After its seven-season run, Young Sheldon has no doubt given viewers a few tough pills to swallow. But audiences haven’t seen the last of that good Cooper drama as there’s yet another spin-off in the works — Georgie & Mandy’s First Marriage. Another dive into The Big Bang Theory’s universe is always welcome, but there’s something slightly off-putting about the entire premise of Georgie & Mandy’s First Marriage. Essentially, the spin-off hones in on an aspect of the show that has been trying to fly under the critical radar — Georgie and Mandy’s relationship.
Played by Emily Osment and Montana Jordan, respectively, Mandy and Georgie met back in Young Sheldon Season 5. Naturally, their age-inappropriate relationship drew attention, even more so that the titular character took a backseat for a second. After a tumultuous relationship, the end of Young Sheldon saw the pair putting aside their differences and deciding to get married for the sake of their daughter. As great as it is that Georgie is stepping up, and they’re choosing the well-being of their child over their differences, there’s so much wrong with their relationship. For one, that age difference — Mandy was 29 while Georgie was 17 when they met. So, the mismatched pair isn’t just dealing with your run-of-the-mill marital squabbles — when one of you was in high school, and the other could have been your chaperon, there’s bound to be some deep-rooted issues.
‘Georgie & Mandy’s First Marriage’ Glazes Over Problematic Behavior
Jumping right in, it could be argued that George and Mandy’s relationship makes for controversial/engaging TV. After all, if every character were perfect and made the right decisions 100% of the time, it would be downright boring. But there’s a big difference between showing characters with flaws and just glazing over their troubling behavior. Sure, the surrounding characters didn’t give her a pat on the back and bust out the celebratory cigars for Georgie. However, making such flawed behavior the center of a new series downplays the major ick factor which is their age gap.
It could be argued that Georgie was of legal consent age (in Texas), but that doesn’t fix everything. Of course, neither party expected a one night stand to hurl them down the rabbit hole of parenthood and matrimony. But a lot of odd choices were made down the road. When Mandy found out that Georgie was 17, why did she eventually decide to keep sharing his bed? Why did they decide to get married despite their, many, many issues — which were rooted in their age difference, if we may add? Over all, it makes one wonder exactly why this creative choice was made in the first place.
Another argument for the show’s premise could be that it’s pure fiction, so there’s no need to get bent out of shape. In fact, age-inappropriate relationships in media are nothing new, and often, downplayed because, well, it’s fiction. Look at Buffy the Vampire Slayer — a high schooler romantically linked with a 241-year-old vampire, across three lengthy seasons? Or take Romeo and Juliet, where a 13-year-old and 16-year-old’s relationship is romanticized, despite it being far from acceptable by today’s standards. These situations tend to skate by because they’re “not real”. But when we circle back to Mandy and Georgie, that 12-year age gap feels a little too close to home, because the creators didn’t simply make their relationship a small part of another show, they gave them an entire show based on it. It just reminds us that even fiction can’t always excuse the uncomfortable.
Would ‘Georgie & Mandy’s First Marriage’ Exist if the Roles Were Reversed?
Let’s face it, if the ages were reversed and Georgie was the 29-year-old dating a 17-year-old Mandy perhaps the relationship wouldn’t be played for laughs so often. Back in Young Sheldon, the age difference between the pair started out as a hot topic. But once the young man hit 18, some sort of reset button was hit, and suddenly it was more acceptable.
Over all, it should be difficult to brush off the fact that this all started when he was a minor. Yes, Georgie lied about his age, but Mandy still decided to be with him after finding out the truth. No one can deny that Georgie embraced his responsibilities, both to her and Ceecee, enthusiastically. But both characters shouldn’t have gotten a pass just because they were trying to do the right thing by their kid, because if the case were reversed, their marriage would definitely not be the subject of a wholesome sitcom.\
Georgie and Mandy’s Uneven Power Dynamics Are Set Up in ‘Young Sheldon’
Perhaps one of the more troubling aspects of Georgie and Mandy’s relationship is the power dynamic at play. Again, this is strongly rooted in their gaping age difference, because it’s already evident from the events in Young Sheldon that Mandy corrects Georgie at every turn. She’s constantly reminding him how young and immature he is, while at the same time expecting him to act like a fully grown adult. It’s a setup that’s bound to fail, as Georgie struggles to meet standards an 18-year-old simply isn’t prepared to handle. When Mandy slips up and comments on “forgetting how much of a child he is,” it’s a clear sign that something is off. She’s asking too much from someone who’s still finding his footing in life, all while overlooking her own shortcomings.
Their vastly different values also set these two up for what’s evidently going to be an “eventful” marriage. Take Georgie who grew up watching his over-confident homemaker-mum and breadwinner-dad. That explains why he’s initially averse to her returning to the job market after giving birth to Ceecee in Young Sheldon Season 6, Episode 19, “A New Weather Girl and a Stay-at-Home Coddler”. Obviously, his views at that point mirror the general notion in 1990’s Texas, but it’s also insight into some of the tug-of-war moments we can expect in Georgie & Mandy’s First Marriage.
Over all, what makes this premise even more confusing is that all things point to their story ending in divorce. In The Big Bang Theory Season 11, Episode 23 “The Sibling Realignment”, Georgie is single. So why build a whole spinoff around a relationship that’s practically doomed from the start? Maybe it’s the charm of the individual characters, or perhaps it’s easier to ignore the problems all wrapped in a feel-good sitcom. Either way, this dynamic should leave you with a raised eyebrow at least. The real spin-off should be with MeeMaw (Annie Potts) in prison, now that’s TV gold.
Mandy & Georgie’s First Marriage was officially announced in May 2024, and by July 2024, it was confirmed that the series would debut on CBS on October 17, 2024. In the meantime, you can stream Young Sheldon on HBO Max in the U.S.
