Warning! Spoilers ahead for the Young Sheldon finale.
The Young Sheldon finale featured Georgie making a touching promise to his dad during George’s funeral, but that oath could spell the next The Big Bang Theory spinoff’s failure. Young Sheldon may be a comedy, but it never shied away from tackling darker themes, especially as its storytelling evolved in recent years. George’s unexpected death, as previously confirmed in The Big Bang Theory, was a precursor to the show’s special one-hour finale, which started with his funeral. Young Sheldon season 7, episode 13, “Funeral,” was arguably the franchise’s most dramatic offering, as the Coopers say goodbye to their patriarch.
While Sheldon and the Coopers’ collective story in Medford, Texas has already ended, the franchise will continue with an upcoming expansion series. Georgie will spearhead the new project alongside Mandy. Born out of Young Sheldon‘s best original story, Georgie and Mandy’s First Marriage will tackle the pair as they navigate their life as new parents and newlyweds. Not much has been revealed about the offshoot at this point, but as it is, no other Cooper family member is confirmed to star in the endeavor. That may change, however, in light of Georgie’s promise to George in the Young Sheldon finale.
During Georgie’s final goodbye to his dad, he promised that George could finally rest up because he “got everything under control.” He’s referring to taking over the family and filling the space that the Cooper patriarch left, just as how Sheldon claimed earlier in Young Sheldon season 7, episode 13. This also fits with adult Georgie’s story in The Big Bang Theory about taking care of his mom and daughter. However, for him to be able to fulfill that promise, Mary and Missy need to appear in Georgie and Mandy’s First Marriage to maintain his connection with them.
Georgie and Mandy’s spinoff is picking up a couple of months after the Young Sheldon finale. This means that by the time the offshoot begins, they will likely all still live in Medford, which makes it easier for regular visits. However, it would be unsatisfying to have Georgie’s continued connection to his mom and sister happen off-screen. Not only is this part of his story vital in terms of the Coopers’ history, but it’s also a very compelling narrative that could help the next The Big Bang Theory series’ establish itself as a great family show.
Not that Mary and Missy’s Georgie and Mandy’s First Marriage would be a bad thing, especially considering how popular the mother-and-daughter duo is in Young Sheldon. However, their regular appearance risks the possibility of dominating the show. As established characters, there’s eager interest in learning what happens to them in the aftermath of George’s death, especially since the prequel leaves both of their stories somewhat hanging.
Appearing in Georgie and Mandy’s sequel show could expound on why Mary hated George in The Big Bang Theory. Meanwhile, it could also fix Young Sheldon‘s underutilization of Missy. The viewers are already emotionally invested in the characters, so it would be easy to incorporate them into the next project’s storytelling. That said, depending on Georgie and Mandy’s First Marriage‘s narrative quality, Mary and Missy’s personal arcs may end up overshadowing its actual premise, making it difficult to stand on its own when they aren’t around.