‘Georgie & Mandy’s First Marriage’ Brings Back George Sr. — Why Sheldon’s Absence Feels Even More Devastating!

The news that Young Sheldon’s spinoff Georgie & Mandy’s First Marriage will bring back Lance Barber’s late George Sr. proves just how much the series needs a comeback from Iain Armitage’s Sheldon. Young Sheldon’s finale left Sheldon in a pretty great place. Although his father had just died suddenly and the loss devastated the sitcom’s young hero, he was finally at CalTech and ready to start his new life in the finale. Meanwhile, a flash-forward proved that life panned out pretty well for Sheldon after The Big Bang Theory’s finale.

Viewers could mostly fill in any gaps left between Young Sheldon’s finale and The Big Bang Theory’s story when it came to Sheldon, as he was now in the college where he remained until the original series. In contrast, as the title Georgie & Mandy’s First Marriage implies, there were still some unsolved mysteries in the backstory of Sheldon’s brother Georgie. In The Big Bang Theory season 11, episode 23, “The Sibling Realignment,” Georgie mentioned an “Ex-wife,” but in Young Sheldon’s finale, he and Mandy’s marriage seemed to be perfectly happy and full of potential.

Georgie & Mandy’s First Marriage’s George Sr. Return Makes Sheldon’s Absence Weirder

Georgie’s Dream Will Revive His Late Father Before Bringing Back His Brother

As such, it made sense for Young Sheldon’s spinoff to focus on Georgie rather than Sheldon. Sheldon didn’t need another show detailing his antics between Young Sheldon’s ending and The Big Bang Theory’s beginning, whereas the question of what went wrong with Georgie’s marriage was compelling. However, this alone does not justify Georgie & Mandy’s First Marriage ignoring Sheldon’s existence. Georgie & Mandy’s First Marriage’s Sheldon replacement, Connor, fills in the role of the awkward, standoffish younger brother, but Iain Amitage’s title character from Young Sheldon has not reprised his role in the new show.

Admittedly, Georgie & Mandy’s First Marriage avoiding Sheldon cameos initially made sense, as the creators of the spinoff were understandably eager to ensure that the show felt like more than a mere continuation of Young Sheldon. However, the continued presence of Mary, Meemaw, and Missy meant that the two shows were unavoidably similar. Georgie & Mandy’s First Marriage featured a laugh track and no narration, which helped, but ultimately it was Sheldon’s absence that solidified the difference between the two shows.

However, the news that Georgie & Mandy’s First Marriage is bringing back Lance Barber’s deceased character George Sr. before Sheldon is a step too far. ScreenRant revealed that Georgie & Mandy’s First Marriage will bring back Young Sheldon’s George Sr. in a dream sequence as Georgie stresses about fatherhood and calls on his late dad for advice. While this is a sweet idea, it is wild that Georgie’s dead father received a cameo before his living brother. This proves just how much Young Sheldon needs to bring back its former star.

Georgie & Mandy’s First Marriage Needs To Include Sheldon At Some Point

Young Sheldon’s Title Character Already Missed Out On Thanksgiving

Although Georgie and Sheldon’s feud from The Big Bang Theory was rooted in Georgie feeling like his little brother abandoned their family when he moved to California, Georgie & Mandy’s First Marriage still can’t keep Armitage’s character off-screen forever. It makes sense for Georgie & Mandy’s First Marriage to take some time to establish itself and ensure the spinoff emerges from the shadow of Young Sheldon, and Sheldon’s absence has made Georgie’s bitterness toward him feel more justified.

However, Young Sheldon’s spinoff reviving George Sr. before bringing Sheldon home to Texas is absurd. If Barber’s character could appear even though he is canonically dead, then Sheldon should surely have shown his face in his hometown by now. Georgie & Mandy’s First Marriage can’t avoid Sheldon’s return for much longer thanks to George Sr.’s comeback, and this is not necessarily a bad thing for the spinoff. Young Sheldon’s Thanksgiving episode was notably sadder without Sheldon around since he missed out on a morbid but touching trip to George Sr.’s grave that Missy, Mary, and Georgie shared.

What Young Sheldon’s Iain Armitage Has Said About Reprising His Role

The Actor Was Open To Appearing In Georgie & Mandy’s First Marriage

While Mary’s Young Sheldon parenting choices left a lot to be desired, they weren’t the only cause behind Sheldon and Georgie’s decades-long feud in The Big Bang Theory. Georgie resented the fact that Mary treated Sheldon as her favorite child, but he was mostly annoyed that Sheldon didn’t help him out with Mary and Missy after George Sr.’s death, since he was busy in California. This established character detail means that it technically makes sense for Sheldon to remain unreachable in Georgie & Mandy’s First Marriage.

However, he still played a part in his family during those years, and Sheldon’s actor isn’t averse to reposing his role. On the contrary, Armitage told TVLine that “If I got a call to go back, that’d be so much fun,” with the actor also saying he would be honored by the opportunity. This means that the spinoff needs to bring him back sooner rather than later, as it beggars belief that Georgie spent more time talking to his dead father than his brother. Thus, the clock is ticking for Georgie & Mandy’s First Marriage to announce the return of Young Sheldon’s title character to the series.