Georgie and Mandy’s First Marriage casting proves fans just want more Young Sheldon

Young Sheldon fans have finally got the news they’ve been desperate to hear: three members of the Cooper clan are set to appear in Georgie and Mandy’s First Marriage. Yet, seeing them reunited might be an unexpected stab in the heart.

Since the end of Young Sheldon Season 7, there hasn’t been much news about its unexpected sequel, Georgie and Mandy’s First Marriage. The new show was initially announced ahead of the prequel’s final episodes, and only small details have been teased – thankfully, though, we’re now starting to hear bits and pieces about the spinoff. 

Not only does the spinoff have a release date, but it’s also been confirmed that members of the Young Sheldon cast (aside from Georgie and Mandy) will appear. Zoe Perry, Annie Potts, and Raegan Revord, who play Mary, Meemaw, and Missy, will all make guest appearances in the first two episodes.

This comes as a surprise for fans who have been following along. Revord had previously mentioned she “wasn’t invited” to appear on Georgie and Mandy’s First Marriage, and it seemed as though the show was trying to sever ties to its past.

Now, it’s backtracking on being a completely separate story – and if that decision has been made purely to pay fans lip service, nobody is coming out the other side satisfied. 

Georgie and Mandy’s First Marriage actually comes back to George

CBS

Ask any Young Sheldon fan – including me – which TV moment messed them up the most this year, and the answer will be the same. Even two months later, the death of Young Sheldon patriarch George Cooper felt so monumental that it didn’t seem like Sheldon’s story could ever continue.

If we’re honest with ourselves, it can’t. The show’s creators know they’ve royally messed up by killing George off in the first place, and now they’re going to remind us of their mistakes in the sequel.

If George’s death was going to be the defining moment of Sheldon’s childhood, why is Georgie and Mandy’s First Marriage opening up old wounds? And as it’s taking place only a short while after, why would we want to be reminded of it alongside character changes we don’t want?

By including Missy, Mary, and Meemaw, Season 7’s gut-punch finale feels like nothing more than trashy shock-value viewing. 

In those final episodes, Missy is unrecognizable as she struggles with her grief, while Mary doubles down on her beliefs in order to save the souls of her children. The Big Bang Theory picks up from here with a bleak outlook, with all three characters far removed from the versions we love in Young Sheldon (lest we forget the June Squibb version of Meemaw). 

The time between the two existing shows is a fictional no man’s land, yet making these decisions for the sequel proves creators don’t understand the impact of what’s been before. Things definitely aren’t fine and dandy in the Cooper family anymore, and no cute babies or laugh track will fix that. 

Chuck Lorre is convinced there’s more of the story to tell, but reintroducing the Coopers isn’t the way to do it. He can’t take all the blame, though; his decision might also be our fault.

Of course we want more Young Sheldon, but we have to stop pining 

CBS

As more and more social media posts have nigh on demanded the Young Sheldon cast to be included in Georgie and Mandy’s First Marriage, fans have got their desires confused. Instead of wanting the sequel itself – which has already been roasted for its multi-cam format – we want Young Sheldon Season 8, with George alive and healthy.

Before the sequel airs in October, now is the time we need to face facts. In the words of Regina from Mean Girls, fetch is never going to happen. Mistakes were made, George is dead, and we’re all stuck in a situation we don’t want to be in.

Perhaps if it wasn’t for fan demands, Georgie and Mandy’s First Marriage could be contained to the happy couple and Mandy’s overbearing parents. Maybe the creators would include the Coopers regardless, desperate to try and make up for what could be the biggest misstep in modern TV history.

Now the sequel is filming, who started what no longer matters. Grief-stricken Mary, Meemaw, and Missy will be rearing their heads, and we will be faced with the long-gone memories of a once happy family life. It’s a bleak take, but Georgie and Mandy’s First Marriage isn’t giving us much else to think about.

So what happens next? Everyone puts on their brave faces, and Chuck Lorre sets out to reassure the world that his latest project is a winner, much like he did with The Big Bang Theory 18 years ago. Nobody apart from him is convinced this can work, and fans are likely in for three months of thinly veiled pleading to watch. 

If we can properly separate Georgie and Mandy’s First Marriage and Young Sheldon, the sequel stands a chance. But Lorre isn’t doing much to help – including this casting – and neither are we. 

Georgie and Mandy’s First Marriage comes to CBS on October 17, 2024. In the meantime, find out if Sheldon will be in the spinoff, who Georgie’s second wife is, and our definitive ranking of all Young Sheldon seasons.

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