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I'm still a little dehydrated from all the tears I shed.

The first of the two 30 minute episodes was, IMO, the better of the two. Watching the family react to George's death--Missy lashing out at everyone, Georgie stepping up to take care of everything, Mary's grief mixed with anger and her eventual breakdown, Meemaw actually being sorry George died while also having to witness her daughter fall apart, Sheldon heartbreakingly trying out different scenarios in his head of what he should've said and done that last morning George was alive...oh my. I also liked the small comedic touches like Wayne sobbing too hard to speak (yes, it was done humorously), Brenda telling Sheldon's science teacher "I'm sorry" and him saying "THANK you!", and the parade of casseroles, with Peg at the end saying "I bought you a casserole".

The second, and FINAL final episode, IMO tried to pack in too much. There was the aftermath of George's death, Mary wanted Missy and Sheldon to be baptized*, Sheldon finally leaving for CalTech and the appearance of grown up--and at least 10 years older than they were in the finale of BBT--Amy and Sheldon getting ready to leave for their son Leonard's hockey game and complaining about their daughter wanting acting lessons. I wish they'd cut down the screentime for Jim Parsons and Mayim Bialik so we could've had a scene of Mary saying goodbye to Sheldon before he left. Still, I thought it was a good send off for the show and definitely better than a lot of other series finales, even ones that were planned well in advance.

* the bit about Mary wanting her two youngest kids to be baptized was really interesting to me. I've not watched enough of YS to know what denomination Mary's church is supposed to be. Some Christian churches baptize the babies; apparently Mary's church doesn't yet Pastor Jeff baptized CeCe in the Coopers' kitchen sink a few episodes back. Of the denominations that believe baptism is only for older believers who are following the commands of Jesus, the apostle Peter and Paul, pastors wouldn't baptize unbelievers and Mary wouldn't think baptism would be what "saved" her children. But what really interested me was Sheldon--the atheist AND the germaphobe--going along with it to make his mother happy. As a believer, I sometimes struggle with non-believers who refuse to even step foot in a church, even if someone they love begs then to (such as when adult children come back to visit their parents and Mom wants them to go to Easter service with her). I feel there's no harm in going, even if you don't believe...but I also understand people feeling it would be hypocritical and not wanting to be coerced into doing something they don't want to do. It reminds me of my own parents...not the religious part because they were "equally yoked" as the Bible says, but their social preferences. For example, Mom wanted Dad to go to her high school reunion with her and Dad REALLY didn't want to go. No matter what the solution was, somebody was going to be unhappy (in later years, as the reunions turned into a more frequent event welcoming everyone that went to the small school Mom attended that was torn down in 1955, *I* would go with Mom. I didn't love to do so but I was better at hiding my displeasure than Dad <g>). Anyways, I rather liked Sheldon getting baptized, telling Mary he didn't believe in God but he believed in her (a throwback to the pilot, I think?) and then showing up in the scuba gear.

I really need to start watching the reruns on TBS and getting caught up on the earlier seasons.