The Big Bang Theory highlighted Georgie's responsibilities after George Sr.'s death, but George Sr.’s death in Young Sheldon. The episode thus reveals how bad things were for Georgie in the aftermath of George Sr.’s death.

George Sr.’s death shocked all of the Cooper family. Young Sheldon detailed how it affected the various family differently, with Sheldon repeatedly replaying his last moments with his father in his mind and Missy and Mary feeling anger differently. However, Georgie’s reaction seemed focused on taking over the head of the family from George Sr., promising to watch over the Coopers at the funeral. Georgie and Mandy’s First Marriage shows how that promise affects Georgie, beginning to introduce a TBBT storyline.

Georgie's Grudge Against Sheldon In The Big Bang Theory Explained

The Big Bang Theory Season 11 Revealed Georgie’s Problem With Sheldon

The Big Bang Theory season 11 introduced Georgie Cooper via a major fight with Sheldon that risked upending his and Amy’s wedding because Mary threatened she wouldn’t have been at the ceremony had Georgie not been in attendance. Georgie and Sheldon’s fight in The Big Bang Theory season 11, episode 23 perfectly established their peculiar dynamic as it would be seen in Young Sheldon, showing the two brothers on opposite sides of an argument. However, the episode also introduced a major grievance Georgie had with Sheldon, which Sheldon not inviting Georgie to his wedding unequivocally highlighted.

Georgie protected Sheldon in the aftermath of their father’s death, not letting him see how shattered Mary or Missy were by the loss.

Before Georgie’s appearance in The Big Bang Theory season 11, Sheldon often described him as a bully. Hearing Georgie’s side nonetheless showed how that wasn’t exactly the case, as Georgie protected Sheldon in the aftermath of their father’s death, not letting him see how shattered Mary or Missy were by the loss. Sheldon not inviting Georgie to his wedding showed how he still couldn’t see past what directly involved him, which was the crux of Georgie and Sheldon’s argument, as Sheldon couldn’t overcome Georgie’s past actions but also didn’t know about how Georgie protected him after George Sr.’s death.

​​Georgie and Sheldon’s fight eventually let the two brothers patch things up before Sheldon and Amy’s TBBT wedding, because, as adults, Georgie was finally able to come clean about what truly happened to the Coopers after Sheldon moved to Caltech, and Sheldon appreciated how Georgie protected him. However, Georgie and Sheldon’s fight in The Big Bang Theory season 11, episode 23 only revealed the basics of the Coopers’ difficult situation in Medford, not focusing on how it heavily affected Georgie. Georgie & Mandy’s First Marriage episode 2 begins to do just that.

First Marriage Shows How Difficult Life Was For Georgie After George's Death

Georgie Never Mentioned His Anxiety In The Big Bang Theory

The perfect recipe for Georgie to succumb to stress was already highlighted by Georgie & Mandy’s First Marriage episode 2’s beginning, in the heartwarming moment Georgie is talking to his father at George’s headstone. Indeed, Georgie highlights how everything is fine, but the episode slowly reveals how that isn’t the case. Between being overwhelmed from taking care of Missy enough to forget Jim’s auto repair shop’s keys at the door and being called to pick her up because of Missy’s suspension, what Georgie confesses to George Sr.’s headstone is slowly proved wrong. This is made even worse by Mandy’s news.

Mandy’s idea to apply to any job no matter the location so that her career could resume let Georgie feel as if the rug was being pulled out from under his feet. Not only he couldn’t rely on his usually impeccable ability at work or his family feeling okay, but now Mandy’s ideas threatened to potentially force him to move away from Medford. Georgie & Mandy’s First Marriage episode 2 showing the effects of all this stress on Georgie proves how unmanageable things felt to him, painting a much starker picture than The Big Bang Theory season 11 ever did.

Georgie & Mandy's First Marriage Makes Georgie's TBBT Success More Impressive

Mary Is Focused On Her Church & Missy Is Mostly Left To Herself

While Sheldon always described Georgie as a loser in The Big Bang Theory season 11, the many Dr. Tire shops that Leonard and Sheldon encountered around Dallas revealed how that wasn’t the case. Georgie’s entrepreneurial success 24 years after Georgie & Mandy’s First Marriage’s events is made all the more impressive by how dire the situation was right after Young Sheldon's Coopers tragedy.

Georgie owning multiple Dr. Tire in The Big Bang Theory season 11 hints his divorce from Mandy will also have his bond with Jim as a casualty, as Dr. Tire inevitably started in competition with Jim’s shop.

Indeed, with Mary focused solely on her life within the church, Georgie not only had to think about his new family with Mandy but also take care of Missy and do so during her rebellious phase. This would have already been difficult with Mary’s help, but her absence made it almost impossible. That Georgie was able to set up a successful, expanding business as a young entrepreneur while also taking care of the Coopers and CeeCee and Mandy makes the story that Georgie & Mandy’s First Marriage can potentially tell even more intriguing.

The Big Bang Theory Spin-Offs Have Been Great At Tackling These Issues

Missy, Georgie, & George Sr. All Took On Huge Roles

While The Big Bang Theory was mostly always a broad comedy, with most of the story beats coming with jokes, Young Sheldon played things very differently. Sheldon's weirdness was played for laughs in TBBT. On Young Sheldon, it was always played as a serious issue, with Sheldon often feeling isolated and alone, never comfortable in the world in which he lived. It was clear why he had so many issues and set so many boundaries on TBBT because he had a tough time as a child.

What was most impressive about Young Sheldon was how it subverted what fans expected to happen. Young Sheldon played this off perfectly by showing that the entire series was what Sheldon Cooper wrote in his memoir, based on his memories and feelings. However, this means that several characters change because what Sheldon might have felt was not what was based on facts. This is primarily true of Missy, her development (which Sheldon could never have understood), and his parents' issues.

Most fans were waiting for the moment when George Sr. cheated on Mary. It never happened, and one wonders if this was something that Sheldon's mind created after his dad's death. However, Young Sheldon dealt with these issues in a smart and respectable manner, with George and Mary having doubts about their marriage and temptations with others. It was played fairly on both sides, and when George died without the affair ever happening, Mary's response to his death was heartbreaking.

Much like how Georgie was not the person The Big Bang Theory presented him to be, as shown in Georgie & Mandy's First Marriage, neither was Missy. This show had her becoming a woman, and she was going through several changes. TBBT made her look like an unintelligent woman who could barely help herself. That is far from the truth. Seeing Missy - especially when talking to her dad - become a woman was something this character needed. Young Sheldon took a joke and created a great, nuanced character.