Georgie & Mandy’s First Marriage review: Not the Cooper return we want

It’s fair to say fan opinion has been split since Georgie & Mandy’s First Marriage was announced – we hate to confirm it, but there’s definitely reason to be worried.

After George’s death at the end of Young Sheldon Season 7, it would have been safe to assume the story ended there. But no! The Sheldonverse lives on, splintering off at a rate even a Big Bang Theory level of science nerd wouldn’t have predicted. Enter Georgie & Mandy’s First Marriage – the spinoff of a spinoff absolutely nobody asked for.

The premise is simple: eldest brother Georgie (Montana Jordan) got married to Mandy (Emily Osment) in Young Sheldon, moving in with Mandy’s parents Audrey (Rachel Bay Jones) and Jim (Will Sasso) along with baby CeCe. That’s everything we already knew from prior seasons, and it takes a while before the new TV show tells us anything else.

This – combined with the classic sitcom laugh track that’s already driven fans away from watching – is the main pitfall of a comedy show that’s not delivering on the most basic elements. Through the episodes I’ve watched, I didn’t laugh once… and the meat of Georgie & Mandy’s First Marriage just isn’t there. The McAllisters don’t have much interesting to say, and the Coopers (aside from Georgie) can only do so much in cameo roles.

The spinoff goes wrong exactly where we thought it would

Let’s address what you want to know first: yes, the laugh track in Georgie & Mandy’s First Marriage is that bad. Inserted after every other sentence in an overwhelming majority of scenes, Chuck Lorre and Co. feel like they’re desperately trying to shepherd in some laughs where the script just isn’t providing them.

Georgie even outright addresses it in the opening scene, clearly anticipating the widespread backlash it’ll receive. The reasoning likens to Fraiser, one of the most shrewd and thoughtful comedies of the 1990s. The laugh track – and a bizarre title sequence – are where the similarities stop between the two.

Think of this spinoff a bit like Georgie. At this point in his life, he’s well-meaning and has a heart of gold… yet he rarely lands the wins he’d like to. Perhaps it’s clever context that Georgie matches up so well to his first-ever leading role, but following in the footsteps of Young Sheldon can’t help but leave you hankering for what you had before. Even TBBT had more use for its format; the unrelatable smarts matched the vacuous laughs.

The multi-cam element of Georgie & Mandy isn’t an issue, though. You can tell the TV show is being filmed on a soundstage, whereas this was much harder to spot in Young Sheldon. But somehow, that’s not really a problem. Some of the cast are clearly more at home with the format than others (Emily Osment’s years of Hannah Montana training come to the fore here), but humdrum family life lends itself to fairly chaotic filming.

Really, this should be Georgie’s solo sequel

CBS

Here’s where things get interesting. After the first few episodes of Georgie & Mandy’s First Marriage, you’ll realize Mandy is a side character in her own story. Sure, she’s on-screen a lot more than she was in Young Sheldon, but her character development hasn’t been prioritized to leading lady level.

Mandy is trying to make new moves. She’s ready to go back to work and actively seeks out a new job, and her fraught relationship with Audrey reveals more of how it got so bad in the first place. But it’s all secondary to Georgie’s storyline. It’s clear she isn’t seen as having any real value other than her name in the title, meaning the McAllisters always stay relegated to second place.

While this isn’t fair for Mandy, it certainly is for Audrey, Jim, and Jim’s tire shop staff. The group has nothing to add to the narrative already set up for them in Season 6 of Young Sheldon. Audrey continues to nag in the same style she always has, while Jim is set up as a father figure “replacement” – except he neither has charisma nor a backbone. Where George would have once spoken up, Jim stays silent.

The only main cast member who does come out well here is Georgie. You could argue it’s because he’s the sole Cooper sticking around, but there’s more reason to give him merit. Still processing his trauma, Georgie is at his most raw and vulnerable, and that’s fuelling him to be a better dad and become someone. The most touching moments in the spinoff come from him, frequently reflecting on George to help push him forward.

It’s not ALL bad news…

CBS

Speaking of George, there is some light at the end of the tunnel. The Cooper family unit is what makes Georgie & Mandy’s First Marriage a show worth bearing with. Each episode contains a morsel of goodness that transports us back to the good old days of 1980s Medford.

Mary and Meemaw steal the limelight in Episode 1, while Missy’s heartfelt Episode 2 honesty makes for one of the most touching scenes in Young Sheldon history. Even Sheldon himself goes up in our estimations from afar, with Georgie referring to his younger brother in the most earnest of terms.

Without spoilers, the best news comes in the form of George’s legacy. From beyond the grave, it’s an integral part of the spinoff’s overarching arc, and for Georgie’s journey at every step of the way. If anything, a replacement for him isn’t needed – how brilliant is a TV character when his presence outlives his physical self?

In an ideal world, Georgie & Mandy needs more of the Coopers to make it a viable success. We’re getting that in part, with Episode 5 a Thanksgiving-themed reunion for the two families. Yet this still isn’t scratching the itch. Perhaps it’s just me wishing for the Young Sheldon Season 8 we’re never going to get, but watching the family disappear after we’ve spent eight years figuring out they’re the best part of this growing TV universe is akin to watching your ice cream fall on the floor… then being massacred by gulls.

Georgie & Mandy’s First Marriage review score: 2/5

I’m probably not telling you anything you didn’t already anticipate, but Georgie & Mandy’s First Marriage is more of a miss than a hit. Lorre and Steve Holland might have regretted setting George up to be killed 18 years ago, but they can’t regret it enough if they think a laugh track sitcom is the way to go.

To my fellow Young Sheldon fans – stick with it. There’s a pay-off in seeing the Coopers come back to us alone… and if the creators have any sense, we’ll see this increase over time.

Georgie & Mandy’s First Marriage hits screens on October 17. Find out if Sheldon will be in the show, why the sequel has picked the wrong characters for a spinoff, and more TV shows streaming.