Georgie & Mandy’s First Marriage

At the time of writing this critique, only the first two episodes of this show have been released. I’m reviewing it this early because I don’t see it lasting much longer. It’s very rare to see a spinoff of a spinoff, and Georgie and Mandy’s first wedding shows us why that’s so rare. I’m not sure if this show looked good on paper or whose idea it was to bring a grandchild of The Big Bang Theory into existence, but it’s simply not working.

The reason I call it the “grandchild” of The Big Bang Theory rather than the “child” of Young Sheldon is because this show is filmed in front of a live studio audience, much like The Big Bang Theory, while Young Sheldon is a traditional sitcom without an audience. Simply put, this show just isn’t funny.

Before I dive deeper, I have to say—and I’m probably not the only one who thought this—that Mandy’s mom looks noticeably different on Young Sheldon compared to this show. I’m not sure if it’s the camera quality or the difference between a scripted show without a live audience and a show filmed in front of one, which gives it a more modern soap-opera feel. But I actually had to Google to see if Audrey McAllister was played by the same person (Rachel Bay Jones), and it turns out she is.

Personally, I feel like if Sheldon Cooper were a real person, he would hate this show, which is ironic because it’s a spinoff of a spinoff centered around him at different points in his life. As a huge fan of The Big Bang Theory and someone who really enjoys Young Sheldon and its concept, I don’t want to completely trash Georgie and Mandy’s first marriage. The writers and producers have done a good job of keeping the show “Bible accurate”—by that, I mean everything referenced in The Big Bang Theoryand Young Sheldon aligns with what’s happening in this show so far. However, as I mentioned earlier, it feels more like a soap opera than a sitcom, with laughs so few and far between that you sometimes think you’re watching a drama.

I’ll be surprised if this show makes it through a full 10+ episode season because it’s not off to a strong start, neither from a fan’s point of view nor from a ratings perspective. I probably speak for a lot of Big Bang Theory and Young Sheldon fans when I say I am disappointed in this show so far. But because of the history and legacy of the series, I’m willing to give it a bit more time to grow. Hopefully, Montana Jordan, who plays Georgie, and his co-star Emily Osment, who plays his wife Mandy, can turn things around in the next episode or two; otherwise, this may mark the end of The Big Bang Theory universe.

In the very first episode, there’s a scene where Georgie is upset, and it’s so unconvincing that I thought it was a commercial break or a sketch spoofing the show. But it was actually part of the episode, and I’m not sure why they kept it after the table read and rehearsal. That scene is just one example of how poorly the show is going so far, even within the first two episodes.

Thankfully, the original Big Bang Theory and Young Sheldon have given us plenty of great moments, impressive acting, and memorable laughs. On a scale of one to ten, I’d give this show a 5.5, and that’s with the added bias from my love for its predecessors. As always, I encourage everyone to check out the show for themselves, but I’m fairly confident my review is on point with this one. With all the hardworking screenwriters with brilliant ideas out there, this shows me how out of touch CBS is with the real world. They could've spent this budget on something else in my opinion.