I Thought It Was Over!”—Lance Barber Breaks Silence on George Sr.’s Shocking Return in Georgie & Mandy’s First Marriage

There were a truckload of laughs to be had during the entirety of the seven seasons Young Sheldon ruled the airwaves. The sitcom did have its low ebbs, with more emotional, less humor-driven storylines. However, none quite matched the unexpected death of Lance Barber‘s George Snr., patriarch of the Cooper family. The effects of that moment resonated in the flagship series, The Big Bang Theory, and are currently playing out in the spinoff, Georgie & Mandy’s First Marriage. The death of George Cooper Snr. is something his son, Georgie (Montana Jordan), has had to grapple with and come to terms with on the show. Now, CBS and series creator, Chuck Lorre, have found a creative way to bring back the character.

CBS has revealed that Barber will appear in Episode 12, “Typhoid Georgie,” when Georgie stays home after catching a cold. The episode airs today, and it will make Barber the latest Young Sheldon actor to appear in Georgie & Mandy’s First Marriage. Ahead of his return, Barber has discussed what is set to be an emotional reunion for Georgie. Speaking to USA Today, the actor reveals that despite the reunion being bittersweet, he appreciates the response so far. Barber’s comments read:

“Some of the people watching the scenes were visually emotional seeing me on that kitchen set. This is a beloved character. It was fun to feel those feels and be so appreciated, even in the sadness.”

Barber will join a queue of Young Sheldon actors/characters who have been brought back in the sequel, including Mary (Zoe Perry), Missy (Raegan Revord), Meemaw (Annie Potts), Dale (Craig T. Nelson), Pastor Jeff (Matt Hobby), and Ms Hutchins (Sarah Baker). Series co-creator Steve Holland previously discussed the storyline and premise under which Barber will make his return in the ongoing sequel, saying:

“His dad visits him in a dream. George is thinking about his dad, and he’s worried that his dad might be disappointed in him…. [The idea] came out of a conversation we’d had with Chuck, even early on, talking about the show. Chuck had said about his own father that he still dreams about him, he still visits him, so that was a thing we had thought about. And then when we were breaking this episode, it just seemed like a great opportunity to bring George back.”

Georgie Might Have a New Dad Now

While George Snr. has been absent from the physical, his son has continued to live with his in-laws, the McAllisters, permanently. A switch that actually occurred while George was alive. In his father’s absence, Georgie has struck up a relationship with his father-in-law, Jim (Will Sasso), and despite the pair having their first real butt of heads recently, that relationship seems set to continually thrive. “Georgie’s father-in-law and George Sr. have similarities. We’ve seen Georgie embrace his father-in-law more like a father,” Holland explained previously. Adding, “[Georgie] had that sweet moment where he hugged [Jim] and said, “You remind me of my dad.” There are some interesting complications to explore.”

Georgie & Mandy’s First Marriage returns today on CBS with “Typhoid Georgie.” Tune in to CBS on Thursdays at 8 p.m. ET to watch new episodes of Georgie & Mandy’s First Marriage and catch up on Paramount+.