing]
Sheldon, whatcha got there?
An IBM ThinkPad.
Does that seem appropriate for church?
It's a miracle of technology.
Luddites, this is a portable computer.
Fifty megahertz of processing power,
four megabytes of RAM, behold and worship!
[adult Sheldon] What a mischievous imp I was.
[Amy] We should start getting ready.
Oh, hold on. Do you wanna see something neat?
Is it you starting to get ready for your son's hockey game?
Because that would be neat.
Oh, I'm not going to that. But check this out.
My first laptop from 1994.
Terrific. What do you mean you're not going?
Children on skates hitting a rubber puck with a stick,
why would I want to see that?
Because Leonard is your son and he is one of those children.
This is why I wanted to wait until cloning was possible.
Because the old-fashioned way got us a hockey player.
-Get dressed. -But I'm busy.
I'm writing about my last few days in Texas
before going to Caltech, it's very emotional.
I can see that. Hit the showers.
But I'm right in the middle.
Mom's going off the rails,
I'm holding the whole family together,
this is riveting stuff.
Well, I am leaving in an hour and you are coming with me.
-[coughs] -Stop it, you are not sick!
You're not that kind of doctor, you don't know!
Is this what you do when I'm not here?
You could've walked in on a lot worse.
Hey, how's it going over there?
Well, about as good as you could hope.
I'm just worried about Mary.
Is she hitting the bottle?
Hitting the Bible. Hard.
Well, that's not that bad.
Well, she's pushing away her children
just when they need her the most.
Other than being there for 'em, what else can you do?
I don't know.
Hey, you know, when I was young and lost and mad at the world,
picking up a guitar kept me from going down a bad road.
So what are you saying?
Missy and Sheldon should form a band?
It worked for the Carpenters.
Put some pants on.
[singing] I got no pants
On my legs
Why is there still a placemat there?
-It's your father's seat. -But he's not here.
He's here in spirit.
-No, he's not. -Shut up, Sheldon.
Chicken's good, Mary.
Thank the Colonel. I wasn't up to cooking.
Eleven secret herbs and spices.
It's a delicious mystery.
Mandy, did you change the topic to fried chicken
because my topic was awkward?
I did.
And is it awkward that I'm bringing it up again?
It's getting there.
It's not a magic chair, anyone can sit there.
And even if spirits existed, which they don't,
they can't call dibs on furniture.
If I sit in it, will you please stop talking about it?
I suppose so.
Fine.
-No! -Don't do it!
Thank you.
There's something I've been thinking about
that I would like you kids to consider.
I want you both to get baptized.
[clears throat] This is some good chicken.
See how I changed the subject when Mom made it awkward?
No, I am serious.
This is important, it is about savin' your souls.
-I'm not doing it. -Me neither.
It ain't no big deal, I did it.
-Really? -Yeah.
He kissed a girl in the tub and she punched him in the face.
Really?
I'm gonna say pepper is one of the secret spices.
That leaves ten.
Okay, enough changing the subject.
You two are gettin' baptized
and that is the end of the discussion.
-You can't make us. -End of discussion!
So, tell me about this girl you kissed.
Can we please talk about something else?
Fine.
Her name was Veronica Duncan,
and he was madly in love with her for years.
End of discussion!
She kind of looked like you.
-Except taller and younger. -Mmm-hmm.
Hey, what're you watching?
Nothing.
Where's your mom?
I don't know, probably church... again.
Yeah, I guess she's been a little extra...
Nutty?
...religious.
She dragged me to church three times this week.
You know who goes to church on Thursdays?
-Who? -Losers.
Sorry.
Hey, uh, why don't we get out of here and do something?
-Like what? -I don't know, something fun.
-Can we go to a bar? -No!
-Tattoo parlor? -No!
Do you even know what fun is anymore?
No.
-[sobbing softly] -Are you okay?
I'm fine. Just talkin' with God.
He say somethin' to upset you?
'Cause I'll give him what for.
Georgie, that is disrespectful.
I'm sorry. I'm just tryin' to cheer you up.
If you really want to cheer me up,
help convince your brother and sister to get baptized.
I already told 'em I did it.
You treated it like it was a joke.
Everyone in this family is treating it like it's a joke
and it's not!
Okay. Sorry to interrupt.
Meemaw, it's Georgie.
I'm worried about Mom.
Look, I just want to say I'm really sorry
for what you're going through.
People keep saying they're sorry. It's so stupid!
Okay. I'm sorry.
I'm sorry.
I just want you to know that I'm here for you
if you need anything.
I mean, after all, we are sisters... in-law.
Anything?
Like a dad who's not dead and a mom who's not crazy?
Okay, now, crazy moms, that one I know,
I actually, I have the Girl Scout badge. [chuckles]
I can't talk to her about anything,
it's all about Jesus and God
and now she wants me to get baptized.
Come on, I mean, she's going through a tough time too.
I'm sorry.
Okay, that's the last one. All right, I'm sorry. Sorry.
[quietly] Oh, my God.
[acoustic guitar theme song playing]
Hey, what're you doing?
Packing my things for California.
-You're taking your toy trains? -They're not toys.
They're historically accurate facsimiles.
They go "woo woo" when you press the button, right?
They're not joyless facsimiles.
Okay, well, I'll see ya later.
Where are you going?
To the cemetery to visit your dad.
I don't suppose you wanna join me.
-He's not there. -I know he's not there.
He's in heaven because he got baptized.
Mmm. Kudos on the rhetorical ambush.
Although, if he's in heaven why go to the cemetery?
Ha. Gotcha.
Sheldon, if you don't believe in baptism, what's the harm?
The harm?
You're asking me to get in a big tub
of un-chlorinated human filth.
-Peg cleans it. -Does she?
Peg says she cleans it.
And if that is what is stoppin' you,
I will personally scrub it out.
Mother, I can't be a hypocrite.
This ritual is just superstitious nonsense
to make you feel better.
And you takin' all your things to college
isn't just to make you feel better?
[scoffs] You are on your game today.
Does that mean you'll get baptized?
[adult Sheldon] I gazed lovingly at her.
I thought about how much she had been through
and how much this would mean to her,
and then I said,
"Not a chance, lady."
Pulitzer.
I thought you were taking a shower.
Yeah, I thought I was, too, but the muse had other plans.
What are you wearing?
It's a hockey jersey. Here, I got you one.
I'm not wearing this silly thing.
When I first met you,
you bought all of your shirts from a comic book store.
And I'd still be wearing them
if they hadn't mysteriously disappeared.
Sheldon, I know you're not a fan of sports,
but it would mean so much to Leonard
to have his father in the stands supporting him.
He knows I love him
despite his foolish and embarrassing hobby.
-Sheldon, it is not a hobby-- -End of discussion.
-Do not tell-- -End.
March your cute behind upstairs and you get in that shower.
Fine.
But that doesn't mean I'm going.
It means I value good hygiene.
[Meemaw] Hey.
Funny meeting you here.
I brought George a Lone Star.
That's nice, but they don't drink in heaven.
Oh.
Then let's not let that go to waste.
How did you know I was here?
Sheldon.
Oh. Yeah, I'm worried about him.
He's worried about you.
I'm worried about you.
Me? I'm doing fine.
Jesus is helping me through.
I don't question that.
But I do question why you're not spendin'
more time with your son
who's leaving in a few days, and your daughter
who may be leaving as we speak.
-She's doing okay. -She's not.
You just don't know that
'cause you're spending all your time prayin'.
I'm prayin' for them.
Mary, they don't need your prayers.
They need their mother.
And I need to know that their souls are saved.
Oh, I should have brought more beer.
I know that I'm not winnin' any popularity contests,
but I'm gonna do whatever it takes
to make sure that my kids are safe
in this life and the next.
Damn.
I really thought I was gonna bring you around.
I'm on my game today, Sheldon said so.
[Missy] It's so empty.
I know you're eager to turn it into a ballet studio,
or a gossip parlor,
or whatever it is girls your age enjoy.
Everything is just so different lately.
Change is terrible. I've been saying it
since I no longer fit in my highchair.
We spent a lot of time together in this room, huh?
We did.
Oh, good, you're both here.
Sit down.
-Why? -Yeah, why?
Sit.
Listen, I talked to your mom about this baptism thing.
You got us out of it?
No, you need to do it.
But it's against my well-established atheism.
It's not about you.
Your mom needs this.
You can't make me.
You're right, I can't.
But I'm watching my daughter fall apart right now.
I'm just asking for 20 minutes of your time.
Please.
-Fine. -Okay.
Thank you.
-It's weird when they cry. -I do not care for it.
Okay.
This is where you can get changed
into your bathing suits and robes.
Boys there, girls there.
Let's just get this over with.
I want to say again how sorry I am for your loss.
I know your dad is real proud of you--
Our dad's gone.
Screw this.
Missy! You said you'd do it!
Yeah, well, I changed my mind.
I'm going home.
I'll give you a minute.
Are you gonna go, too?
I know you don't believe.
I don't, but I believe in you.
Thank you.
Okay, now, our next baptism is for Sheldon Lee Cooper,
our soon-to-be brother in Christ.
And personally, this is a big get for me.
Sheldon, we're ready for you.
["Rubberman Band" playing]
Hey, y'all, prepare yourself For the rubberband man
You've never heard a sound Like the rubberband man
You're bound to lose control
When the rubberband starts To jam
Rubberband, rubberband man Get down
Du du du du du du du du
Oh, get down low...
What's important is he's here.
Oh, my!
What are you doing?
You never told me you were baptized.
Yes, and I got a pretty nasty ear infection for my troubles.
And you went through with it just to please your mother.
Well, she may not have understood me
or the things I cared about,
but she did everything she could for me.
My dad did, too.
Hmm.
That must have been great.
Having parents who supported you despite all your differences.
Oh, yes.
Looking back that was...
That was the ultimate gift.
Hey, smartest man in the world,
I brought you to the water.
Take a freaking sip.
You're drawing a parallel.
Yes.
I'm not wearing the jersey.
Okay, but it is cold there.
Fine, I'll wear it.
And by the way, your daughter wants to take acting classes.
I told you we never should have let Penny babysit.
[adult Sheldon] Eventually, my mom sold the house.
My dad's chair was gone.
My spot was gone.
Where we ate together.
But I can still remember it
exactly the way it was the day I left for Caltech.
[Missy] Hey.
What are you doing?
Taking it all in one last time, so I remember it when I'm older.
You gonna remember me?
I have an eidetic memory. I have no choice.
Ha!
Are you lost?
No.
I'm exactly where I'm supposed to be.
["Walk of Life" playing]
Ooh-hoo
[theme music playing] g]