While this was nowhere near the audience that The Big Bang Theory’s finale earned, this doesn’t come as a major surprise since that finale aired five years earlier. After all, MASH’s finale outdid The Big Bang Theory’s ending to the tune of 80 million viewers, but this was because there were so few TV channels at the time.
Similarly, there are now countless streaming options for viewers outside of network TV, and that’s without even taking into account the impact of user-generated video-sharing platforms like YouTube and TikTok. As such, the ratings for Young Sheldon’s finale were undeniably impressive, and the title character was a big part of its success.
Georgie & Mandy’s First Marriage Season 2’s Christmas Episode Needs To Bring Back Sheldon
The spinoff Georgie & Mandy’s First Marriage has earned a solid audience of its own, thus proving that viewers do care about the Cooper family even in the absence of The Big Bang Theory’s breakout star. That said, Georgie & Mandy’s First Marriage is still a Young Sheldon spinoff at the end of the day.
When they last spoke in Young Sheldon season 7, the duo were on good terms, which means Georgie & Mandy’s First Marriage must set up this conflict. Sheldon’s Georgie & Mandy’s First Marriage comeback has been teased numerous times, but the character didn’t return in season 1’s Thanksgiving episode, and the spinoff’s first outing didn’t have a Christmas special.
Fortunately, Georgie & Mandy’s First Marriage’s writers posted an Instagram story that featured the show’s family home set decorated for Christmas, meaning there will be a holiday special in the show’s near future. A Christmas episode means a family reunion, meaning Iain Armitage’s Sheldon is almost certain to finally return to the series.
Young Sheldon Never Featured A Christmas Episode (But The Big Bang Theory Had Many)
It would be really weird if a young teenager didn’t come home for Christmas, especially when Sheldon didn’t come home at any point in Georgie & Mandy’s First Marriage season 1. The holiday period also presents the spinoff’s creators with plenty of opportunities for organic conflict since Georgie and Mandy’s families will likely both want to host on Christmas Day.
Since there is so much going on between the two families already, it might seem like season 2’s Christmas episode could get away without bringing back Sheldon. After all, Georgie complained that his little brother was never around after his father’s death in “The Sibling Realignment.” Thus, this would be a good opportunity to prove that point.
However, this would be a little too convenient for the spinoff. Although Georgie & Mandy’s First Marriage doesn’t necessarily need Sheldon’s presence in season 2, leaving the character alone in his dorm room at CalTech on Christmas Day when he is only 13 years old would be too grim.
Sheldon is a little antisocial, but he has a deep bond with his mother throughout both The Big Bang Theory and Young Sheldon, and he also remains close with his twin sister, Missy, in both shows. It doesn’t feel true to the character for him to spend Christmas alone without them, especially when he is still so young.
Also, as noted above, Georgie & Mandy’s First Marriage hasn’t depicted the rift developing between Georgie and Sheldon yet. The easiest way to do this would be by bringing Sheldon back, so a Christmas special that doesn’t feature his return would be a huge missed storytelling opportunity.
Sheldon’s Georgie & Mandy’s First Marriage Season 2 Comeback Is Poorly Timed
Now that viewers are invested in characters like Ruben and Connor, reminding everyone that Sheldon is still away at Caltech could be an unwelcome distraction. Thus, if Young Sheldon’s spinoff does bring back its former title character, Georgie & Mandy’s First Marriage must make it clear that this is just for Christmas, not for good.
