As a “Young Sheldon” fan, I’m excited to see what the upcoming spin-off “Georgie and Mandy’s First Marriage” has to offer. Set to premiere this fall on October 17, it will bring back the titular newlyweds played by Montana Jordan and Emily Osment, along with some of their close family members, including Georgie’s teenage sister Missy Cooper (Raegan Revord). With Revord previously announcing that she wouldn’t be returning for the spin-off, the newly confirmed addition of her character sets out the possibility for an appealing redemption arc for Missy that I would be eager to see. However, with the little that has been teased about her upcoming appearance, I’m not holding my breath to see this play out.
During an interview with TV Insider, “Young Sheldon” executive producer Steve Holland revealed: “We’re going to see a slightly different Missy. She’s gone through the loss of her dad and she’s acting out. She’s [becoming] rebellious.” To me, this sounds like a phase of her life we’ve seen before and don’t need to see again after her teenage rebel, running away phase on Season 6.
While Missy becoming more rebellious follows the trajectory set out for her character by “The Big Bang Theory,” and connects with where the “Young Sheldon” finale leaves her, I think it would be more interesting to see Missy diverge from this path. After all, if “Young Sheldon” can present a much more humanized version of George Cooper Sr. (Lance Barber), why can’t it do the same for her? I’d rather see her moving through her grief by honoring her dad and living up to the promise she made to him on the Season 6 finale to do better. But I just know “Georgie and Mandy’s First Marriage” won’t offer her this redemption.
Young Sheldon failed Missy in every way and the spin-off will do the same
Bill Inoshita/Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc.
It’s an unpopular opinion because most people think Iain Armitage portrays the best “Young Sheldon” character, while Sheldon’s twin sister Missy falls way down that ranking, but I actually believe Raegan Revord’s character should top the list. Her sassy one-liners are just a small part of what makes her so great, but “Young Sheldon” never really gives Missy a chance to shine — especially when she’s up against her genius twin.
However, the foundation is there for Missy. She’s not stupid by any means. As viewers learned on Season 2, Episode 5, Missy has an insanely high level of emotional intelligence, and we get these incredibly sweet moments (often between her and Georgie) where she gets to show that. But there could be so much more development for Missy. Now that she’s growing up and becoming more independent, I think it would be fun to see how she showcases her caring side while interacting with a wider circle of people.
Unfortunately, the rebellious trajectory Missy is on, which will eventually line up with Courtney Henggeler’s portrayal of her, means not only will this probably never happen, but she may not develop much more as a character beyond what we’ve already seen. Of course, Missy is grieving for her dad, so she isn’t going to be in a good place when the spin-off kicks off right where “Young Sheldon” left off. But having her become more rebellious and living up to Mary’s (Laurie Metcalf) “dumb as soup” description of her is not the answer. As long as the writers continue to follow this path, how could Missy ever amount to anything more? The “Young Sheldon” finale already failed Missy, now “Georgie and Mandy’s First Marriage” will too.
