After his death, George Cooper Sr. actor Lance Barber has a secretGeorgie & Mandy’s First Marriageinvolvement, and that makesYoung Sheldon’s finale much sadder. Despite its popularity, CBS had tocancelYoung Sheldonafter Chuck Lorre and his writers decided that it needed to stick toThe Big Bang Theory’s established canon. This was despite the show creating plot inconsistencies throughout its seven-year run. Still, the network and the creatives found a way to take advantage of the prequel’s popularity by continuing the Coopers family’s story in Texas via Montana Jordan and Emily Osment’s new show.
WhileGeorgie & Mandy’s First Marriageis technically a continuation ofYoung Sheldon, picking up just a couple of months since Sheldon’s move to California, expect big differences between the shows. For starters, it is a multi-cam sitcom, which means that it is filmed before a live-studio audience. Secondly, the storytelling will shift its focus on the McAllisters, as they become the new show’s extended cast, effectively replacing theCooper family. However,The Big Bang Theoryprequel’s cast will still have a presence in the new series, including Barber. Sadly, it isn’t all that good after theYoung Sheldonfinale.
George’s Death Changed The Coopers' Future
Young Sheldon Couldn’t Save George From Dying
Satisfying finales are hard to come by, especially for very popular shows. Lorre and his team’s work was cut out for them for theYoung Sheldonfinale, considering its circumstances when it had to end. After the dual Hollywood strikes of 2023,The Big Bang Theoryprequel had to wrap up its seven-year run with just 14 episodes, which was made trickier by the kind of storylines it had to tackle. Among the narratives that the final season of the comedy/drama had to tackle before it fully bowed out,George’s unexpected deathwas arguably the most difficult to navigate.
Losing George drastically changed the future of Sheldon and his family.
Young Sheldontried to delay George passing away just before the finale, with the writers knowing full well how beloved the character was. Because of this, the Coopers were able to spend as much time as possible. Unfortunately, since the tragedy couldn’t be prevented, it still had to happen. Losing George drastically changed the future of Sheldon and his family. After the clan’s final family dinner, where George and Mary shared their intent to move to the city, they can never be completed again. TheYoung Sheldonfinale didn’t have time to fully explore that, however.
Lance Barber Attends Georgie & Mandy’s First Marriage’s Thanksgiving Live Filming
It’s A Cooper Family Reunion — Even Off-Screen
Sheldon’s family will unlikely be completely on the screen again because of George’s death. Despite theend ofYoung Sheldon, however,Georgie & Mandy’s First Marriageoffers the chance for the Coopers to still come together, which is exactly what’s going to happen in its first Thanksgiving episode special. As confirmed by a social media behind-the-scenes post by Annie Potts,Mary, Missy, Meemaw, and Dale will spend the holiday with the McAllistersin the sequel. What the video doesn’t show, however, is that Barber also attended the live studio filming, as revealed in a separate post. Check them out below:
Sheldon will also not be part ofGeorgie & Mandy’s First Marriage’s special Thanksgiving episode, because of his location. In the timeline, the boy genius is currently in California for his post-graduate studies, so while Mary, Meemaw, and Missy can easily visit Georgie and Mandy across town, it takes a particular narrative to bring him back to Texas. Regardless, however, at least thepeople behindGeorgie & Mandy’s First Marriageare actively looking for ways to get Iain Armitage involved. Because of this, it’s only a matter of time before Sheldon appears. Unfortunately, that cannot be the case for George.
The Coopers' Georgie & Mandy’s First Marriage Reunion Cannot Include George Despite Barber’s Presence
Barber Cannopt Reprise George On-Screen
It’s great to see Barber reunite with his on-screen family on the set ofGeorgie & Mandy’s First Marriage. AfterYoung Sheldon, he continued to spend time with his former co-stars, but this is the first time that he was seen back on the set of a show inThe Big Bang Theoryfranchise with so many of the familiar faces from the old series. Sadly, it’s also a reminder of the limitations that are brought upon by the death of his character in the universe. Even though Barber is on the set, he can’t reprise his role on-screen.
Seeing the Cooper family together on the heels of George’s death was sad in theYoung Sheldonfinale. That said, knowing that Barber is on Georgie & Mandy’s First Marriage set, but only as a viewer, somehow makes it much more heartbreaking.
WhileYoung Sheldonsuccessfully retconned George’s cheating scandal, it couldn’t get away with skipping his death. There were theories about the prequel being set in an alternate universe from the one thatThe Big Bang Theoryexisted in, which could have worked under the original show’s theme, but Lorre decided to stick to the established canon. Seeing the Cooper family together on the heels of George’s death was sad in theYoung Sheldonfinale. That said, knowing that Barber ison Georgie & Mandy’s First Marriageset, but only as a viewer, somehow makes it much more heartbreaking.
Sheldon’s Secret TBBT Tragedy Is Revealed In Cooper Family’s Georgie & Mandy Sequel’s Reunion Episode
Georgie & Mandy’s First Marriage will host a Cooper family reunion after Young Sheldon, highlighting Sheldon’s tragedy that is barely explored.
As previously mentioned, while Armitage wasn’t there that day, there are still so many opportunities to bring Sheldon back. Barber, on the other hand, can attend the weekly filming of Georgie & Mandy’s First Marriage regularly, and he still won’t be able to partake in the show as the Cooper patriarch. Moving forward, he can never rejoin The Big Bang Theory franchise as George againin a straightforward manner.
Can Lance Barber Ever Reprise George Again After His Young Sheldon Death
Georgie & Mandy’s First Marriage Has To Be Creative To Bring Back George
There are some ways that Barber can play again, but the sitcom’s writers will have to be creative in pulling it off. The Big Bang Theory showedone way for George to appear inGeorgie & Mandy’s First Marriagewith the way they handled Professor Proton/Author Jeffries' post-death role. Beyond that, the upcoming series can also utilize flashback sequences to keep the Cooper patriarch’s presence alive in the franchise. That said, however,Georgie & Mandy’s First Marriagecannot pull this trick frequently, or it will cheapen George’s death.
Brenda Sparks' Georgie & Mandy Sequel Return Explained: Why Young Sheldon’s Divisive Character Is With Meemaw
Melissa Peterman is confirmed to appear in Georgie & Mandy’s First Marriage, raising questions about how Brenda Sparks remains tied to the Coopers.
As sad as this thought is,Georgie & Mandy’s First Marriageis better off focusing onGeorge’s replacement inThe Big Bang Theoryfranchise— Will Sasso’s Jim McAllister. This will be more helpful in endearing the new show to the established fan base ofYoung Sheldon, who loved Sheldon’s dad. From there,Georgie & Mandy’s First Marriagecan save a Barber cameo as George for a very special occasion.
Georgie & Mandy’s First Marriage
Cast
Georgie & Mandy’s First Marriage follows the couple as they navigate the complexities of adulthood, parenting, and marriage while raising their young family in Texas.
