‘Georgie & Mandy’s First Marriage’ Is Slowly Turning This Once-Hated Character Into a Fan-Favorite

georgie 0and mandy’s first marriage has proven to be a successful spin-off of Young Sheldon, which itself serves as a prequel to The Big Bang Theory. Centered around the eldest Cooper son Georgie (Montana Jordan) and his new wife Mandy (Emily Osment) raising their baby together, the show has a great supporting cast as well. Several cast members from Young Sheldon have already made guest appearances as well.

However, one supporting cast member is slowly endearing fans. While she might have started off as deeply unlikeable, she’s growing on fans as the character’s arc continues.

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  Montana Jordan

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The First Introduction to Audrey McAllister in ‘Young Sheldon’

Mandy was first introduced in Young Sheldon as an older woman Georgie ran into at Connie’s (Annie Potts) laundromat. They struck up a conversation, and he lied about his age so that he could date her. Fast forward to the first night they sleep together, and Georgie finally confesses. But by this time, Mandy is pregnant.

As the pair try to navigate this complication, they eventually come back together, thanks to the support of the Cooper family. Mandy eventually decides to let the lie go and pursue a relationship with Georgie, who has proven himself dedicated to helping her  raise their child and being a devoted partner. They get married, which Mary (Zoe Perry) appreciates. But Mandy’s parents, especially her mother Audrey (Rachel Bay Jones), aren’t so enthused.

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‘The Big Bang Theory’ universe grew into spin-offs ‘Young Sheldon’ and ‘Georgie & Mandy’s First Marriage,’ but very few characters are in all three.

Mandy spent much of her time with the Coopers because she had been estranged from her parents and didn’t want to deal with her judgemental mother, Audrey (Rachel Bay Jones). She was right because her mother is completely against the relationship, believing that Georgie isn’t mature enough and that Mandy has wasted her life. And she’s not afraid to express her opinions in the most biting and passive-aggressive ways.

As Audrey pops up more and more, however, urged to reconnect with her daughter and be supportive, she has frequent conflicts with Mary. After some prodding, she relents to helping her daughter and dotes over her new granddaughter. However, she still hasn’t changed her views, choosing to merely tolerate Georgie versus actually giving him a chance.

Audrey’s Arc in ‘Georgie & Mandy’s First Marriage’ So Far

In the first episodes of Georgie & Mandy’s First Marriage, Audrey repeatedly cracks jokes or makes underhanded, passive-aggressive remarks about Georgie relating to his maturity, age, or ability to be a good father or husband. She won’t give him a chance and tries her best to make him feel uncomfortable in her home, where the couple are now living with their baby. Georgie gets along well with Mandy’s more easy- going father , Jim (Will Sasso), who even hires him to work at his tire shop. But rather than see Georgie’s dedication to the job as a positive thing, Audrey focuses on the fact that Jim hired him and that’s the only reason he’s there.

Despite Georgie proving again and again that he’s a good husband and father, being a hard worker and always there for Mandy and Cece, Audrey can’t help but talk badly about him. She’s also worried about her daughter, who had big career aspirations and now has to put her life on hold to raise a child. Audrey seems well-meaning, but her delivery is always rife with judgemental undertones. She also doesn’t shy away from telling Mandy that she’s confident the relationship won’t work out in the long run because of  the large age gap between them.

The oldest Cooper child in ‘Georgie & Mandy’s First Marriage’ is a far better protagonist than his genius younger brother in ‘Young Sheldon.’

A turning point for Audrey, however, comes when Georgie, Jim, and Mandy’s older brother Connor (Dougie Baldwin) go on a road trip together. Georgie and Jim are restoring an old car in the garage, something Georgie believes Connor should be doing with his father. When Jim declares that will never happen, Connor choosing to engage in his own interests and keep to himself, Georgie insists they try, showing a level of understanding for connor that he never did his own brother.

After returning, Audrey makes an underhanded remark to Connor, whom she dotes over, that she’s sorry Georgie had to be there, too. But Connor throws her for a loop when he says he’s glad Georgie was there and declares that he’s a good person. Given how close Audrey is with Connor and how protective she is of him, this takes her aback. She realizes in this moment that maybe there’s more to Georgie than she gives him credit for.

The Switch in Perception of Audrey

Later, when Mary shows up in an episode to visit her granddaughter, Audrey shows her petty side once again when she gets angry that Mary snuck a photo of her and Cece into a baby photo album without permission. She snaps at Mary, and the two argue. But later, Audrey does something she has never done before. She starts to question if maybe she was wrong and visits Mary to apologize. It’s one of the first times she takes accountability for what she did instead of opting for the “who, me?” attitude, claiming to be the victim every time.

While Audrey is still Audrey and makes a remark about Mary needing support after losing her husband after her apology, implying pity, Mary starts the fight again. Mary begins to show a different side of herself as well, making several remarks that even have  pastor jeff, who makes a camoe in one episode, shocked at the way she’s speaking to Audrey. As views of Mary shift through her change in attitude from the softer-spoken, sweet Southern mom to a more hardened, angry woman, fans start to look at Audrey in a more positive light.

In a later episode, when the men go to a tire conference, which is actually just an annual ruse for Jim to go to a casino for the weekend, Audrey and Mandy bond on a night out drinking. Mandy expresses her worry about her parents’ marriage when Audrey declares that she knows where Jim really is, but she has kept quiet for years since he started going every year anyway.

After getting tipsy, Audrey reveals another side of herself. It’s a more playful, fun side that suggests that she might have actually been quite fun to hang around when she was younger and less uptight. Fans begin to see that she probably became the way she is after having lived a life that’s much like what Mandy’s looks like now. She had kids when she was young and had to abandon her professional dreams because of it. Decades later, she clearly still resents that, loving her kids but regretful that she never found her own sense of self.

Armed with this knowledge and a bit of sympathy for what Audrey gave up to raise a family, fans have a bit more appreciation for the character, particularly for her relationship with Mandy. While her words come across as criticism, and often are, they are largely because she fears that Mandy might be on the same path as she was and wants more for her daughter. She just doesn’t know how to express this in a loving way.

There’s clearly another side to Audrey that hasn’t been explored, and fans are excited to see where it could go. While Audrey and Georgie will likely never be best friends, she’s finally warming to him and giving him a chance. She isn’t completely disregarding the relationship even if she still believes deep down that it won’t last.

What also makes fans slightly more warm to Audrey is that they know she’s right. The marriage doesn’t last. What happens to lead to its breakdown is unknown just yet. But her warnings were valid, even if her delivery was not. What’s most important about Audrey is that even if she knows the marriage won’t be forever, she’s finally learning to accept Georgie, recognize what he’s doing now, and recognize her daughter for what she has accomplished instead of highlighting what she hasn’t. When it comes to Audrey, there’s still so much more room for growth, and fans can’t wait to see how it all pans out. Stream Georgie & Mandy’s First Marriage on .paramount +.