Young Sheldon Recast Escalates Big Bang Theory Feud—And Fans Aren’t Happy

Now that Young Sheldon’s spinoff Georgie & Mandy’s First Marriage has recast Mandy’s younger brother, his role on the show is likely to make one feud from The Big Bang Theory worse. The Big Bang Theory has a lot to answer for. The hit sitcom established some specific backstory for Sheldon Cooper via throwaway jokes over the years, but the creators of its spinoff Young Sheldon had to later contextualize and justify much of this setup. As a result, there are many The Big Bang Theory plot holes Young Sheldon never fixed, from Dale’s fate to the cause of Meemaw’s character change.

Despite this, Young Sheldon’s series finale made an admirable stab at clearing things up. The spinoff’s final episodes explained George Sr.’s so-called affair and thoroughly justified Mary’s intense religious zealotry. One thing the series left unexplained was the cause of Mandy and Georgie’s eventual divorce, a separation that was mentioned in The Big Bang Theory season 11, episode 23, “The Sibling Realignment.” Luckily, this oversight was intentional. Young Sheldon’s spinoff Georgie & Mandy’s First Marriage will now explain why the couple broke up despite their apparent happiness, and may even reveal whether they got back together later in life.

If Young Sheldon’s series finale really did kill off TBBT’s Leonard for good, then this has major implications for The Big Bang Theory and its future.

Young Sheldon’s Georgie & Mandy Spinoff Makes Mandy’s Brother Like Sheldon

Dougie Baldwin’s Connor Is His Mother’s Favorite In Young Sheldon’s Follow-Up

Already, one recast character from Georgie & Mandy’s First Marriage may explain where some of the strain on their relationship originated. Mandy’s brother Connor was first introduced in season 6, episode 12, “A Baby Shower and a Testosterone-Rich Banter.” There, he was played by Joseph Apollonio. Georgie & Mandy’s First Marriage recast Connor with Disjointed supporting star Dougie Baldwin taking over the role for the upcoming spinoff. Much like Sheldon often caused havoc for his family, Connor could contribute to the struggles of Mandy and Georgie early in their married life. Early on, the couple will likely share a home with him.

When Young Sheldon ended, Georgie and Mandy were temporarily living in Mandy’s family home. Although Connor was not seen onscreen in season 7, he also lived with his parents in his first appearance on the series. It is reasonable to presume that Baldwin’s version of the character will live in the McAllister family home in Georgie & Mandy’s First Marriage. This means Georgie and Mandy will be raising their baby under the same roof as her little brother. Connor’s role in Georgie & Mandy’s First Marriage is not yet clear, but he could turn out to play a similar role to Sheldon.

Georgie & Mandy’s Connor Was Previously Seen In Young Sheldon

Young Sheldon’s Connor Was A Talented Oddball With Limited Ambition

In “A Baby Shower and a Testosterone-Rich Banter,” Connor and Sheldon briefly bonded over their black sheep status in their respective families by reading comics together. Connor was a sensitive painter and Sheldon was a no-nonsense scientist, but the duo were both equally out of place in their shared hometown. While it is not yet clear what role Young Shedlon’s Mary plays in the spin-off, Georgie & Mandy’s First Marriage seems set to give Connor a role not unlike Sheldon’s part in Young Sheldon. According to TVLine, Connor is “Coddled by his mother, Audrey, and hassled by his father, Jim.”

The show’s synopsis goes on to state that “Connor doesn’t fit in — even in his own family,” which is a pretty fitting encapsulation of Sheldon’s role in Young Sheldon. Crucially, the detail of Mandy’s mom Audrey coddling Connor was added for the new spinoff. This makes the comparisons between Sheldon and Connor even more obvious. Georgie famously feuded with Sheldon precisely because Sheldon was their mother’s favorite child. Audrey’s preferential treatment of Connor wasn’t obvious in “A Baby Shower and a Testosterone-Rich Banter,” and this character detail could make Mandy and Georgie’s experiences of growing up more similar.

Young Sheldon’s Spinoff Highlights Mandy And Georgie’s Similarities

Georgie’s Struggles With Sheldon Are Mirrored In Mandy’s Relationship With Connor

Both Mandy and Georgie have younger siblings who are their mother’s favorites if the synopsis of Georgie & Mandy’s First Marriage is to be believed. Georgie & Mandy’s First Marriage can keep Young Sheldon’s relatable, grounded tone since the series picks up where its predecessor left off, and the show can now make the links between Mandy and Georgie even more obvious. Mandy and Georgie were already bonded by their shared desire to parent differently from their parents and by their work ethic and ambition. However, the similarities between Sheldon and Connor could make the pair even more sympathetic to each other.

If Georgie & Mandy’s First Marriage proves that Mandy was also overlooked in favor of her brother while growing up, this could cause conflict between the siblings. Georgie will also struggle to pick a side, since he already proved that he values keeping the peace in Young Sheldon. Not only did Georgie side with his mother-in-law over Mandy during season 7, but he also promised his late father that he would do anything to keep his family together at George Sr.’s funeral. This means Georgie could end up siding with Connor to impress Audrey, thus distancing him from Mandy.

Young Sheldon’s Spinoff Can Make A Big Bang Theory Story Sadder

Georgie’s Story Could Explain His Big Bang Theory Sheldon Feud

While Georgie and Sheldon didn’t have The Big Bang Theory‘s best relationship, the duo did end up on good terms by the show’s finale. However, this only came about because of a lot of work. In “The Sibling Realignment,” Georgie revealed that he resented his little brother for years because of Mary’s favoritism. Georgie felt his contributions to the Cooper family were never recognized, while he thought his little brother was over-praised and coddled. Thus, if Mandy has a relatively good relationship with her little brother in Georgie & Mandy’s First Marriage, Georgie and Sheldon’s fight could become even sadder in retrospect.

If Georgie sees Connor and Mandy getting along despite their differences, this could explain his resentment of Sheldon. Georgie may end up annoyed by the fact that Mandy and Connor can coexist whereas, in comparison, Sheldon moved to California and effectively left the rest of his family behind from his brother’s perspective. Ironically, if Mandy and her brother have a good relationship, this could be a sore spot for Georgie. Regardless, it is clear that Georgie & Mandy’s First Marriage’s recast Connor could share some similarities with Young Sheldon’s Sheldon, thus making The Big Bang Theory‘s sibling feud sadder.