Young Sheldon Season 7: Episode 10 May Prove The Series' Most Important Character
With "Young Sheldon" set and ready to take its final bow, now's the right time to give plaudits to everyone's favorite matriarch, Mary Cooper (Zoe Perry). During "Community Service and the Key to a Happy Marriage," Mary's the one holding the clan together while Meemaw (Annie Potts of "Ghostbusters" and "Designing Women") tries to make it through community service she must finish off to complete her sentence. Unfortunately for Mary, she's doing it at the church where she's been a secretary for years. When she gives Connie a chance to reorganize the donation room, Mary belatedly learns that Meemaw has pawned her duties off on Sheldon (Iain Armitage) when she arrives home for the day after a long, fruitless march through the refuse.
This finally marks the moment when Mary stands up to her mother after standing aside and letting the indomitable Connie involve the kids in her schemes. She mentions Georgie Jr. (Montana Jordan) getting tangled up in her gambling parlor. The sight of Sheldon sorting through donation piles finally makes Mary tell her mother she's been irresponsible for years, constantly pushing her duties off on others.
This reaches Meemaw, and she finishes the sorting by herself — recognizing what it's doing to her grandson's brain, even though it means she might have to do more community outreach herself. But this isn't the only time Mary has stepped forward to help guide the family toward better days.
Mary's had many quiet moments of strength like this one
Mary Cooper has long been a guiding force for her family toward what's fair and good, even though she's often been called out by fans of "Young Sheldon," who claim they hate her for being incredibly judgemental to the point of being the least likable member of the Cooper family. But Mary has also been a good mother to her children, a loyal daughter, and a loving wife. And she's not been afraid to tell George Sr. (Lance Barber) and the others where they can get off.
She's not in an easy position — after all, she's been forced to leave the home to make a living after George Sr. loses his job. Add to that Sheldon's supergenius status, Missy (Raegan Revord) feeling underappreciated and unnoticed, and Georgie's constant antics, and you have a woman who's right to be fed up. While "The Big Bang Theory" fans know Mary will never really shed her priggishness, she still manages to be worth rooting for, while also being the most important member of the Cooper family.