Young Sheldon may have been a spin-off to The Big Bang Theory, but the two differ significantly, with the latter being representative of the standard, multi-cam sitcom format. Likewise, Georgie & Mandy’s First Marriage differs from both its kin, being almost a hybrid of sorts. All three have their individual strengths and weaknesses, but each also contains elements that are an improvement over their immediate predecessor. Young Sheldon has areas that improve upon what The Big Bang Theory did, and, in turn, Georgie & Mandy’s First Marriage has areas that improve upon what Young Sheldon did, especially when it comes to one specific aspect of the show, one that Young Sheldon failed at over the course of its 7 seasons: Focus.
‘Young Sheldon’ Started Spreading Too Thin Towards the End
With the end approaching for The Big Bang Theory, it came as no surprise that CBS wanted to keep a good thing going, so greenlighting a prequel series featuring Sheldon, Jim Parsons’ breakout character, was a slam dunk. The series, created by Chuck Lorre and Steven Molaro, premiered in 2017 and featured Iain Armitage as the titular Sheldon at the age of 9, living in East Texas with his family: Lance Barber as his father, George Cooper Sr.; Raegan Revord as his twin sister Missy; Montana Jordan as his brother, George “Georgie” Cooper Jr.; and Zoe Perry as his mother, Mary, a casting coup given the character was played in The Big Bang Theory by Laurie Metcalf, Perry’s own mother. Parsons, too, was involved, providing narration for each episode.
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Young Sheldon proved to be almost as popular as the original series, easily becoming one of CBS’ most successful. The talented Armitage found the rhythm behind Parson’s portrayal and made the younger version of Sheldon equally engaging and quirky. Those early episodes leaned heavily on how Sheldon adapted to life in high school, then college, and the exasperation Sheldon brought to his family through his antics — not unlike how his present-day self did with his friends on the parent series.
However, the problem — and it wasn’t a bad one to have — was that Sheldon’s family was simply too good to be in the background. Episodes began giving more time to stories that involved the larger family, whether that was Missy’s growing up in the shadow of her genius brother, George and Mary’s relationship; their potential marriage-ending relationships with Brenda Sparks (Melissa Peterman) and Pastor Rob (Dan Byrd) respectively, Georgie’s life after dropping out of high school, or Meemaw’s (Annie Potts) dalliances with Dr. Sturgis (Wallace Shawn), Dale (Craig T. Nelson), and the backdoor casino. Sheldon arguably became the least interesting part of his own show, and the series spread itself thin by trying to incorporate everyone’s stories — and introducing the Georgie & Mandy’s First Marriage characters — toward the end.
‘Georgie & Mandy’s First Marriage’ Keeps It Contained in Season 1
So far, Georgie & Mandy’s First Marriage has avoided falling into that trap by keeping its focus on a smaller crew: the titular pair of Georgie and Mandy (Emily Osment), Jim (Will Sasso) and Audrey (Rachel Bay Jones) McAllister, and Connor (Dougie Baldwin). In doing so, it’s able to fulfill the age-old situation comedy standard of stand-alone episodes while allowing the viewer to become invested in the characters that feed the overall narrative thread (the “first marriage” of the title) that binds those episodes together.
We get to see how Georgie and Mandy interact as a couple and are able to see the chemistry between them as well as the frays that we know will eventually drive them apart. We’re seeing more of the dynamic that exists between them and Mandy’s parents, and the one that exists between the parents as well. That’s not to say Young Sheldon didn’t do the same — we intimately knew the dynamic between Mary and George Sr. — but that played out over a longer period, where Georgie & Mandy’s First Marriage has done so more effectively by remaining centered.
‘Georgie & Mandy’s First Marriage’s Narrowed Focus Benefits the Characters
When characters from the Young Sheldon universe do show up, their appearances are integrated into the narrative and help build it, as opposed to dropping in for a funny cameo that ultimately only serves as fan service. Take “Two Idiots on a Dirt Bike,” the episode where Missy runs off to Mexico with her boyfriend. It not only shows Mary’s increasing need to lean on Georgie for help, it adds a deeper layer to Georgie’s sense of responsibility to take care of the family since George Sr.’s passing, and the one to his own nascent family. That responsibility has become a defining trait of the character, and drives his actions in the season finale.
Keeping the focus on a smaller group has been to the benefit of the one main character who wasn’t introduced in Young Sheldon: Mandy’s brother Connor. His arc saw him start as an eccentric in the Sheldon vein, but by giving the character time, Connor became a fan-favorite. His own storyline, the one that involves his new girlfriend, Chloe (Kara Arena), doesn’t feel like a tacked-on secondary story, one that doesn’t connect with the main narrative until Episode 20, “Ladies Love Brunch,” but rather a means of developing the character into someone well-rounded and more than the stereotypical sitcom eccentric.
The season finale did introduce a new character in Mandy’s ex, Scott (Christopher Gorham), and an increased role for Ruben (Jessie Prez) as co-owner of the tire shop. It sets up an intriguing Season 2, and potentially one that pushes the positive aspects of keeping that smaller cast. As long as the creative team keeps to what has made Georgie & Mandy’s First Marriage a step up from Young Sheldon, then we’ll welcome the additions as another step in the right direction for the sophomore season.
