‘Georgie & Mandy’s First Marriage’ Review: A ‘Young Sheldon’ Spinoff’s Old Jokes
Like the guy who refers to “my current wife,” the title of “Georgie & Mandy’s First Marriage” is pretty funny in a backhanded kind of way. But hardcore grammarians might raise a point: If Georgie and Mandy are destined to find other mates, wouldn’t the title be “Georgie’s and Mandy’s First Marriage?” Or are they going to remarry each other in some sitcom down the road on the way to “Old Sheldon”? Or am I giving it too much thought? And the show too much credit?
Probably. What does make sense is that in a world of entertainment universes (Marvel, DC, CSI) one would be spawned by “The Big Bang Theory.” Montana Jordan and Emily Osment are the title twosome of “Georgie & Mandy,” which was spun off “Young Sheldon,” which was itself spun off “Big Bang” and concerned the schoolboy adventures of annoying wunderkind Sheldon Cooper (Iain Armitage as the kid version of the savantish adult played by Jim Parsons). Georgie was and is Sheldon’s older brother and the “dumb one” in the family; Missy (Raegan Revord, who reappears here) is Sheldon’s twin and the sarcastic one. I was a late convert to “Sheldon,” but found it more than palatable, thanks in great part to Annie Potts, whose Meemaw was a gingery foil to the general sweetness of the show and a counterbalance to screen daughter Mary (Zoe Perry), whose disquieting mix of hotness and evangelism was also an asset.
The “Sheldon” vets pay a call during “G&M,” which finds the “Young Sheldon” lovers married with a baby, not in that order, and living with Mandy’s parents. Watching a “Frasier” rerun together, Georgie notes that it is a “laughing show.” Huh? “Some shows you can hear people laughing and some you can’t. ‘Wonder Years.’ No one’s laughin’. Is it funny? We’ll never know.” His in-laws, Jim and Audrey (Will Sasso, Rachel Bay Jones), study him with a great deal of concern.
Mr. Jordan, Ms. Osment and Annie Potts Photo: Warner Bros. Entertainment