Young Sheldon – A Crisis of Faith and Octopus Aliens

By: Ujjyani Banerjee

The episode starts with the regular Sunday mass. Pastor Jeff (Matt Hobby) preaches that “God so loved the world that he gave his one and only son…” and Sheldon (Iain Armitage) interrupts him by asking whether “world” implied Earth or the universe. Pastor Jeff says he referred to the Earth while Sheldon feels God might want to save all of the universe. He asks whether Jesus would save eight-legged octopus aliens who haven’t heard of him? Pastor Jeff affirms that they wouldn’t need to be saved if they were born without sin. Sheldon wonders what if octopus Adam and Eve brought in sin, would they be saved by a human or an octopus Jesus? This leaves the poor pastor exasperated.

At home, while Sheldon’s sharing his octopus aliens vs. Jesus debate with his father (Lance Barber), Missy (Raegen Revord) points how he missed catching the pastor almost in tears. Mary (Zoe Perry) blames George’s hangover while he blames the wrong positioning of Sunday mornings right after Saturday nights.

Sheldon asks Meemaw (Annie Potts) to take him to Radioshack. Bored, she puts it onto George who shuttles it back at her, stating that he’s busy. In the meantime, Mary receives a devastating call about Stephanie Hansen’s sixteen years old daughter’s dying in a car accident- a news which leaves the Cooper’s horrified. She calls up the church while Sheldon gets back to his Radioshack question. Alarmed, Meemaw tells him it’s selfish to think about his Radioshack situation at this point.

George and Mary are on their way to the funeral, shocked about such a young girl passing away. Back home, Memaw’s babysitting the twins. Missy wishes she’d been taken along as she’s never been to funerals. Meemaw assures her she’d visit many when she reaches her age. Clearing Sheldon’s and Missy’s doubts, she admits to having seen real dead bodies and gotten close to them. This piques the kids with interest. Georgie (Montana Jordan) joins in. Missy wonders if the clothes in which people die are the same clothes in which they become ghosts. Georgie mentions that while Patrick Swazey’s ghost had the same outfit on in the movie Ghost, Casper runs around butt- naked! Missy feels that maybe Casper died naked, giving Georgie something to think on. Witnessing the funny brainstorm, Meemaw is glad the kids didn’t go to the funeral.

Later in the day, Mary meets with the Pastor. She expresses her shock on recent death to Peg, the cigarette-addicted pastor’s assistant who feels death rather accentuates life. Mary enters the office, quietly leaving some clothing drive fliers on the table and turns to leave. When Jeff asks her if all’s okay, Mary tells him that she’s disturbed by the passing. He advises her to seek comfort in faith and go help the needy, start a Bible study or hug a stranger – not kids though as it might backfire. He also tells her to inform Sheldon that god would appear in an octopus alien form to the octopus aliens and save their souls; he’s confirmed this with his professor. Feeling lighter, Mary thanks him and takes a leave.

The next morning Mary swoops in and chants a quick grace just before Missy’s about to have her cereal, who by the way is super puzzled with this new breakfast grace protocol. Mary feels it’s a good practice and George sarcastically points out that Missy’s Count Chocula actually bats for the other side. Sheldon asks if she could take him to Radioshack. Mary says that she’s preoccupied with bringing over food to the Hansen’s, her new prayer group and then prepping for a faith garden in their backyard – an outdoorsy place for her to speak to God where she could also appreciate nature. Informing George that she’d need his help in setting up the garden, she hurriedly leaves for her tasks ahead.

Shortly, the Bible study’s in action while adult Sheldon (Jim Parsons) recollects the booming prayer group and his father helping mom with the garden in spite of doubting her sanity. Next, we see montages of the garden coming to full bloom, Mary decorating the church and praying for the kids by their beds at night as they sleep.

The garden’s now done and the next day Mary thanks God for inspiring her to build it and asks him to give strength to the Hensen family. However, she’s still broken and the faith garden’s not helping her cope with the grief. Devastated, she kicks her chair at the faith garden in frustration.

George Jr. is in car with his father and asks about getting his learner’s permit. George defers the idea as he feels it’s inappropriate, especially this week. Georgie stresses that an excellent driver having driven Meemaw’s car and their own truck without dad even noticing. George asks if he’s telling that he’s responsible after claiming to have stolen their truck. Georgie corrects him that he does feel he’s responsible, not smart.

That evening Mary decides to go play pool and have some drinks with Meemaw while George puts the kids to bed. Connie senses that her daughter is upset. Mary reveals that she’s unable to understand how God’s plan entails heaven being a better place than one’s own loving home and what if it’d been Georgie behind the wheels. Just then a guy comes to offer a shoulder to a bereft Mary, but Connie shoos the dude away. Later she drops off Mary at home, who’s completely drunk, asking George to take care of her as the last time Mary was this drunk it was “Hola George Jr.!”

The next morning the kids are surprised to see dad making them breakfast. He says that Mary’s unwell. Missy’s delighted to see chocolate chip pancakes. Sheldon asks if she’ll be going to church though as she’s a regular there. He gets worried when dad says no.

George orders in pizza for dinner. Sheldon asks if mom’s okay and Georgie wants to know where she was last night. Mary tells that she’s okay and was out with his grandmother. The kids find it weird when she doesn’t say grace and starts eating.

At night, Mary’s sitting alone and Sheldon goes to check up on her. Initially, she says that she needs to be alone, but later when Sheldon feels that he’s somehow responsible for her bad mood, she makes him sit next to her. She explains that she’s losing her faith in God. When Sheldon says he might be able to provide a fresh perspective, she says that she’ll need to figure this stuff out by herself.

Sheldon tries to convince his mom that God exists by stating that only a creator of the universe can adjust gravity so precisely that even 1% less would result in star and planets dispersing off further away and 1% more would have caused sort of an implosion into a ball.  Mary appreciates her son’s support but tells him that logic belongs to the brain while she’s having trouble at the heart. To this Sheldon adds that there are 5 billion people on this planet and she’s the perfect mom for him. What are the odds of that? This innocent speech makes Mary tear up and she ends up hugging Sheldon and thanking the Lord and him for fixing her. Adult Sheldon reminisces that in that moment he realized he had credit in this but, yes, it wasn’t the right time to think about that.

The next day at church Pastor Jeff preaches from Jacob in The Bible saying, “For I have seen God face to face and my life is preserved…” Sheldon whispers to his mom that John:18 had said that no man has seen God at any time. He wants to know who’s right, Jacob or John? Mary suggests discussing this in the car and just then Connie raises her hand and asks for permission to allow Sheldon to ask his question. Winking at him, she lets her grandson resume the debate. ion as Pastor Jeff braces himself all over again!