George died towards the end of Young Sheldon, but despite that, he can still return in Georgie & Mandy’s First Marriage, and The Big Bang Theory showed how. Long before Lance Barber debuted the Cooper family patriarch in the prequel, his destiny was already established in the nerd-centric sitcom. Sheldon’s dad was going to die around the time that he started post-graduate studies at Caltech. The lack of detail about how he exactly passed away helped Young Sheldon set up a still devastating loss in the recently-ended family comedy, although the tragedy had long been expected.
Perhaps it was the way Young Sheldon rehabilitated George’s image and how Barber played him, but although the incident was a long time coming, it was still heartbreaking. The fallout from George’s unexpected death dominated the prequel’s final two episodes, which included his emotional funeral service. Losing the family patriarch, especially just when things were starting to turn for the Coopers, was difficult for Mary and the kids. However, life goes on in the universe, with Georgie & Mandy’s First Marriage keeping The Big Bang Theory franchise alive. Despite George’s fate, there’s still a way for Barber to return.
CBS is changing Missy’s future after Young Sheldon, and it’s proof that pulling the plug on the beloved family comedy was the wrong move.
Why George Had To DIe In Young Sheldon (Despite Being Popular)
Young Sheldon Had To Stay True To The Big Bang Theory Canon
Although George’s death was long-established, there was still some glimmer of hope that Young Sheldon would keep him alive and give the family a happy send-off. His fate was long sealed in The Big Bang Theory, but as avid viewers of the family dramedy know, it wasn’t the best when upholding the established canon. Throughout its run, Young Sheldon created all kinds of plot inconsistencies with varying degrees of importance. Having precedent kept the door open that Chuck Lorre and his team could once again deviate from continuity to prioritize the ongoing series’ own storytelling.
Even Lorre admitted that he had regrets about their decision to kill George almost 20 years ago in The Big Bang Theory , which was a testament to how much the prequel did a great job of endearing George to the audience.
Young Sheldon retconning George’s cheating scandal in season 7 added fire to speculation that he would live. Unfortunately, that wasn’t the case. The writers opted to stay true to Sheldon’s story about his dad while he was an adolescent. Even Lorre admitted that he had regrets about their decision to kill George almost 20 years ago in The Big Bang Theory, which was a testament to how much the prequel did a great job of endearing George to the audience. Unfortunately, that wasn’t enough for them to change his fate.
In any case, George’s demise led to some of the franchise’s best episodes, including his funeral outing. It was a masterclass in balancing comedy and drama, which was how Young Sheldon separated itself from its parent series. If anything, the consolation was that the prequel did such a great job executing a dark and emotional storyline.
The Big Bang Theory’s Professor Proton Established How George Can Be In Georgie & Mandy’s First Marriage
Georgie Can Have Visions Of George, Just Like Sheldon Did With Professor Proton
George’s death and Sheldon’s move to Pasadena, California to begin his post-graduate studies at Caltech spelled the Young Sheldon finale. However, while Iain Armitage can still return as the boy genius in Georgie & Mandy’s First Marriage, his on-screen father’s demise makes it tricky for Barber to reprise his beloved role. Admittedly, it’s possible that Lorre could cast the actor in another role. If they go down this narrative route, it wouldn’t be the first time for the actor to play a different role. Previously, he played Jimmy Speckerman, Leonard’s high school bully in The Big Bang Theory season 5.
The events of Georgie & Mandy’s First Marriage will effectively explain why Mary was so much worse in The Big Bang Theory after Young Sheldon.
It would be odd, however, to see Barber play a different character other than George after Young Sheldon. Luckily, Georgie & Mandy’s First Marriage can look up to The Big Bang Theory to bring back Sheldon’s dad. In one of the more emotional plots in the nerd-centric sitcom, Sheldon dealt with the death of his childhood hero, Arthur Jeffries aka Professor Proton. Like George’s actor, however, Bob Hope remained available to reprise the role even after his on-screen demise. Hope continued to appear as the Jedi Master in Sheldon’s dreams, allowing The Big Bang Theory to continue their relationship.
George can return via Georgie’s vision, who has vowed to take care of Mary and Missy after his father’s death.
Inspired by this, Georgie & Mandy’s First Marriage can use the same scheme for Barber. George can return via Georgie’s vision, who has vowed to take care of Mary and Missy after his father’s death. The Cooper firstborn himself promised his dad this during George’s funeral, and based on his appearance in The Big Bang Theory, he stayed true to his word. This could be how George’s father could guide him through this difficult period. George can also be featured in Baby Cece’s dreams, which would put a fresh spin on the possibility first established in The Big Bang Theory.
Georgie & Mandy’s First Marriage’s Format Makes George’s Post-Death Return Possible
Like The Big Bang Theory, Georgie & Mandy’s First Marriage Is A Multi-Cam Sitcom
Young Sheldon had some mystical arcs, such as the appearance of Pimple and Pus. For the most part, however, its storytelling was mostly grounded, which worked well in its family comedy-drama approach. Meanwhile, The Big Bang Theory had more fantastical elements, which were partly motivated by its core characters being big fans of nerdy topics. Its more lighthearted narrative that came with its multi-cam set-up also played in the matter — something that Georgie & Mandy’s First Marriage can follow, considering that it has the same format.
To separate itself from Young Sheldon, Georgie & Mandy’s First Marriage will be a multi-cam sitcom, like Lorre and Bill Prady’s original series. This makes it easier to be more creative with its storytelling, hence paving the way for the proposed George appearance. Hope’s post-Arthur Jeffries death appearance in The Big Bang Theory is a great blueprint for all the narratives that they can do with Barber’s potential comeback as George.
Should Georgie & Mandy’s First Marriage Bring BacK George After Young Sheldon
Barber Is Beloved As George, So Why Not
Just because they can, doesn’t always mean that they should, however. Sometimes, it’s best to move forward for sequels and not look back. This way, they can establish themselves separately from their parent series. This was what Young Sheldon did during its middle seasons, hence why it got its own identity not tied to The Big Bang Theory. While it was the franchise canon that forced its end, it’s safe to say that it’s now better known for the Coopers rather than being just a prequel.
That being said, it shouldn’t hurt Georgie & Mandy’s First Marriage to bring back Barber as Georgie. If anything, it may even help the project establish itself as Young Sheldon‘s sequel. The new show already brings back Mary and Meemaw, at least in the first episode. That said, Georgie & Mandy’s First Marriage recently expanded Missy’s role —an indication that it wants to take advantage of its connection to its parent series. Sheldon will inevitably find himself back on the show when he returns to Texas, but while that needs careful set-up, George’s vision appearance can happen anytime.
