So, when I learned that Georgie & Mandy’s First Marriage season 1 was bringing back George this early, I worried that it would cheapen the send-off for the Cooper patriarch. I had always expected that it was only a matter of time before Barber was brought back, primarily because of how beloved he was, but I didn’t think that it would be this soon. As I learned about the plan for “Typhoid Georgie,” however, I gradually became open to the idea, and ultimately, Georgie & Mandy’s First Marriage handled Barber’s return well, EXCEPT for 1 detail that I totally hate.
George’s Georgie & Mandy’s First Marriage’s Return Scene Explained
Georgie Dreams Of His Father
Because George already died before the Young Sheldon finale, Lorre and his team had to come up with a creative way to bring back the character. Barber is on the record about being open to reprising the role, especially how beloved the character is, but he has made it clear that he would only come back if it doesn’t cheapen George’s send-off, which I fully understand. For the most part, Georgie & Mandy’s First Mandy’s First Marriage episode 12 did a great job in this aspect, as it made the Cooper patriarch’s appearance tied to his son’s arc.
George’s return is through Georgie’s fever dream — akin to Sheldon dreaming about Professor Proton following Arthur Jeffries’ death in The Big Bang Theory. I like that the writers went down this route, because it allowed us to see how the Cooper family firstbotrn has been handling the mental toll of losing his father. Georgie & Mandy’s First Marriage has teased Georgie’s mental health struggles. Getting physically sick in “Typhoid Georgie” highlights how overworked he is, but through his dreams of George, we get a better understanding of how much losing his dad has impacted him.
Georgie & Mandy’s First Marriage’s Zombie George Jump Scare Takes Me Out Of The Scene
It’s An Unnecessary Scene
Overall, I like the way Georgie & Mandy’s First Marriage handled George’s return. Sure, I would have wanted his and Georgie’s scene to be longer, but I think I cameos from the Coopers moving forward would always leave me wanting more, considering that they are no longer the main family in the Young Sheldon sequel spinoff. That being said, there’s one element of George’s return that I absolutely despise — the zombie jump scare. Co-creator Steve Holland defended the creative choice (via TV Line), saying that it was a great jolt to the audience. Read his quote below:
[Laughs] There was a lot of talk about that, and people were upset. I think even reading it, in a good way, they were like, “No, I don’t want to see him like that!” But we thought it would be a nice sort of surprise and a shock for the audience, and it was. I think Lance also loved actually getting the chance to be in full makeup.
From the sound of it, zombie Georgie was also divisive on people who were involved in making Georgie & Mandy’s First Marriage episode 12. Holland didn’t reveal what prompted them to eventually move forward with it, but he seemed to be in favor of the jump scare. While I don’t argue that it was actually an effective surprise for the audience, and Barber likely enjoyed the process of getting ready for it (based on his secret cameo during George’s funeral episode), I still think that the outing would have been so much stronger without the zombie appearance.
How Zombie George Ruins Barber’s Return In Georgie & Mandy’s First Marriage
It Distracts From A Rather Emotional Reunion
For a while, it felt like we were transported back to watching Young Sheldon, as Georgie & Mandy’s First Marriage episode 12 turned off the audience’s laughter that came with its multi-camera format, until zombie George appeared.
Granted that Sheldon’s prequel also dabbled in some fantastical scenes, but pulling a jump scare in what is a highly emotional moment is arguably a misstep from the spinoff sequel’s creative team. Aside from not adding anything to the moment, other than a “gotcha” moment, it also took away from the emotional weight of the moment. For a while, it felt like we were transported back to watching Young Sheldon, as Georgie & Mandy’s First Marriage episode 12 turned off the audience’s laughter that came with its multi-camera format, until zombie George appeared.
Mary returns in Georgie & Mandy’s First Marriage episode 10, and even the way she acted surprised Young Sheldon’s most hypocritical character.
George’s Disapproval Of Georgie Is More Than Enough Horror In The Dream Sequence
Georgie Has Been Working Hard To Make His Father Proud
In terms of the narrative, George not showing Georgie sympathy as he battled a nasty cold was a much bigger horror than any jump scare in Georgie & Mandy’s First Marriage. Despite their rather turbulent relationship in Young Sheldon, the eldest Cooper kid becoming a father helped him connect better with his father, as he developed a sense of responsibility. Unfortunately, before they could have fully fostered a relationship, George died.
Somehow, Georgie & Mandy’s First Marriage episode 9 manages to make Baby Cece’s disrespect of Meemaw worse with their parenting decisions.
As established in The Big Bang Theory, and emphasized in Georgie & Mandy’s First Marriage, Georgie fills the void that his dad left — something that he promised George in his farewell message. I would have preferred it if the Young Sheldon sequel spinoff hammered how the idea of letting his father down was his biggest fear. It would have been a smarter way to highlight the horror of his dream reunion with George.
