Warning! Spoilers ahead for Georgie & Mandy’s First Marriage episode 12, “Typhoid Georgie.”
Seeing Lance Barber back as George is cathartic, but I absolutely hate 1 aspect of his appearance inGeorgie & Mandy’s First Marriageepisode 12. Despite being long-established inThe Big Bang Theorycanon, Chuck Lorre and his team of writers did a great job executingGeorge’s death inYoung Sheldonin a way that was still very emotional. While everyone had been expecting his demise, it still came as a shock, leading to what is arguably one of the best episodes in the franchise. “Funeral” was both funny and sad, as Sheldon and the rest of the cast said their goodbyes to George.
So, when I learned thatGeorgie & Mandy’s First Marriageseason 1was bringing back George this early, I worried that it would cheapen the send-off for the Cooper patriarch. I had always expected that it was only a matter of time before Barber was brought back, primarily because of how beloved he was, but I didn’t think that it would be this soon. As I learned about the plan for “Typhoid Georgie,” however, I gradually became open to the idea, and ultimately,Georgie & Mandy’s First Marriagehandled Barber’s return well, EXCEPT for 1 detail that I totally hate.
George’s Georgie & Mandy’s First Marriage’s Return Scene Explained
Georgie Dreams Of His Father
Because George already died before theYoung Sheldonfinale, Lorre and his team had to come up with a creative way to bring back the character. Barber is on the record about being open to reprising the role, especially how beloved the character is, but he has made it clear that he would only come back if it doesn’t cheapen George’s send-off, which I fully understand. For the most part,Georgie & Mandy’s First Mandy’s First Marriageepisode 12 did a great job in this aspect, as it made the Cooper patriarch’s appearance tied to his son’s arc.
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George’s return is through Georgie’s fever dream — akin to Sheldon dreaming about Professor Proton following Arthur Jeffries' death inThe Big Bang Theory. I like that the writers went down this route, because it allowed us to see how theCooper familyfirstbotrn has been handling the mental toll of losing his father.Georgie & Mandy’s First Marriagehas teased Georgie’s mental health struggles. Getting physically sick in “Typhoid Georgie” highlights how overworked he is, but through his dreams of George, we get a better understanding of how much losing his dad has impacted him.
Georgie & Mandy’s First Marriage’s Zombie George Jump Scare Takes Me Out Of The Scene
It’s An Unnecessary Scene
Overall, I like the wayGeorgie & Mandy’s First Marriagehandled George’s return. Sure, I would have wanted his and Georgie’s scene to be longer, but I think I cameos from the Coopers moving forward would always leave me wanting more, considering that they are no longer the main family in theYoung Sheldonsequel spinoff. That being said,there’s one element of George’s return that I absolutely despise — the zombie jump scare. Co-creator Steve Holland defended the creative choice (viaTV Line), saying that it was a great jolt to the audience. Read his quote below:
[Laughs] There was a lot of talk about that, and people were upset. I think even reading it, in a good way, they were like, “No, I don’t want to see him like that!” But we thought it would be a nice sort of surprise and a shock for the audience, and it was. I think Lance also loved actually getting the chance to be in full makeup.
From the sound of it, zombie Georgie was also divisive on people who were involved in makingGeorgie & Mandy’s First Marriageepisode 12. Holland didn’t reveal what prompted them to eventually move forward with it, but he seemed to be in favor of the jump scare. While I don’t argue that it was actually an effective surprise for the audience, and Barber likely enjoyed the process of getting ready for it (based on hissecret cameo during George’s funeral episode), I still think that the outing would have been so much stronger without the zombie appearance.
How Zombie George Ruins Barber’s Return In Georgie & Mandy’s First Marriage
It Distracts From A Rather Emotional Reunion
In Professor Proton’s posthumous appearances inThe Big Bang Theory, Sheldon met his childhood hero in Dagobah as Arthur Jeffries was dressed up as Obi-Wan Kenobi. The scene was obviously separated from the socially-inept genius' grief over the loss of someone he adored, but the nerd-centric sitcom was able to get away with this because of the nature of its storytelling.Young Sheldon, and by way,Georgie & Mandy’s First Marriageis more grounded in reality thanThe Big Bang Theory.
For a while, it felt like we were transported back to watching Young Sheldon, as Georgie & Mandy’s First Marriage episode 12 turned off the audience’s laughter that came with its multi-camera format, until zombie George appeared.
Granted that Sheldon’s prequel also dabbled in some fantastical scenes, but pulling a jump scare in what is a highly emotional moment is arguably a misstep from the spinoff sequel’s creative team. Aside from not adding anything to the moment, other than a"gotcha"moment, it also took away from the emotional weight of the moment. For a while, it felt like we were transported back to watchingYoung Sheldon, asGeorgie & Mandy’s First Marriageepisode 12 turned off the audience’s laughter that came with its multi-camera format, until zombie George appeared.
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What makes this worse is thatGeorgie & Mandy’s First Marriagehas been really great balancing comedy and drama. I was initially skeptical of the show because of its format change. While I enjoyed The Big Bang Theory, I believed that its grounded storytelling was more appropriate for a family show. Ultimately, I wish that Lorre, Holland, and their team opted to keep George’s first appearance in Georgie & Mandy’s First Marriage as quiet as possible. That way, we could have fully lived in Georgie’s dream about what it might have been like for him to have that conversation with his late father without the gimmick of a jump scare.
George’s Disapproval Of Georgie Is More Than Enough Horror In The Dream Sequence
Georgie Has Been Working Hard To Make His Father Proud
In terms of the narrative, George not showing Georgie sympathy as he battled a nasty cold was a much bigger horror than any jump scare inGeorgie & Mandy’s First Marriage. Despite their rather turbulent relationship inYoung Sheldon, the eldest Cooper kid becoming a father helped him connect better with his father, as he developed a sense of responsibility. Unfortunately, before they could have fully fostered a relationship, George died.
As established inThe Big Bang Theory, and emphasized inGeorgie & Mandy’s First Marriage, Georgie fills the void that his dad left — something that he promised George in his farewell message. I would have preferred it if theYoung Sheldonsequel spinoff hammered how the idea of letting his father down was his biggest fear. It would have been a smarter way to highlight the horror of his dream reunion with George.
