‘Georgie and Mandy’s First Marriage’ Needs to Address This ‘Young Sheldon’ Character’s Future

In many ways,’Georgie and Mandy’s First Marriage’ is an extension of young sheldon  Despite not having its titular genius, the show follows the same main characters in the same town in the same period of time. After Young Sheldon jumped back 30 years from The Big Bang Theory, it’s nice to keep the setting consistent this time around. This also means bringing Young Sheldon alums over to guest star on Georgie & Mandy is relatively easy.

We’ve seen the rest of the Texas-residing Coopers (Mary, Missy, and Meemaw) visit Georgie and Mandy’s home sporadically throughout the first season. Most of these guest spots are simply fan service, and they don’t build on the characters beyond what was established on Young Sheldon. However, the show has a chance to do this with one of the more underdeveloped Cooper family members. Specifically, Sheldon’s twin brother, Missy. Some fans were unhappy with how her arc ended on Young Sheldon, feeling she didn’t get the same closure or resolution afforded to other characters. And as the only Cooper sibling…there’s a chance that her story may never get that tidy wrap-up. But…to help the typically neglected younger Cooper child.

How Did Missy’s Story End in ‘Young Sheldon’?

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  Montana Jordan

  Georgie Cooper
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Throughout Young Sheldon, Missy was usually the forgotten child. Sheldon was the clear priority, and Georgie’s presence increased when he became a husband and father. But Missy was on the back burner. She made no attempts to hide her displeasure at this, which typically led to more punishments and resentment.

She acted out as a preteen, which included stealing George’s truck and running away from home. That got her attention, but not in the way she was hoping. But near the end of the show, it looked like Missy’s tide was turning. She stepped up as leader of the house when Mary was in Germany with Sheldon and began building those closer familial bonds. However, when George died, she regressed to her lowest point.

Georgie & Mandy’s First Marriage has one character who seems to fall into the background and is seemingly misunderstood.

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Everyone who watched The Big Bang Theory knew that the death of the Cooper patriarch was coming. But that still didn’t make it any easier to deal with. Each member of the family had their own outlet for dealing with grief. Mary threw herself deeper into religion, Georgie was busy with his own wife and daughter, and…Missy didn’t have a coping method, which resulted in her angrily lashing out at family and friends. She wasn’t able to work through her grief, as no one helped her deal with it in a healthy way. Mary was too busy with the church, and the rest of the family was focused on themselves.

Since George’s death was the focus of the series finale, Missy’s grief is not wrapped up in any meaningful way. Beyond the grief, her character as a whole didn’t get a proper resolution. She shares a quick moment with Sheldon before he leaves, but that’s it. There’s no final scene of the family reflecting together, nor is there an indication of what’s coming next for her. We know from The Big Bang Theory that she struggled later in life, but why not address some of that in the Young Sheldon finale? Executive producer Steve Holland clarified that they wanted to end Missy’s story on an ambiguous note, not too depressing or uplifting. But this was a character we followed for seven seasons, and ending on unresolved grief from a parental death hit hard.

A Chance for Redemption in ‘Georgie & Mandy’s First Marriage’

Missy made a few appearances on Georgie & Mandy, offering a glimpse into her post-Young Sheldon life. She’s begun the typical teenage rebellion phase, complete with skipping school, trying alcohol, and getting a tattoo. She’s also begun butting heads more with Mary now that it’s just the two of them in the Cooper house. We get to see more of her dynamic with Georgie, who now acts as the surrogate family patriarch. The Thanksgiving episode features a memorable moment with Mary, Missy, and Georgie sharing…Missy’s unpacking some of that grief; while it’s not a complete picture, it’s better than what Young Sheldon left us with.

What else do we know about Missy’s life from The Big Bang Theory? She grows up to get married and have two kids, though her husband leaves her when she’s pregnant for the second time. But beyond that, there are few details of her adult life. Like the rest of the family, George’s death was the most significant event in her younger days. In-universe, it’s still been a relatively short amount of time …so how else is it affecting her? Maybe Georgie & Mandy’s First Marriage could do an episode focusing solely on Georgie and Missy’s dynamic. They experienced the same loss, and Georgie seems to be coping far better than she is. Viewers would love to see the big brother comfort his younger sister and give her an outlet to work through that trauma.

Georgie and Sheldon never had a close relationship on Young Sheldon, but in ‘Georgie & Mandy’s First Marriage,’ Georgie tries to make up for that.

We don’t necessarily need a complete resolution, as that’s not how grief works. If Georgie & Mandy’s First Marriage can show the audience that Missy is working through it in a healthy way and she’s not just stuck in this cycle of anger and resentment, everything doesn’t need to be tied together in a neat, little bow. Maybe they also get into what she wants out of life or any post-high-school plans. She deserves to have some agency and not be defined as just “Sheldon’s twin.” Will Georgie & Mandy’s First Marriage take this route? We don’t know, but as it was recently renewed… there is plenty of time to keep continuing Missy’s story. Georgie & Mandy’s First Marriage airs Thursday nights at 8:00 pm on CBS and streams on…