There’s no question that Young Sheldon was heating up in the back half of Season 6. Multiple storylines were reaching a point of no return, and the comedy genre had been all but left in the dust. Instead, a heaping helping of family drama was at the series’ forefront. That was evidenced by fans’ continued worries about George’s affair with Brenda.
Thankfully, the Cooper family didn’t have to worry about an affair — well, except for Sheldon, who accidentally walked in on his father and mother doing roleplay during an intimate time. George never had an affair with anyone; it was all just a misunderstanding. It was a relief because Young Sheldon‘s portrayal of George was much more fatherly than The Big Bang Theory‘s description. Now that George is suddenly not the most tragic part of The Big Bang Theory universe, Georgie and Mandy’s situation takes the winner as the more heartbreaking relationship.
Updated by Katie Doll on September 9, 2024: Georgie and Mandy’s relationship has come a long way since their meet cute. Georgie really stepped up to the plate to be the best father possible, and Mandy warmed up to the idea of joining the Cooper family by agreeing to marry Georgie. But there were still a few obstacles getting in their way on Young Sheldon, and The Big Bang Theory didn’t predict a happy ending for them in their upcoming spinoff, Georgie & Mandy’s First Marriage.
On Young Sheldon, Mandy Pushed Georgie Away From The Beginning
In Season 5, Georgie started a relationship with Mandy, and it wasn’t long before she was pregnant. She consistently turned down Georgie due to their age gap, with her being 29 and him 17. This factor was made much worse by the fact that Georgie lied about his age, so the reality is that if Mandy knew the truth, she would never have pursued him in the first place. And a lie is never a great way to start a relationship.
Young Sheldon ends on a bittersweet note as the Cooper family navigates grief after a life-changing moment shakes up their dynamic.
Among other problems, they weren’t married, which caused the church to turn its back on the Coopers. Despite being shunned by the community, George, Mary, and Meemaw embraced Mandy and brought her into the family. Meanwhile, Georgie started proving himself as a father. He might have been young, but he was there every step of the way. But Georgie’s efforts weren’t enough for Mandy, who wouldn’t commit to a relationship and even pushed Georgie into dating someone else.
Georgie And Mandy’s Relationship Won’t Get Any Better
In “A Baby Shower and a Testosterone-Rich Banter,” Meemaw and Mary throw a baby shower for Mandy. They included Mandy’s mother, but she completely took over. Not to mention, she wasn’t at all fond of Georgie. She refused to admit that it takes two to tango and blamed him for everything. That riled up Mary, but it really made Mandy mad. She even told her mother that Georgie would be a much better parent than her before storming out of the room.
One of the executive producers of Georgie & Mandy’s First Marriage promises fans that they are in store for a “different Missy” in the spinoff series.
It was during this episode that Mandy realized that she had wronged Georgie. All he wanted to do was be there for her, but she had only pushed him away. Despite Mandy’s rejection, Georgie bought her a gift for the baby shower: a locket with a sonogram of their baby. That showed that the two of them could be a great couple. Luckily for Mandy, Georgie decided he didn’t want to be with anyone else, and after much thought, Mandy accepted his marriage proposal.
How Georgie & Mandy’s First Marriage Could Depict the Relationship’s Downfall
It all sounded like things were looking in the right direction for Georgie and Mandy, but The Big Bang Theory didn’t offer any hope for their future. When Georgie appeared in Seasons 11 & 12, there was no Mandy in the picture. Georgie was a tire tycoon, but he was also cocky, spiteful, and alone (if not a playboy). Season 1 of Young Sheldon foreshadowed that the two would marry since an adult Sheldon confirmed that Georgie gets married at 19. This came to fruition in the final season of Young Sheldon when Georgie and Mandy decided to elope in a courthouse, and the series ended with them starting a new life as a married couple with a baby.
The spinoff would strengthen the tragedy of their relationship as Georgie and Mandy slowly begin to realize they won’t work out.
So, Georgie and Mandy may briefly stay together after they marry, but it won’t last, according to The Big Bang Theory canon. What’s more is that Georgie and Mandy will be leading their own spinoff titled Georgie & Mandy’s First Marriage. From what little’s been told about the new series, it appears that the pilot will begin with Georgie and Mandy as newlyweds, attempting to navigate married life in suburban Texas. Georgie’s remaining family (minus Sheldon) will guest-star from time to time, while Mandy’s family will have recurring roles.
Georgie & Mandy’s First Marriage co-creator Chuck Lorre confirms the titular couple will have a challenging journey in the upcoming spinoff.
The billing roles for their respective families alone predict what the catalyst for their divorce could be. Mandy’s family always believed she could do better, even if they grew to love Georgie. The pressure of his in-laws may be too much for the young Georgie. Consequently, the spinoff would strengthen the tragedy of their relationship as Georgie and Mandy slowly begin to realize they won’t work out, an arc similar to George and Mary’s marital issues in Seasons 5 and 6.
Georgie’s History With Women Isn’t Great For Mandy
| Georgie Cooper’s Romantic History | Status |
|---|---|
| Veronica Duncan | Former crush; Veronica rejected him until Georgie moved on to Jana Boggs. |
| Jana Boggs | Ex-girlfriend; Jana broke up with Georgie after learning he dropped out of school. |
| Amber | Ex-girlfriend; Georgie ended their relationship due to being turned off by Amber’s dislike of children. |
| Mandy McAllister | Fianceé; Mandy eventually agreed to marry Georgie after turning down his offer a few times. |
Young Sheldon subverted a common sitcom stereotype of the teenage sibling being a womanizer when it comes to Georgie. A younger Georgie would like to think he could swoon all the women at his school, but that wasn’t the case. While not as smart as Sheldon, Georgie was similarly treated like a loser at school. Girls didn’t necessarily gravitate to Georgie until he gained some confidence. When they did, he still didn’t quite understand how to treat them with the full respect they deserved, and the same would happen to Mandy.
A new promo from the set of the upcoming Young Sheldon spinoff series Georgie & Mandy’s First Wedding officially brings Missy Cooper back home.
The first of Georgie’s girlfriends on Young Sheldon was Veronica Duncan, to whom Georgie was attracted because of her bad girl persona. But then she had a change of heart and became a Christian, completely devoting her life to God. She at least didn’t turn against Georgie like the true villain of Young Sheldon, Pastor Jeff, often did. Georgie was adamant to make it official between the two. The worst he did to her was take away her baptism by kissing her in front of the whole church. Thankfully, Georgie did some rethinking and pursued his relationship with Veronica as just friends until he moved on to Jana.
When push comes to shove, he’s a good man who respects women and remains faithful to them. The issue is that Georgie is still a teenager, and has some growing up to do.
There were a few problems with the relationship he had with Jana, apart from him being emotionally immature. Georgie always found a way to say the wrong thing at the wrong time, like claiming it would’ve been his worst nightmare to marry her if she had gotten pregnant. His dropping out of school was the last straw for her, and he probably still doesn’t understand why she did. Then there was Amber, a short fling after Constance’s birth that ended due to their different stances on children.
The overlying theme between these relationships isn’t that Georgie isn’t a bad guy. When push comes to shove, he’s a good man who respects women and remains faithful to them. The issue is that Georgie is still a teenager, and has some growing up to do. Georgie and Mandy’s age gap shows they’re in two different phases of life. An 18-year-old and a 30-year-old hardly have much in common, except for them having a child together. But a child isn’t enough to keep a relationship emotionally and romantically stable — just look at George and Mary, for example. Mandy only accepted Georgie’s proposal because she saw how good of a father he was, and felt lonely in life. Georgie looked like the only option for her, but she’ll soon realize in their spinoff that he’s not. Georgie still has his 20s to face, which is a grave time for making mistakes and learning from them. But Mandy may be ready for something more serious, and won’t have time for Georgie’s antics.
Young Sheldon is available to stream on Netflix and Max. Georgie & Mandy’s First Marriage premieres October 17, 2024, on CBS.
