Warning! SPOILERS about Georgie & Mandy’s First Marriage season 1, episode 22 ahead.

Sheldon’s absence was expected in Georgie & Mandy’s First Marriage couldn’t show the socially inept genius, as he wasn’t in Texas when First Marriage was set. This effectively risked that First Marriage wouldn’t have had a character embodying the comic relief role as Sheldon did at times if it weren’t for its breakout star.

Young Sheldon and The Big Bang Theory already established why Georgie & Mandy’s First Marriage needed a comic relief based on how Georgie’s story would have developed. Between the ongoing feud that Audrey and Mary were often willing to rehash and Mandy and Georgie’s relationship timeline that necessarily included a divorce, Georgie & Mandy’s First Marriage was always going to have several conflicts, making the existence of a character who mostly provided comic relief necessary. Georgie & Mandy’s First Marriage’s premiere showed how Mandy’s brother Connor earned that role, and season 1 proved how he handled it better than Sheldon.

Connor & Sheldon Are Both Seen As Odd & Uncompromising, But Connor Isn't Judgmental

This Makes Connor Inevitably More Likeable Than Sheldon

Georgie & Mandy’s First Marriage painted Connor just like Young Sheldon and The Big Bang Theory did Sheldon. Sheldon always adhered to his strict code of conduct, with his habits dictating his days and weeks to a point where he was made fun of and barely tolerated by the gang in Big Bang Theory, whereas his family tried to change him like Mary pushing Sheldon not to wear a bowtie in Young Sheldon’s premiere did. While Connor’s oddities could be perceived as toned down given his not being First Marriage’s protagonist, his family bar Audrey all see him as odd.

Whether due to Connor’s extreme focus on music or his peculiar sense of humor, Mandy and Jim are more often puzzled by him than otherwise. Connor’s inability to compromise was shown in Georgie & Mandy’s First Marriage episode 14, when he made a big deal about the sound of a pager, almost unveiling Mandy’s side job for Meemaw’s illegal business because he couldn’t let go that it couldn’t have been Georgie’s pager. Simultaneously, Connor is not difficult to deal with, as Jim realized when all it took for him to do his part in the house chores was asking him.

Connor might miss social cues, but he never judges someone based on his set of values, unlike Sheldon, who did it constantly and with everybody in both The Big Bang Theory and Young Sheldon.

While The Big Bang Theory, Young Sheldon and Georgie & Mandy’s First Marriage all established Connor and Sheldon’s oddities and inability to compromise as very similar, one key difference makes Connor have an advantage over Sheldon. Connor and Sheldon might both want to be right in their respective fields, but Connor’s easygoing attitude never showed him judging someone doing things differently. Indeed, Connor might miss social cues, but he never judges someone based on his set of values, unlike Sheldon, who did it constantly and with everybody in both The Big Bang Theory and Young Sheldon, making Connor more likable.

Connor's Comic Relief Status Only Lets Him Shine Without His Role Suffering

Connor's Role Was Always That Of Comic Relief, Unlike Sheldon's

Not only is Connor more likable because of his not being judgmental, but his role in Georgie & Mandy’s First Marriage also makes it easier for him to shine without that being a problem for his overall place within the sitcom. Audrey’s conflict with Georgie, Georgie and Mandy’s frequent fights make the presence of someone to lighten up the mood a necessity. Still, Connor having this role doesn’t reduce him to a stereotype, as Georgie & Mandy’s First Marriage also focused on what drives him and his character development, letting Connor shine without hindering his first role in the sitcom.

Connor also appeared in Young Sheldon season 6, episode 12, but Joe Apollonio played the part. Connor was recast in Georgie & Mandy’s First Marriage, with Dougie Baldwin taking over the role of Mandy’s brother.

This couldn’t be possible with Sheldon in Young Sheldon, because his journey was effectively the opposite, having to go from the lovable, understanding child he was in the TBBT prequel to the self-centered genius he was in Big Bang Theory. In addition to that, Sheldon being the protagonist at the beginning of Young Sheldon simultaneously needed Sheldon to be more relatable and reduced the opportunity for him to be comic relief, as he couldn’t inhabit both roles at the same time.

While Sheldon didn’t feel like Young Sheldon’s central character anymore in the TBBT spinoff’s last seasons, with the Coopers taking a more central role, making Sheldon inhabit more of a comic relief role, it still clashed with his being the titular character. This made the end of Young Sheldon necessary, but it also highlighted how Sheldon’s role could never be as uncomplicated as Connor, who was never expected to be more than Georgie & Mandy’s First Marriage’s comic relief, and yet he showed more depth, effectively letting Connor come out on top in the comparison.

How Connor Can Shine Even More In Georgie & Mandy's First Marriage Season 2

A Focus On Connor Can Add More Depth Without Changing His Role

Georgie & Mandy’s First Marriage season 1 already made Connor more interesting thanks to his bond with Georgie, which also inspired Audrey to give Georgie a chance. Connor and Chloe’s relationship unexpectedly added even more depth to Mandy’s brother, raising the stakes for what First Marriage could do with its comic relief character.

Georgie & Mandy’s First Marriage season 1 is available to stream on Paramount Plus.

Were Georgie & Mandy’s First Marriage season 2 to go on focusing on both Connor’s bond with Georgie and Connor’s relationship with Chloe, it would be on the right path to give Connor more spotlight without letting him lose the chance to continue being First Marriage’s comic relief. First Marriage could also let Connor shine more through other avenues, like focusing more on his bond with his sister Mandy, or even trying to place Connor in a position to find a job in Georgie & Mandy’s First Marriage season 2, something season 1 didn’t have the chance to explore.

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