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.
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
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.
At least in Young Sheldon, however, reasoning occasionally worked on Mary. She was also more tactful with her actions and words when it came to people who didn’t have the same values. In The Big Bang Theory, she was extremely judgmental and flat-out rude, even to Sheldon’s closest friends. She was racist to Raj, sexist to Penny, and antisemitic to Howard. The Pasadena gang tolerated her because she was Sheldon’s mom, but many of her comments and behavior were reprehensible. What was worse was that she never saw anything wrong with her demeanor because she chalked it up to religion.
Georgie & Mandy’s Sequel Alienating Mary Explains Why She Clings To Her Church
Mary Will Be Separated From Her Family In The Young Sheldon Sequel
After the Young Sheldon finale, Perry is about to reprise her role as Mary in Georgie & Mandy’s First Marriage. The follow-up to the prequel will shift its storytelling focus from the Coopers to the new family of Georgie and Mandy, who are living with the McAllisters. Despite that, Mary is confirmed to appear in Georgie & Mandy’s First Marriage pilot, alongside Annie Potts’ Meemaw. It’s unclear how she fits into the premiere, but currently, that will be her only involvement. Despite this, her absence in itself can effectively explain why she got worse in The Big Bang Theory.
This effectively pushes Mary more toward Pastor Jeff and his church, resulting in a more devoted, albeit often misguided, Christian in the future.
It’s no secret that Mary struggled to cope with the unexpected death of George in Young Sheldon. She tried to keep it together at first, but she eventually fell apart following the funeral. Unfortunately, with Sheldon in California and Georgie living elsewhere, she now only lives with Missy, with whom she doesn’t have the best relationship. Meanwhile, Meemaw is no longer easily accessible across the street, as she currently stays with her boyfriend, Dale. This effectively pushes Mary more toward Pastor Jeff and his church, resulting in a more devoted, albeit often misguided, Christian in the future.
Backing up this possibility is Missy’s expanded role in Georgie & Mandy’s First Marriage. Raegan Revord was only supposed to appear in episode 2, but that has been changed. Instead, she will be in multiple outings throughout the spinoff sequel’s first year, although it’s unclear at which point she will appear. Nevertheless, spending more time with Georgie and Mandy, who live across town, further isolates Mary from the family. If anything, Missy’s visits to her brother should include their mom, but that isn’t likely going to be the case.
Sheldon & George’s Absences Contribute To Mary’s The Big Bang Theory Change
Mary Really Only Listened To Her Favorite Son & Husband
Aside from being isolated from her family, another major factor that will contribute to this change for Mary is the absence of George and Sheldon. The Young Sheldon finale marked the end of the small screen road for both beloved characters, albeit in very different ways. Per the timeline, George did die around the same time that Sheldon started his post-graduate studies at Caltech. Now, that they’re both gone, nobody can effectively call out Mary for the error of her ways.
Unfortunately, the Cooper matriarch just doesn’t share the same kind of relationship that she has with Sheldon with Georgie and Missy. With the boy genius now in California, he can no longer keep his mother in check regularly, which he did occasionally when he was still living with her in Medford. Georgie will be too busy juggling so many things on her plate to pay close attention to his mom, while Missy is also going through her grief. Aside from Sheldon, George was the only other person who could actually talk some sense into Mary, but he, too, is gone.
