Young Sheldon Review: A Dog, A Squirrel, and A Fish Named Fish (Season 1 Episode 20)

Young Sheldon Season 1 Episode 20, “A Dog, A Squirrel, and A Fish Named Fish” proves the Cooper house is no place for pets.

Sheldon may be the only 9-year-old boy who likes getting up early on Saturday mornings to do science experiments. Demonstrating the laws of physics is the perfect way for Sheldon to find order and predictably in his life.

He can control all the variables to get the results he wants. Although, his “Yippee ki yay,” is the most unenthusiastic reaction to success I’ve ever heard.

It makes sense Sheldon is drawn to these experiments and very much enjoys spending his free time doing them instead of watching TV or running around like other kids.

Sheldon struggles to understand his daily environment and social interactions, but on the weekends, he can relax and spend his time doing something that does understand.

However, on this episode, his peaceful day is interrupted. He turns around to find a horrifying creature in his garage, well horrifying to him at least.

Mom and MeeMaw comfort Sheldon after his traumatic encounter with the Sparks’ dog, and Meemaw makes him hot tea. I love when Young Sheldon incorporates things about Sheldon’s childhood that we’ve seen on The Big Bang Theory.

When someone is upset Sheldon always offers them a “warm beverage.” It’s the little details I find so impressive.

When Mary Cooper and Brenda Sparks fight, we are never disappointed. After the dog gets into Cooper’s house and brings a “dead” squirrel with him, the war is on. Complete with the kind of trash talk only moms can dish out.

The whole concept of the dog getting into the house is a bit over-the-top, but it works here. The fact that it brought an nearly dead squirrel with it is just icing on the cake. It’s the kind of silliness you just have to laugh at.

Brenda’s choice of insults is to imply that their dog didn’t bring in the squirrel, and it could have just been in the Cooper’s house.

Mary:  Why else would a dead squirrel be in my living room?

Now that is a sentence you don’t hear too often. I’m sure no one doubts that Mary Cooper keeps a clean house. If she didn’t, we all know Sheldon would clean it.

Next up, it’s MeeMaw’s turn to deal with Brenda. The ladies try to have a reasonable discussion over some bowling alley margaritas, but it quickly turns ugly.

Connie wastes no time showing her that no one insults her Moon Pie. You’ve got to love her spunk. MeeMaw doesn’t mess around.

The altercation leaves Connie with a black eye, Brenda missing a chunk of hair, and Sheldon feeling all the blame.

Throughout this episode, the adults seem too busy fighting their own battles to help or support Sheldon. He is forced to face his fear alone. This doesn’t seem to bother him though.

The adults create a much more entertaining to watch conflict than Sheldon versus the dog. While Sheldon is the more mature one here, he is also less fun to watch. It’s admirable that he faces his fear head on, but it plays out like the writers took a page straight from their Psych 101 class.

Sheldon turns to the library to learn how to cure his phobia and return peace to his neighborhood. Using systematic desensitization, he begins to work his way up from watching Scooby Doo to petting the Sparks’ dog.

In true Sheldon fashion, he makes his problem an academic one that can be fixed.

While Sheldon uses psychology to solve his problem, the adults get some help from Pastor Jeff. He gives them a lesson in being kind to your neighbor. Like Brenda, I’m not a huge fan of Pastor Jeff. There’s just something a little off about him.

Pastor Jeff: I think Jesus might go check that out.

Somehow the dog managed to lick Sheldon’s tongue. Sheldon had been so brave! He suited up in full gear complete with oven mitts and a football helmet, but it wasn’t enough.

You have to give Sheldon credit for trying. He just wanted to overcome his fear and stop his mom and grandma from fighting. While the adults were acting like kids, Sheldon was on his own.

It’s nice to see Sheldon acting brave. He might be a small kid that’s been beaten up by the little neighbor girl in the past, but he does know how to stand up for himself sometimes.

I love Sheldon and his quest to better himself. Whether it’s learning to make friends or overcoming a fear, Sheldon is learning to use the resources he has available to better himself. We are seeing some emotional and social growth in his character.

What he lacks in physical strength, he makes up in brains. He uses science to solve his problem. Although, I’m sure Sheldon would want to call psychology a social science. He does his best, but in the end, the dog wins.

At least, he doesn’t get bitten… by the dog.

The episode closes with a sequence of Sheldon and his new fish, a starter pet from MeeMaw. All is well until Sheldon tries to pet it. The fish promptly and improbably bites him.

I feel like the fish story is just thrown in at the end. It’s a little random and unnecessary. Although Sheldon’s complaint that it was slimy to the touch was pretty funny.

It’s a good thing Sheldon prefers physics to biology because animals are just not his thing.

RIP Fish.

Other Thoughts:

• While pet hamsters are less likely to carry the plague, pet turtles really do carry Salmonella. Wash your hands!
• We didn’t see much of Georgie and Missy on this episode, even if Missy has to do “smurfing” everything.

What did you think of this episode of Young Sheldon? Share your thoughts in the comments below!

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Young Sheldon airs Thursdays at 8:30 on CBS.

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