Warning: This article contains SPOILERS for Georgie & Mandy’s First Marriage season 1, episode 11, “Working for the Enemy”

While I know Young Sheldon’s finale ended with Sheldon at Caltech, Mary grieving the sudden death of George Sr., and Georgie happily married to Mandy. However, viewers already knew that this marriage would not ultimately last.

Ever since Georgie’s first on-screen appearance in The Big Bang Theory season 11, episode 23, “The Sibling Realignment,” I knew his relationship with Mandy couldn’t work out. In that outing, Georgie’s older self referred to his “Ex-wife.” Since Georgie and Mandy got married in Young Sheldon season 7, this meant that it was only a matter of time before they separated. The title of Georgie & Mandy’s First Marriage heavily implies this, and the spinoff’s central premise offers an explanation of what went wrong between the seemingly happy couple.

Georgie & Jim's First Fight Hints At More Tire Business Conflict Between The Pair

Georgie Set Up His Own Chain of Tire Stores In The Big Bang Theory

While I can see a lot of good qualities in Georgie and Mandy’s relationship, I’m also fairly certain that Georgie & Mandy’s First Marriage episode 11, “Working for the Enemy,” gave away the cause of their divorce. Over time, Georgie’s keen business sense is going to skew his priorities and lead to major conflicts between him and Mandy. As proven by "Working for the Enemy,” Georgie sees the world in of profits and losses, whereas Mandy is ultimately loyal to her family over her husband.

In “Working for the Enemy,” Georgie fights with Jim about his tore store when Mandy’s father discovers that his son-in-law went behind his back and ordered a free consignment of Korean tires to sell. A hot-headed Georgie quits Jim’s business, while Jim claims that he fired him. In the ensuing conflict, Georgie takes a job at a rival tire store and Jim eventually has to it that the Korean tires sold just as well as Georgie predicted. There is clearly some lingering bad blood between the duo, but that is not the only issue the storyline highlights.

Jim might eventually swallow his pride and rehire Georgie, but Georgie remains frustrated by Jim’s conservative business choices and Jim remains uninterested in Georgie’s risky expansion plans.

While Sheldon's roommate agreement managed to bring peace to Audrey and Mary's fight an episode earlier, there is no similar salve for Georgie and Jim’s fight in “Working for the Enemy.” Jim might eventually swallow his pride and rehire Georgie, but Georgie remains frustrated by Jim’s conservative business practices and Jim remains uninterested in Georgie’s risky expansion plans. The Big Bang Theory already revealed that Georgie doesn't remain in Jim’s tire store forever, and these divergent perspectives are likely to be the reason why.

The Big Bang Theory Revealed That Georgie Runs His Own Tire Business (Not The McAllisters)

Georgie Appears To Move On From Jim’s Store After Georgie & Mandy’s First Marriage

In “The Sibling Realignment,” it is revealed that The Big Bang Theory's older version of Georgie owns a chain of successful tire stores. Much to Sheldon’s chagrin, his brother names the chain “Dr. Tire.” While Georgie might not have a doctorate like his little brother, he does have a keen business sense that the more traditional, cautious Jim lacks in “Working for the Enemy.” Georgie’s father George Sr. nurtured this, but Jim resents it and his daughter is surprisingly quick to side with him.

Mandy asks her mom to jeopardize Georgie's job so he will be forced to return to Jim’s tire store.

In “Working for the Enemy”, instead of asking her father to compromise with Georgie, Mandy asks her mom to jeopardize Georgie's job so he will be forced to return to Jim’s tire store. Georgie’s love interest asks her mother to get him fired, which proves that she would prefer Georgie working for Jim over striking out on his own. In contrast, since the pilot episode of Georgie & Mandy’s First Marriage, Georgie has always made it clear that he sees working for Jim as a temporary solution and not a long-term career path.

How Georgie & Jim's Different Business Approach Could Contribute To CeeCee's Parents Getting A Divorce

Mandy Sided With Her Father Over Georgie in Episode 11

Mandy siding with her father exacerbated the situation, which made it all the more clear that Mandy and Georgie’s divorce could be caused by Jim and Georgie’s disagreements over business. If the pair continue to clash about how to run the store, Georgie is likely to set up a rival business of his own so he can put his own theories into practice. While this might result in him establishing his successful Dr. Tire brand, it would also almost certainly mean trouble for his marriage. After all, the town’s other tire store owner is Jim’s sworn enemy.

It is tragic that Georgie & Mandy’s First Marriage ends in separation, but not all that surprising given this pivotal context. Jim already hates Fred, the tire store owner, and, unlike Georgie, Fred didn’t learn all he knew about the business from Jim. Jim could reasonably feel hurt that Georgie used his mentorship against him by setting up a rival business and poaching his client base, while Mandy already made it clear that she would side with her father over Georgie when push comes to shove.

Why Mandy Will Likely Side With Her Father Than Her Husband

Mandy Fails To Ask Jim To Compromise With Georgie In Episode 11

Georgie’s business sense seems destined to cause Georgie and Mandy’s breakup, and The Big Bang Theory’s chain of tire stores doesn’t bode well for Jim and Georgie’s continued collaboration in the arena of business. Although the duo came to an uneasy détente at the end of the episode, it is not clear how long that truce is likely to last, nor who Mandy would side with next time. For all of Mary’s parenting mistakes in Young Sheldon, she didn’t raise her son to back down from a fight, especially when he might be in the right.

What makes the disagreement between Mandy and Georgie so sad is that both of their positions are understandable, but they remain irreconcilable. Mandy wants to side with her father since he is her most reliable source of , especially compared to her cold mother, Audrey. Georgie wants to maximize his earning potential not out of greed, but so he can provide a nicer life for Cece and Mandy.

It is easy to see both Georgie and Mandy’s sides in the affair, but the fight in “Working for the Enemy” proves that the pair struggle to find common ground when it comes to business disputes. This doesn’t bode well for their future, meaning Georgie & Mandy’s First Marriage may have already secretly explained why the Young Sheldon couple ended up eventually breaking up.

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