The Coopers are back! Well, sort of. In Georgie & Mandy's First Marriage, created by Chuck Lorre, George Cooper Jr., aka Georgie (Montana Jordan), and Mandy McAllister (Emily Osment), have moved in with Mandy's parents, Audrey (Rachel Bay Jones) and Jim McAllister (Will Sasso). Now raising their young daughter, the newlyweds are trying to balance their family, Mandy's family, how the two don't always mesh, and not sacrificing their own marriage along the way. It would imply, however, by the title, that there may be bumps along the way or moments where the two call it quits, at least for a little bit, before ultimately getting back together.
The premiere episode, titled "The 6:10 to Lubbock," establishes Georgie and Mandy moving in with Mandy's parents. Georgie is now working at Jim McAllister's tire shop, with the series obviously laying the groundwork for what will eventually lead him to becoming Dr. Tire. Immediately, there's tension between Mandy and Audrey, between Audrey and Georgie, and Jim... well, Jim is just trying to stay out of it and keep a beer in his hand. They all clearly care about Georgie and Mandy's daughter, CeeCee, having a safe place to land, but other interpersonal relationships cause friction.
'Georgie & Mandy's First Marriage Returns to Its 'Big Bang Theory' Roots
If you've watched The Big Bang Theoryand Young Sheldon, the multi-camera format with a laugh track may be an adjustment. It could in part be because we're seeing the characters from Young Sheldon basically in The Big Bang Theory format, or maybe it's something else. Do these characters even cross format well? There's a taste of it in Young Sheldon, with older Sheldon Cooper (reprised by Jim Parsons) and Amy Farrah Fowler (Mayim Bialik) recounting the series finale in the format of a frame story, but seeing those characters no longer in a multi-format was less jarring by comparison. None of this is necessarily a negative, but viewers might notice that distinct shift.
The episode does push the change in filming format at the beginning and end, using Frasier to point out, "Isn't it so much better when you can hear the audience laugh?" The dialogue is definitely snappier, playing more for laughs than it was in Young Sheldon, where the emotional touchpoints had better room to breathe without feeling the absence of an audience track.
This Is When You'll See All Your Favorite 'Young Sheldon' Characters Together In the New Spin-Off
'Georgie & Mandy's First Marriage' debuts next month.
Georgie Cooper Is Finally a Well-Rounded Character
Another big difference between the two shows is Montana Jordan's shift into playing more of a main character. In Young Sheldon, he was the goofy older brother, definitely a secondary presence in comparison to Iain Armitage's Sheldon Cooper and even Raegan Revord's Missy, but in his own series, Jordan seamlessly steps into the role of leading man. Georgie feels like an actual character, rather than comic relief. He's still got some of the best quips in the show, but now they're often supported by Will Sasso's great comedic timing as well. Pitting Georgie against Rachel Bay Jones' Audrey also provides some of the best scenes in the premiere. To Audrey, Georgie will always be the irresponsible teenager who got her daughter pregnant, and to Georgie, Audrey is someone he can never win with.
The character growth in Jordan's performance is also deeply impressive. Viewers got a taste of this towards the end of Young Sheldon, as Georgie stepped up to be a father to CeeCee and later husband to Mandy. That evolution was on further display after the in-show death of Lance Barber's George Sr., as Georgie makes a promise, at his funeral, to step up and take care of the family. It seems that, despite living with the McAllisters in the early stages of his and Mandy's marriage, he'll keep that promise. We'll likely see that played out, just as we'll get to see more Young Sheldon characters guest star on Georgie & Mandy's First Marriage, with a planned Thanksgiving episode reuniting almost all of them.
Georgie and Mandy Are a Solid Couple in Their 'First Marriage'
Upon hearing about an argument between Mandy and Audrey in the premiere, Georgie jumps to Mandy's defense, making for a good representation of how these two have grown and how these characters operate within their marriage. Osment's Mandy has always been the more mature one (a given, considering their age difference) but now, in this spin-off, their relationship is the focus, and that comes with all sorts of vulnerabilities. Georgie is still mourning the loss of his father, while Mandy is fighting a losing battle with her mother's narcissistic tendencies. The two not only explore more mature aspects of their relationship, but also withstand the tests that come with it. Mandy isn't afraid to be vulnerable around Georgie, and Georgie isn't afraid to stand up for Mandy, making them a seemingly solid on-screen couple.
The premiere cements Georgie & Mandy's First Marriage as a worthy successor in the universe of The Big Bang Theory. The return to multi-camera offers a new perspective on these characters, literally, allowing the comedy we saw from the cast in Young Sheldon to shine even more. Montana and Osment's chemistry makes you want to continue rooting for the couple, even if the show's title implies their marriage (this time around) may be short-lived.
Georgie and Mandy's First Marriage airs Mondays on CBS and next-day on Paramount+.
The next spin-off in The Big Bang Theory universe has arrived, but did we need Georgie and Mandy's First Marriage?
- The return to multi-camera format really fits this cast of characters.
- Montana Jordan steps into the role of a main character seamlessly, as does Emily Osment.
- The show proves itself in the premiere as a worthy successor in the universe of The Big Bang Theory.
- The show pointing out the multi-camera format was awkward and the episode could've done without it.
- We briefly meet Mandy's brother, but the show could function without him, so it's unclear what the plan is for his character.
- Shifting back to multi-camera means we'll likely miss a lot of the emotional touchpoints that were allowed to breathe on Young Sheldon.
Watch on Paramount+
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