While brothers and sisters certainly love each other, it is clear that rivalry can affect their relationship. One such relationship exists between Young Sheldon’s, Sheldon Cooper and his twin sister, Missy. Though the comedy focuses on Sheldon and the predicaments he gets in to, much of the comradery that ensues is due to Missy’s sneaky ways and subtle cries for attention. While Sheldon is a rule-follower and loves to learn, Missy is always seeming to get her siblings in trouble for acts that she committed. The contrast between Sheldon’s academic ways and Missy’s rebellion is quite intriguing and is something to be delved into on a deeper level.
In the pilot, Sheldon and Missy are seen watching Sheldon’s favorite show, Professor Proton on TV. Missy complains to her brother that she doesn’t understand why they can’t watch DuckTales, to which Sheldon replies, “Because we don’t learn anything watching DuckTales.” Missy, clearly annoyed with her brother, rolls her eyes and retorts, “It’s TV…we aren’t supposed to learn.” She is full of sassy comebacks and always has something snarky to say in response to her brother’s behavior. Missy is mischievous, independent and strong-willed and is not afraid to speak her mind. When the family is eating dinner one night, they start discussing their dynamics and Sheldon states, “How can I be adopted if I have a twin sister,” to which Missy reports, “I wish I was [adopted.]” Missy fits in more so than her brother, but often feels excluded because she does not share his superior intellect.
In an attempt to compensate for not having the brains that Sheldon has, Missy tends to cause trouble in small, funny, yet sometimes dangerous ways. In one episode, Missy is in the hallway eavesdropping on her parents while they are talking about their financial situation. She laughs at something they say, and then, realizing that they heard her, rushes back to her bedroom, but first stops to knock on her brother, Georgie’s door. Missy scurries back into her room, and we hear Mary (their mother) scolding Georgie for eavesdropping, as he had opened his door to see who had knocked. Missy is sly and sweet, which makes her hard to get mad at or dislike. She is wise beyond her years in some ways, but is also very much a 9-year-old girl, in others. She enjoys playing with dolls, seeing her friends, and going to baseball practice.
It is clear that Missy loves Sheldon, as the two can be seen in many episodes comforting each other when things go awry. She always has his back and is there to provide a shoulder to cry on when things don’t go his way. Even though she is a twin, Missy takes on the role of an older sister in some ways, and serves as a protector for Sheldon. She never claims to be jealous of Sheldon but mentions throughout the series that she wishes she were good at something, just as Sheldon is good at all things academic. She may not be the main character of the show, but she has a stellar spot in the Cooper family, and is loved and cherished by all regardless of the fact that she has a knack for getting in trouble. Missy is who she is and is truly authentic in all that she does.