This ‘Georgie & Mandy’s First Marriage’ Character Needs Way More Screentime Before the Season Ends
Since we were introduced to Georgie, Mandy, and Mandy’s…the new show skipped over most of the necessary backstory. But the spin-off still needed to acquaint audiences with its new cast members. They’ve done that with …who seems to be this show’s version of Sheldon. But the other new member, Ruben, is still underdeveloped.
He works with Georgie and Jim at the tire shop, where he’s jealous of the extra attention that boss Jim gives to his new employee and son-in-law. But beyond that, there’s not much else to him. What’s his life like outside of work? How was his relationship with Jim before Georgie’s arrival? He doesn’t need some complex backstory or childhood trauma. But since he’s a main cast member, we should know more about him besides “jealous co-worker.”
The Main Cast of ‘Georgie & Mandy’s First Marriage’
Montana JordanGeorgie Cooper
Georgie & Mandy’s First Marriage focuses on the titular couple (Montana Jordan, Emily Osment) and their immediate family. There are Mandy’s parents (Will Sasso, Rachel Bay Jones), brother Connor (Dougie Baldwin)…infant daughter Cece. So far, most of the action centers solely around the family. Sometimes, we get a scene out on the town or at a familiar Young Sheldon location. But most storylines take place in the McAllister family home or tire shop.
Somehow, one of TV’s best dads has returned.
Enter the only family member not in the immediate McAllister family: Ruben (Jessie Prez), Georgie’s tire shop co-worker. Ruben was Jim’s only employee before Georgie, and he’s not exactly thrilled with the new hire. Jim favors Georgie as his son-in-law and granddaughter’s father and even gives Georgie some authority over Ruben, of which he is not a fan.
Ruben’s contributions to the stories mainly consist of mocking or tricking Georgie, sucking up to Jim, and generally complaining about the new working situation. But beyond that? Well, his character’s really not too deep. Sure, we’re only about halfway through the first season. There’s still time to develop him. But by this point, most new series would have their main cast fully fleshed out. So why not here?
How to Develop Ruben in ‘Georgie & Mandy’s First Marriage’
What else do we know about Ruben besides his surface-level jealousy? Honestly, not much. He was the only other employee at Jim’s tire shop before Georgie arrived. Understandably, he’s jealous of the new hire, especially since he’s the boss’s son-in-law. But the show has a chance to expand on that. What was Jim and Ruben’s relationship like before Georgie showed up? We can assume they spent more one-on-one time together since it was just the two of them.
An early example of this is when Jim chooses Georgie to attend the annual “tire convention” (which is just a front for a gambling trip) over Ruben. Ruben makes jokes, but how does being replaced by some 19-year-old kid affect him on a deeper level? He will naturally feel resentful while missing his old dynamic with the boss. Yes, it is a sitcom, so we won’t go in-depth… But there should be something more, right?
As an audience favorite from ‘The Big Bang Theory’ and someone with plenty of scope for new antics, many fans would love to see Raj have his own show.
Maybe Ruben has this, too. We don’t yet have a reason to root for him since he’s just the snarky co-worker. Giving him a backstory and supporting loved ones could boost his stock as a relatable character. Right now, you could remove him entirely, and Georgie & Mandy would barely change. That’s not something you want from a main character. Let’s hope he gets built up as the series continues throughout this season and beyond. Georgie & Mandy’s First Marriage is streaming on