Warning! Spoilers ahead for Young Sheldon season 7, episode 9.

Summary

• Mandy emerges as a Penny-like figure in Young Sheldon, showcasing kindness and understanding in her interactions with others.
• Mandy's potential to sur Penny is highlighted by her central role in the Young Sheldon sequel series with Georgie.
• While Penny's motherhood arc in The Big Bang Theory fell short, Mandy's journey as a mother will be explored in depth in Young Sheldon.

Young Sheldon season 7 officially introduces the perfect replacement, and she has the chance to be better than Kaley Cuoco's The Big Bang Theory character. As the original female lead of the nerd-centric sitcom, Cuoco played Penny for a total of 12 years, only missing a couple of episodes due to a personal accident. Throughout that time, the character went through tremendous growth — from an aspiring actress to a fulfilled medical representative and a married woman. Besides her personal arc in The Big Bang Theory, Penny was also known for her relationships in the show, particularly with Leonard and Sheldon.

Penny had a variety of relationships in The Big Bang Theory. However, two of her most prominent dynamics were with Leonard and Sheldon. From the get-go, Leonard knew he was in love with her. Their dating arc was tumultuous, but the end of The Big Bang Theory delivered a happily-ever-after for them. Meanwhile, Penny's friendship with Sheldon was more of a slow-burn process. It took them years to foster their close friendship. Despite the differences, Penny always treated both Leonard and Sheldon with kindness. She had some lapses, but she never failed to be sympathetic and soft towards them.

Young Sheldon Season 7, Episode 9 Highlights Mandy's Penny Qualities

Mandy Reassureds Georgie About His Texas Accent Fears.

There have been shades of Penny in other Young Sheldon characters. Meemaw has her sense of adventure, while Missy's sass is reminiscent of hers. That said, a specific scene in Young Sheldon season 7, episode 9, “A Fancy Article and a Scholarship for a Baby,” makes it clear that Mandy is the perfect replacement for Penny. As Georgie expresses his concerns about how he speaks, she reassures him nothing is wrong with it. Mandy shifts gears when the idea of Cece talking like her dad comes up and offers a way for Georgie to loosen up his accent.

Mandy's circumstances cannot be any different from Penny's situation in The Big Bang Theory. However, it's the way she talks to Georgie, softly encouraging him with his dilemma. Subsequently, how she expertly changes course after realizing that Cece might inherit her husband's Texas accent further emphasizes her similarity to Penny, because she is able to do it subtly and without insulting him. This was something that Penny always did with Leonard, Sheldon, and the rest of the Pasadena gang in The Big Bang Theory.

How Mandy Can Be Better Than Kaley Cuoco's Penny In The Big Bang Theory

Mandy's Story Will Continue After Young Sheldon.

Mandy has only existed in Young Sheldon for a couple of seasons, but she has the chance to become a better character than Penny. While Cuoco's character was on The Big Bang Theory from the get-go, she was never the only center of its storytelling. Meanwhile, Mandy, through her Young Sheldon sequel series with Georgie will be a headliner. Granted that Young Sheldon recently villainized Mandy and Georgie after they abandoned Meemaw, but she has time to properly redeem herself from that blunder.

Another way that Young Sheldon can make Mandy better than Penny is by tackling her arc as a mother.

Another way that Young Sheldon can make Mandy better than Penny is by tackling her arc as a mother. Penny's pregnancy story was divisive because it was rushed and unearned. She initially didn't want kids, but The Big Bang Theory failed the process of her changing her mind when it was revealed that she was expecting. There hasn't been any update on how she feels after giving birth. This part of Mandy's life, on the other hand, will be focused on in her Young Sheldon series.

Kaley Cuoco Needs To Appear In Young Sheldon Before It Ends

Sheldon And Penny's Friendship Was The Big Bang Theory's Best.

As an attempt to return to serve its original premise, Young Sheldon's remaining episodes will expectedly prioritize wrapping up the boy genius' arc in Texas and transitioning him to his eventual life in Pasadena, California. Both Jim Parsons' Sheldon and Mayim Bialik's Amy will appear in the Young Sheldon series finale as a way to tie both shows together and properly finish his overall life story. Seeing the couple is great, but the Young Sheldon finale's perfect The Big Bang Theory tribute would be to bring Penny, and even Leonard for a cameo.

While Amy's arrival in The Big Bang Theory changed the trajectory of Sheldon's life, it was pre-dated by his friendships. Leonard was already his long-time pal and roommate when the events of the nerd-centric sitcom started, but the show was kicked off by Penny's move across the hall from them. As his romantic partner, Leonard was in love with Penny the moment he laid eyes on her, but one thing that was often overlooked was her friendship with Sheldon. They were arguably the best pair in The Big Bang Theory; no one could comfort Sheldon better than Penny.

A clear indication of how important Penny was to Sheldon is how she was his most trusted confidante. Despite his penchant for sharing his childhood stories, he only told Penny his most traumatic experience, which was catching his dad having an affair. Young Sheldon has retconned George's cheating scandal, but it didn't seem like the truth was ever clarified for Sheldon. Regardless, since it was such a big revelation for Sheldon and a massive plot in the prequel, it only makes sense that the only other person from The Big Bang Theory who knew about it appears in the offshoot.

How Appearing In Young Sheldon Fixes Penny's Final The Big Bang Theory Arc

CBS Has The Chance To Fix The Big Bang Theory Finale's Worst Plot.

Penny's potential Young Sheldon finale won't only be beneficial to Sheldon's story. It can also fix her and Leonard's controversial pregnancy revelation, which was met with pushback. Even Kaley Cuoco was against the idea, asking the writers to consider her character's stance on the matter. Bringing her back five years since The Big Bang Theory ended can give viewers a definitive update on how she has been since her pregnancy was revealed. Seeing her happy and thriving as a mother, despite her initial skepticism, could put the criticisms to rest about her being railroaded into having kids.

ittedly, there's a good chance that the Young Sheldon finale will prioritize addressing the lingering plotlines instead of fixing an issue that plagued its parent series half a decade ago. That being said, it shouldn't be that difficult to achieve the ideal narrative impact. Penny's appearance in the Young Sheldon series finale doesn't need to be extensive. She could just pop in during the expected flash-forward sequence with a witty comment and a short line about how life has been for her as a mother.

Young Sheldon season 7 airs every Thursday, 8pm ET on CBS.