Why Georgie & Mandy’s First Marriage Is Bringing Lance Barber Back After George Sr’s Young Sheldon Death

Lance Barber is officially coming back as George Cooper Sr. in Georgie & Mandy’s First Marriage , but CBS will have to be more creative with his return. Despite its continued popularity,…because of The Big Bang Theory canon. The prequel was already reaching its natural endpoint, and despite creating countless plot inconsistencies before, the producers decided to stick to the canon. Ultimately, the end of Sheldon’s childhood was defined by two things: his move to California and…— both arcs played out in the spinoff’s send-off.

Had Chuck Lorre and the rest of his writing team decided to totally break away from canon, Young Sheldon would have continued and likely tackled some of the major plots in Georgie & Mandy’s First Marriage. Despite the shift in storytelling focus, with the McAllisters becoming its extended cast, the  cooper family  and its story remain an integral part of The Big Bang Theory franchise’s expansion show. This is evidenced in the returns of Mary, Missy, and Meemaw. Because of that, George’s return shouldn’t be surprising, although the specifics of his appearance would have to be a bit more complex.

Lance Barber Is Confirmed To Return As George In Georgie & Mandy’s First Marriage

The Cooper Patriarch Will Return Despite His Death In Young Sheldon

Less than a year since the young sheldon finale  CBS is bringing back Barber as George for a cameo in Georgie & Mandy’s First Marriage. Montana Jordan and Emily Osment’s show is arguably the spiritual successor to its parent show, despite barely having any ties to The Big Bang Theory. Following the returns of the remaining Texas-based Coopers, its recent episodes have been more focused on exploring the McAllisters some more, including Mandy’s eccentric brother, Connor. Sometime in the near future, however, Georgie’s clan will be back at the center of its storytelling with Barber’s return.

While no longer a cast member, the actor has actually kept in touch with his Young Sheldon castmates, even attending the live-studio filming of Georgie & Mandy’s First Marriage‘s first Thanksgiving episode, which featured Mary, Missy, and Meemaw all sharing the screen for the first time since the old show wrapped up. In terms of the narrative, George remains as relevant as ever, since Georgie’s arc as a father has been drawing some parallels with the Cooper patriarch. That’s on top of him taking over looking after his mom and siblings — a role that his dad originally had.

How George Will Return In First Marriage After His Young Sheldon Death

Georgie & Mandy’s First Marriage Needs To Be More Creative To Feature George

Unlike Mary, Missy, and even the California-based Sheldon, Georgie & Mandy’s First Marriage needs to be a bit more creative when it comes to George’s return. Barber has made it clear that while he will always be open to reprising the beloved role, it would have to be in a way that doesn’t cheapen his character’s demise, which is a major turning point in his family’s overall arc in the franchise. So, mining inspiration from his own experience, Lorre decides that George’s return in Georgie & Mandy’s First Marriage will be through Georgie’s dream.Considering George and Georgie’s mostly contentious relationship in Young Sheldon, this reunion will likely be a highly emotional one.As it turns out, Baby Cece’s father would be racked with anxiety about failing his father’s legacy. Georgie & Mandy’s First Marriage established early on that Georgie’s primary struggle is finding the balance between taking care of his two families. His father comes into him via a dream and likely gives some encouragement. Considering George and Georgie’s mostly contentious relationship in Young Sheldon, this reunion will likely be a highly emotional one. No additional details have been revealed, however, about the episode, but it will more or less come out in the next month or two.

Why George’s Return In First Marriage Equal Parts Exciting & Worrisome

It’s A Tricky Cameo To Pull Off

It’s an understatement to say that Barber is beloved by the Young Sheldon fan base. Because of his portrayal, the prequel was able to redeem the Cooper patriarch’s bad image that was long-established in The Big Bang Theory. This was also the reason why the Young Sheldon finale was so emotional, even though his death had been confirmed for years. So seeing him again reprise this role and step back as George in Georgie & Mandy’s First Marriage is exciting.

That being said, this doesn’t mean that it doesn’t come with massive risks. Depending on how they execute it, George’s return could fall flat, resulting in tarnishing an otherwise perfect send-off for the character in Young Sheldon. Beyond that, it’s simply too early to bring him back, even though Georgie & Mandy’s First Marriage is able to pull off his tricky cameo. For now, however, hopefully the show can do Barber’s return justice.

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