After being skeptical about Georgie & Mandy’s First Marriage since it was announced, an unexpected Young Sheldon update has convinced me to give it a fair shot. Having spearheaded The Big Bang Theory universe’s coverage for Screen Rant, I have closely followed any updates leading to Young Sheldon‘s cancelation and its aftermath. While I think that Chuck Lorre and his team mainly did a great job wrapping up Sheldon’s childhood in Texas, I can confidently say that the series could have continued after seven seasons. There were still so many stories left to tell for the Coopers in Medford.
My feelings about the matter were validated by Meemaw actor Annie Potts’ criticism of Young Sheldon‘s ending. Despite her comments, which were also backed by fans sharing the same sentiment, the prequel’s end moved forward. While the writers were busy mapping out how Sheldon’s time in his hometown would end, CBS was already working on a replacement series — a show that would be fronted by Montana Jordan and Emily Osment’s Georgie and Mandy. Coming into Young Sheldon season 7, unexpected lovers were engaged to be married. However, while I liked their story, I wasn’t totally sold on the idea.
Why I Was Initially Worried About Georgie & Mandy’s First Marriage
Georgie & Mandy’s First Marriage Will Have Many Changes
There were several reasons why I was skeptical of Georgie and Mandy’s sequel, which is officially titled Georgie & Mandy’s First Marriage. Just to clarify, however, none of them had anything to do with the cast’s acting abilities. My first concern stemmed from its format. Unlike Young Sheldon, which was a single-cam series, Georgie & Mandy’s First Marriage will have a multi-cam set-up. This means that it will film in front of a live audience and will have the controversial laugh track, just like The Big Bang Theory. Ideally, I would have wanted it to be like its parent series.
Since Georgie & Mandy’s First Marriage is essentially Young Sheldon’s sequel, I would have wanted it to keep the same format.
Having watched both The Big Bang Theory and Young Sheldon, I prefer the latter simply because of how it had more nuanced storytelling. The prequel was able to expertly handle sensitive storylines and balance them with the right amount of humor, and I believe that being a single-cam show helped in this regard. Since Georgie & Mandy’s First Marriage is essentially Young Sheldon‘s sequel, I would have wanted it to keep the same format. Not only would it help in establishing uniformity, but it would also allow the follow-up to continue its parent series’ storytelling approach.
Secondly, the Coopers will have minimal presence in Georgie & Mandy’s First Marriage. Instead, Mandy’s family, the McAllisters will be the show’s extended clan. While I’m open to learning more about Jim, Audrey, and Connor, I would have wanted to see more of Mary, Missy, and Meemaw as they rebuild their lives after the unexpected death of George in Young Sheldon season 7. Finally, I wonder what the point of Georgie & Mandy’s First Marriage is if we already know from The Big Bang Theory that they will eventually just split up.
Young Sheldon Director Alex Reid Quells My Concerns Over Georgie & Mandy’s Sequel
Georgie & Mandy’s Sequel Will Have The Same Heart As Its Parent Series
All in all, I would just have wanted CBS to continue Young Sheldon by rebranding it to The Coopers. This way, it could have moved past George’s death and Sheldon’s move to California. In any case, it could still show Georgie and Mandy’s story while also tackling what lies ahead for the rest of the Cooper family in Texas. Going this route would have been a much safer option for Lorre and his writers, but they were adamant about wanting to do something different. Admittedly, I appreciated that, but that didn’t address my concerns about the series.
Luckily, Young Sheldon finale director (and countless other episodes) Alex Reid came out recently on Instagram to hype up the project. I don’t think he has been tapped to helm any of the episodes, but he said that he was working on something special attached to the project, hence why he has been able to see the show’s progress. In the caption, he wrote: Btw, the spinoff is seriously great. Funny but still with a ton of heart. If you miss Young Sheldon, don’t be sad; this show is here for you.
If he didn’t think that Georgie & Mandy’s First Marriage lived up to the hype of its parent series, he [Reid] could not have said anything.
I understand that Reid may be biased, considering his history working in the universe, but he also directed some of the best Young Sheldon episodes. If he didn’t think that Georgie & Mandy’s First Marriage lived up to the hype of its parent series, he could not have said anything. His comment particularly addressed my main worry, which was that the new show would all be jokes and not have the same heart that Young Sheldon did. As previously mentioned, the major changes coming to the sequel would have played a role in this.
Georgie and Mandy have had some emotional moments in Young Sheldon. However, those were framed differently from their upcoming show, which could have easily changed the tone of their narrative moving forward. That said, if Georgie & Mandy’s First Marriage is able to recapture the heart, relatability, and groundedness of its predecessor amid many changes, then I am more than happy to give it a fair shot.
Georgie & Mandy’s First Marriage Needs To Be More Like Young Sheldon And Not The Big Bang Theory
The Big Bang Theory’s Storytelling Approach Won’t Work In Georgie & Mandy’s First Marriage
So many of the people who worked on Young Sheldon made their way to Georgie & Mandy’s First Marriage, which is a comforting thought. Still, it’s worth reminding that the key to the new show’s success is to make sure that it’s more like its parent series and not The Big Bang Theory, despite having the same format. Firstly, Georgie & Mandy’s First Marriage is directly tied to Young Sheldon. It barely has any connection to the nerd-centric sitcom, although it exists in the same universe that it started in 2007.
Secondly, Georgie & Mandy’s First Marriage is technically a family show, just like Young Sheldon. The Big Bang Theory was centered around a group of dorky friends figuring out how to socialize. While it had heartwarming moments, it was more of a traditional sitcom than its subsequent projects. Because of this, its brand of humor, which was often a source of criticism for the 12-season project, shouldn’t be used in Georgie & Mandy’s First Marriage, if CBS wants its new endeavor to work.
