I was stranded in the middle of nowhere for over a month and a half and after seeing a tweet I became interested in the quality of YS (Young Sheldon).
That didn't push me to watch it but when learning that the death of George was approaching and remembering how much my previous partner loved BBT (Big Bang Theory) before her passing it felt like a duty to watch it for her.

I love sitcoms, always have but other than a dozen or two episodes of BBT it was never a show I loved but despite that, the potential of a prequel with a different style identity did intrigue me. I'm disappointed to say, for me, both shows just don't gel well together. Not because of the stylistic differences but because I need to see them as totally separate cannons and universes due to the inaccurate references in BBT. Yes it came first and you can't reference something that will happen but the BBT references to Sheldon's youth were inaccurate enough or all together to be distracting and immersion breaking.

After binging 6 seasons of YS I binged 9 seasons of BBT, so that's just my experience and observation.

Anyway... I have now finished season 7 and can say I didn't hate the show but I think it suffered due to it's length and storylines that weren't original or engaging enough to be worth 7 seasons. I wouldn't call it filler or bad perse but just not what the show is good at and that creative decision left me disengaged throughout a lot of the show.

I think the show nailed 3 things consistently and it was rare I found the aspects lacking on an episode to episode basis.
1. Sheldon's characterization
While I think the best characterization of the character can be found in season 1 of the BBT, throughout YS I felt like they had the best storylines designed for the character and that made for a more original experience for the show they were actually advertising. Yeah some scenes were more nostalgia bait for BBT but the bigger BBT references were mostly the highlights of the show.
2. Missy
From her jokes to arcs and relatability I would easily say she had or was involved in the best moments of the show. At times easily sliding into the protagonist shoes for some welcome fresh air. While occasionally it felt like the writers didn't quite know what to do with the character Raegan Revord's performance allowed these middling scenes to flow. She might not be highlighted in a scene but you're always aware she's there, in a good way.
3. Narrative progression.
It always felt like the show was moving forward and not in the way narratives go from point A to B but a gradual process that prevents stagnation in even the dullest of storylines. You might not like it but you know something will have changed or diverted in a couple episodes. Unfortunately, this had led to some arcs not really having a satisfying end or a conclusion at all.

I have some negative opinions when it to storylines involving Jr. and Mary, to the point I don't know where a fair opinion would end a rant would begin so I'm going to skillfully avoid that topic and just say while I think the presentation of those characters could've been more relatable or entertaining, I think there was enough quality content with those characters to say I understand why some people would enjoy more of the show than I and there's nothing wrong with that. Personal preference at best and differing critical analysis at worst.

I won't be watching the Jr. spin off not because I don't think it has potential (I do think it's the wrong call) but because I didn't enjoy the set up over last few seasons.

Overall, YS was a show that I think deserves to exist but not everything included in the show deserves equal merit. The acting was great mostly across bar and I point most of my criticisms towards the writing team.