will likely be more than a year delayed, and it will be for the best. The Coopers are currently on their mandatory summer break following an eventful season 6. Sheldon and his family have gone through so many things in the last couple of years, with several lingering plot lines waiting for their respective resolutions. Given this, it's understandable that there's immense anticipation for their return on the small screen. Unfortunately, due to the ongoing dual strike of the Writers Guild of America (WGA) and SAG-AFTRA, season 7's release is currently in limbo.

Several main stars of have clearly expressed their support for the ongoing protests, which aim for proper pay and better working conditions for writers and actors in Hollywood.

It's difficult to say when the strikes will end, with no clear indication that a deal between the union laborers and studios will be achieved soon. According to industry insiders, however, the issue needs to be resolved by the first week of September to salvage the upcoming TV season and delay it just a few months to January. This will give its writers, cast, and crew to get some episodes ready for a mid-season premiere. Unfortunately, that clearly didn't happen.

Young Sheldon Season 7's Possible Midseason Return Has Major Risks

There are so many reasons why the longer the dual strikes take place, the worse they become. For starters, the industry-wide work stoppage means that every member of a show or movie's production is currently out of work, with no income. This has already put an immense strain on their finances, and it will only get worse moving forward. Secondly, shows like season 7 will continue to be off the air until these problems are resolved. However, it's very important to emphasize that these matters are important for Hollywood to be sustainable for every single worker that is involved.

For season 7, this more-than-a-year delay appears to be really bad.

Coming back during the mid-season undeniably seems like the better option, but there are actually major risks to this. Returning during the mid-season means that season 7 will have fewer episodes, which is a bad thing, especially if the upcoming year will serve as prequel's last. Considering its multiple lingering plot lines, having fewer episodes in its possible final year risks a rushed ending, which would taint the show's legacy. CBS already made this mistake in , they shouldn't repeat it in its spin-off.

Why A Fall 2024 Young Sheldon Season 7 Release Is Its Safest Option

Admittedly, no one wants a year-long wait for season 7. The show usually only takes around 3 months off the air during the summer, which means that it should be slotted for a mid-September premiere. However, pushing it all the way back to fall 2024 may very well be the safest option for the show. Doing this guarantees that season 7 will be able to have its typical 22-episode full season, which will give it enough time to craft a satisfying swan song for the Coopers.

may have been originally intended to be Sheldon's origins story, but over the years, the show's storytelling has changed.

Every other Cooper family member has been given their respective arc, which means that the show needs to juggle more plot lines such as Georgie and Mandy's romance, as well as Missy's rebellion. The increased interest in Sheldon's family indirectly mandates that all of them are given their respective ending, and for to do that, it will need all the time it can get. This makes a shortened season all the less enticing because it could lead to CBS cutting corners on 's other storylines.

Everything That Needs To Happen Before Young Sheldon Ends

If season 7 indeed is going to be the show's last, there are things that need to happen for a satisfying send-off to the Coopers. The list is a mix of things established in and new ongoing storylines in the prequel. For the former, George's cheating scandal is one of the things that absolutely . Timeline-wise, it should have already happened in season 6, but it didn't. However, considering how impactful it was to Sheldon's arc, the family show should address it. also needs to seamlessly transition Sheldon from Texas to California.

As for the latter, must deliver a satisfying pay-off to Georgie and Mandy's romance.

Now that they're finally engaged to be married, and assuming that they will move forward with their nuptials, season 7 should show their wedding. Meanwhile, considering how compelling Paige's story has been despite not being a core cast member of prequel, needs to provide her narrative with a definitive ending. Both of these plots allow for more creative wiggle room for CBS because the mothership series didn't reveal anything about them. Given this, can craft it any way it likes.

Will CBS Really End Young Sheldon After Season 7

When it started, it was merely supplementary viewing for those who were looking for more -related content. However, has already been able to finally get out of its parent series' shadow four years after the nerd-centric sitcom. The prequelhas been able to endear itself to the public, becoming TV's number 1 comedy and posting show-high ratings in season 6. Given this, CBS undoubtedly wants to keep the show on the air for as long as possible. Sadly, because of the established timeline, CBS is being forced to end the show to preserve the canon.

Aside from being immensely popular, the cast members have been nothing but upfront about wanting to continue doing

moving forward, which is unlike CBS still wanted to keep the nerd-centric sitcom on the air for a couple of more years, but Jim Parsons wanted to leave after season 12, motivating the rest of the cast to follow suit. However, between 's child actors growing out of their roles and the established canon, it will be rather difficult to stretch out the show beyond season 7. The only option CBS now has is to create another spin-off or disregard canon entirely.