Is the Georgie and Mandy spinoff ruining Young Sheldon’s finale?

With the Sheldonverse set to continue after Season 7, fans are blaming Georgie and Mandy for ruining the final series, but honestly? Young Sheldon did that by itself.

For those Young Sheldon fans who are desperately clinging to his 1990s childhood, CBS has delivered good news — this prequel is getting a sequel, titled Georgie and Mandy’s First Marriage. While we don’t know if the genius Cooper kid will make a cameo, the spinoff will follow newlyweds Georgie and Mandy. Fans have already made it clear that these aren’t the two characters they wanted to see get a spinoff, but are they ruining things already?

Not only have the loved-up couple taken up a lot of air time in Young Sheldon Season 7, but recent episodes have planted seeds for the upcoming sequel. In Episode 7, they’re officially married but are now squabbling about parenthood while living with Mandy’s parents, Audrey and Jim. Even the sequel’s title draws attention away from the finale, with the emphasis on the pair’s first marriage, asking if there will be reunions in the future. 

Perhaps fans are looking at this all wrong — it’s not Georgie and Mandy that are ruining Young Sheldon’s finale; it’s the program itself. Sure, no series is going to do everything a fan wants, but it can always tell a simple, satisfying, and well-executed story. Not putting all of your eggs in one basket is a saying for a reason, and by trying to answer over a decade’s worth of questions in 14 episodes, Young Sheldon has made Georgie and Mandy its scapegoats. 

Georgie and Mandy won’t overshadow the Young Sheldon finale — but George will

CBS

The main way that Young Sheldon has ruined its own finale is by deciding to include George’s death. Something that’s first mentioned during The Big Bang Theory, the prequel shot itself in the foot by choosing to reference it through voiceovers in Season 1. 

Six seasons later, George’s death has gone down with fans like a ton of bricks, leaving them sobbing with only two episodes to go. Where the Sheldon-verse is choosing to retcon Georgie and Mandy’s marriage(s), why couldn’t they have chosen to avoid something that nobody wanted?

When the finale of a show looks as gloomy as a literal funeral, the only way to balance it out is to offer up some goodness. As far as the Young Sheldon cast goes, Georgie and Mandy are the only two up to the job, with Meemaw up to her eyeballs in devastating life changes, Mary and Missy preoccupied with internal issues, and Sheldon just being Sheldon. It’s a lot of pressure to steer the reigns of a show finale when it’s tanking its own joy, and we can’t blame the couple for relying on what they’ve got going on. 

With the Young Sheldon ship sinking, of course Georgie and Mandy’s sights will be set on their own future. We’re still yet to see how grief affects the Cooper family, but real life tells us that it won’t be an easy journey. Now that their wedding is out of the way, Young Sheldon’s main source of joy is a hopeful and brighter future alongside baby Cece. If anything, these are the things that could save the Young Sheldon finale. 

Young Sheldon has brought its problems on itself

CBS

If fans want to place their blame anywhere for an overstuffed finale, it should be with the Young Sheldon creators. It’s a tough balancing act — the show thrives when it’s being light-hearted but now has to compromise that in order to address the Sheldonverse’s most burning questions. With fan morale now in the gutter, creators have to hope the sequel fares better, a bit like the pressure on any second-born child. 

There’s also a sense of responsibility that fans need to take on themselves. At the end of the day, Young Sheldon is a fictional show, and it absolutely can’t — and shouldn’t — bear the brunt of coddling millions of emotions. Georgie and Mandy might not be the spinoff that anybody wants, but it’s here to stay. If fans want to continue the Sheldonverse journey, they should probably be thankful that there’s a way to do so. 

As for Georgie and Mandy’s First Marriage, its premise (and therefore success) is still anybody’s guess. Creators only need to stick to one bit of lore in order for the sequel to make sense, landing adult Georgie at the tire shop we see in The Big Bang Theory. The Young Sheldon team has free creative rein for the first time ever, and that’s exactly what the franchise needs after a stinker of a finale. 

While you wait for the next episode, you can catch up with our other Sheldon content, like Young Sheldon’s filming locations, how to watch Season 7 outside the US, and how to watch Young Sheldon on streaming.

You can also check out all the best new TV shows coming out this month.