Mary being worse in The Big Bang Theory than in Young Sheldon will be fully explained in Georgie & Mandy’s First Marriage. Sheldon’s mother was the most prominent guest member of the Cooper family in the nerd-centric sitcom. Throughout The Big Bang Theory’s run, Mary appeared countless times, regularly visiting her son in California. This allowed CBS to establish the older version of the character, played by Laurie Metcalf before Zoe Perry assumed the role in Young Sheldon. While they shared some prominent characteristics, it was clear that Mary was worse in The Big Bang Theory than in its prequel.
For what it’s worth, discrepancies in the characterization of Sheldon’s family didn’t just impact Mary. Arguably the best example of this was George. In The Big Bang Theory, the Cooper patriarch was described by Mary and his favorite son as a no-good father, which was further from the truth in the prequel. Young Sheldon even retconned George’s cheating scandal story to fully redeem his image. The differences in Mary’s depiction between shows, however, weren’t as glaring as her husband’s. That said, there’s an extra need to explain the change in her demeanor because her story is still evolving.
Missy, Sheldon, Georgie, and Mandy in Young Sheldon Season 6, Episode 8
Missy, Sheldon, Georgie, and Mandy in Young Sheldon Season 6, Episode 8
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Mary Was More Stuck In Her Misguided Ways In The Big Bang Theory Than In Young Sheldon
Older Mary Used Religion To Justify Her Bad Behavior
Zoe Perry as Mary at George’s funeral in the Young Sheldon finale
Zoe Perry as Mary at George’s funeral in the Young Sheldon finale
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Unlike George, whose iterations were contradicting, Mary’s versions weren’t that different. Instead, her The Big Bang Theory depiction was simply more judgmental and self-centered compared to her younger self. Her devotion to her church was already a well-established part of her persona long before Sheldon and Missy were born, revealing in the nerd-centric sitcom that she specifically begged the Lord for the boy genius to be smart. Mary maintained this devotion to her congregation during Young Sheldon’s early years but broke away from it after Pastor Jeff ruthlessly kicked her out upon learning of Georgie and Mandy’s unexpected pregnancy.
