As exciting as it is seeing Mary in Georgie & Mandy’s First Marriage, her return only further ruins the character and inches her closer to the appalling version of Sheldon’s mother in The Big Bang Theory. While the Young Sheldon cancelation proved to be divisive, considering how beloved the prequel was, CBS and Chuck Lorre found a way to continue the legacy of the nerd-centric franchise via a new series. Georgie & Mandy’s First Marriage ushers a new era in The Big Bang Theory franchise, as it’s the first series that doesn’t put Sheldon at the center of its storytelling.
Instead, the new sitcom shifts its focus to Montana Jordan’s Georgie and Emily Osment’s Mandy, as they navigate life. Unlike Young Sheldon, Georgie & Mandy’s First Marriage barely has any ties to The Big Bang Theory timeline, since it’s set in the aftermath of Sheldon’s move to Pasadena. That said, there are certain continuity details that it needs to preserve. Aside from Georgie and Mandy’s split, it also needs to properly show the transition of Zoe Perry’s Mary to the more judgmental and appalling version of the character in the nerd-centric show. Sadly, that includes continuing her destruction.
The Young Sheldon Finale Set Up Mary’s The Big Bang Theory Future
George’s Death Motivates Mary To Be More Dedicated To Her Church
The majority of the Cooper family was somehow worse in The Big Bang Theory than in Young Sheldon. While George’s different demeanor between the show had been discussed extensively in the last seven years, little was said about Mary’s tendency to be outright horrible in the nerd-centric sitcom. Young Sheldon‘s version of Sheldon’s mom was more mellow. At some point, she was even agreeable to everyone after she was kicked out of her church following news of Georgie and Mandy getting pregnant out of wedlock. That all changed when George unexpectedly died towards the end of the prequel.
In the Young Sheldon finale, Mary significantly dialed up her devotion to her religion, clinging to her faith to cope with the grief over the death of her husband. She even forced her twins to get baptized; Sheldon did, but Mary refused, convinced that it would save their souls from the same fate that their dad suffered.
Georgie & Mandy Refuse To Just Move In With Mary In First Marriage
Mary Not Being With People Who Can Call Her Out Results In TBBT’s Worse Version
As Mary returns in Georgie & Mandy’s First Marriage episode 1, “The 6:10 to Lubbock,” the franchise continues the character’s downward spiral. Following the couple’s decision to leave the McAllisters, they move to a mobile home beside a train station. Mary and Meemaw visit them, although Sheldon’s mom asks why Georgie and Mandy just don’t move in with her. Meemaw half-jokingly says it’s because they don’t like her. Regardless of the reason, this decision indirectly pushes the Cooper matriarch to her more judgmental and frustrating version in The Big Bang Theory.
As established in The Big Bang Theory and Young Sheldon , Mary tends to use her faith as an excuse for her appalling ways.
Without Georgie or even Mandy, no one would keep an eye on her when she gets overly attached to her religion. As established in The Big Bang Theory and Young Sheldon, Mary tends to use her faith as an excuse for her appalling ways. Georgie & Mandy’s First Marriage episode 1 piles on that when she refuses to drink wine simply because she’s supposed to be a good Christian. Missy still lives with Mary in their family home in Medford, but she has long given up on her mom. Sheldon’s twin is also busy dealing with her own grief.
How Being Alone Sets Mary Down A Dark Path Post-Young Sheldon
Without Her Family, Mary Will Further Cling To Her Religion
When Young Sheldon started, Mary was already a devout Christian, and her family had no choice but to support her by attending service every week and also being active in their church. Meemaw subsequently revealed that she wasn’t always like this. In fact, her daughter was fun and wild in her younger years. While Mary had free will to devote as much time and effort to her community, she still had a family to answer to.
George was in Young Sheldon to call her out when she sacrificed time and even money for the church. Sheldon did the same, although it was by challenging her religion’s logic. Now, both of them are no longer around. Meemaw is with Dale, Georgie would have been the best person to remind Mary of her tendencies to over-prioritize church, but that isn’t the case in Georgie & Mandy’s First Marriage. Couple that with her grief coping strategy, Mary will likely only cling harder to her religion, resulting in a more radicalized version of herself in The Big Bang Theory.
