Reviewer Rating: 4.5/5.0
4.5
It’s still not Young Sheldon and it can’t be, but Georgie and Mandy’s First Marriage Season 1 Episode 2 is closer to what I missed.
Maybe it’s the Missy subplot or George speaking to George’s grave, but the second installment of this new spinoff feels more familiar and comfortable.
I still think live laughter detracts from a performance rather than enhances it, especially when the audience laughs at the more serious material, but we can’t have it all.
Georgie and Mandy’s second episode is more serious
I love it when a comedy can make me laugh and cry in the same episode.
All the great classic comedies, like “All in the Family” and “The Mary Tyler Moore Show,” did this. The same goes for Young Sheldon.
Georgie and Mandy’s Marriage Season 1 Episode 2 found the perfect balance between emotion and comedy.
I wasn’t in favor of George Sr. dying near the end of Young Sheldon because I worried it would make the ending too depressing, but without it we wouldn’t have the subplot in this story.
Georgie speaking on his father’s grave creates such a powerful opening and closing narrative that I initially wished every episode was structured this way.
It would quickly become a tired TV trope if they did, but it worked really well for this episode.
Missy’s subplot is the emotional heart of Georgie & Mandy Season 1 Episode 2
Missy from Young Sheldon has always been my favorite. She’s smart and sassy, but always gets lost in the shuffle because everyone’s attention is on Sheldon.
I know what it’s like to grow up in the shadow of your siblings and always be compared to them.
Even though our situations were completely different, I always identified strongly with Missy’s feelings and was disappointed that there wasn’t much of her in the final season.
Not surprisingly, after her father’s death, she became a rebellious troublemaker. The eldest lady was heading in that direction before, but as she said, no one can stop her from cheating now.
Missy: Now that you’re gone and Sheldon is gone, I’m lonely. It’s so much easier to get away from things now, but it sucks.
For me, what was supposed to be one of the funniest moments in the second episode of Georgie & Mandy Season 1 turned out to be the most painful.
Telling someone you’re there for them and then getting called away when they start pouring their heart out is an old joke that I’ve never found funny.
It’s not cool when a person feels ignored, alone, and acts out because they have no other way to express their pain, while the people who should be there for them pull the rug out from under them.
When Missy finally cried at her father’s grave, my heart broke.
I can guarantee, though, that this was just the beginning of her rebellious behavior, and not just because we know from The Big Bang Theory that Missy didn’t find much success and happiness as an adult.
This is bad. Georgie is right, she has a good head that she needs to use.
I can understand her not wanting to listen to him, though.
Not only is he her brother, not her father, but he dropped out of high school after learning Mandy was pregnant with his child, so he’s not the best person to advise her to stay in school and do what she’s supposed to do .
There are cracks in Georgie and Mandy’s foundation
The seeds of George and Mandy’s breakup have been planted.
Although Audrey’s mistaken belief that Georgie is nothing more than a teenager is the whole problem here, the young couple is already showing signs of being unable to weather life’s storms together.
George’s panic attack was well done. It’s understandable that after losing his father as he did he would be terrified of losing his father at an early age, although I realized what that was before he died.
The studio audience disagreed, but I thought his exchange with the doctor was both funny and poignant. Only Georgie tries to convince the doctor that “something doesn’t sound right” when the doctor tells him his heart is fine.
I also like that Jim acknowledges the emotional difficulties that many men have. He holds a piece of bacon in his hand and his self-deprecating jokes about eating right and exercising to deal with stress are perfect.
This is a serious problem in reality, but sometimes the best way to address social issues is with humor, and George and Mandy’s First Marriage Season 1 Episode 2 does that perfectly.
Connor shouldn’t be the butt of the joke
Georgie and Mandy’s First Marriage Season 1 Episode 2 does a great job of dealing with mental health issues… except for one.
It’s clear that Connor is autistic, or at least autistic, and will likely be Sheldon’s replacement in the spinoff.
But too many of his scenes involve Mandy and her mother arguing about whether Connor is “normal,” and it feels like the underlying message is that the quirks that come with his neurodivergence are worthy of ridicule.
The Big Bang Theory does this to some extent with Sheldon, albeit in a less mean-spirited way.
Although the adult version of Sheldon is often annoying, his sole purpose is not to be the butt of a joke.
Despite his self-centeredness and annoying habits, his friends still love him and he’s the main character.
So far, Connor’s only purpose in “Georgie and Mandy’s First Marriage” has been to come in, say something weird, get laughed at, and then leave.
I hope this changes soon. If Connor isn’t going to be an important enough character to have a storyline besides being weird, then he needs to be cut from the show.
Random Thoughts on Georgie and Mandy’s First Marriage Season 1 Episode 2
Some additional thoughts:
- It would be awesome if Missy’s storyline was the backdrop for Paige’s return. She’s been on a similar path for years, and Missy has gotten her into trouble before, so now is the perfect time to bring her back.
- Audrey was still too hard and she often joked that George was too young for Mandy and needed to stop
- Aside from Connor’s terrible jokes, if I could wave a magic wand and delete one part of the show it would be Reuben, who added nothing.
- The situation in this episode was so relatable, I almost forgot this was supposed to take place in the 1990s and not the digital age.
Over to you, George and Mandy fanatics. What did you think of this episode?
Sound off in the comments with your thoughts, and don’t forget to rate this episode by voting in our poll!
George and Mandy’s First Marriage airs Thursdays on CBS at 8/7c and Fridays on Paramount+.
Watch Georgie and Mandy’s First Marriage online
