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Mary Cooper will formally be replaced by a more dangerous matriarch in CBS's Georgie & Mandy following her stay in Young Sheldon.
The Big Bang Theory first presented the character, who was ironically portrayed by her real-life mother, Laurie Metcalf, long before Zoe Perry was hired to play Sheldon's mother in the Texas-based prequel. From the start, Mary was obviously close to the socially-inept genius—something the spinoff stressed in the early years of its existence. But Mary also had arcs as a member of the Young Sheldon ensemble, outside her relationship with Sheldon.
From her relationship with her religion to her marriage with George, Mary's stories varied throughout Young Sheldon's run, all on top of her dynamic with her children. Though there was more to Mary's story than what she and Sheldon revealed in The Big Bang Theory, her visits in Pasadena offered a decent sense of her matriarchial character. Mary's story could have gone on, certainly, had Chuck Lorre chosen to proceed with Young Sheldon. That is sadly not the case. Since it introduces a new matriarch, Sheldon's mother will be replaced in Georgie and Andy's First Marriage.
Although the birth of Baby Cece in Young Sheldon season 6 essentially made Mandy a mother, Audrey Mcallister will be Mandy's matriarch overall. Mandy's parents will be major stars in the forthcoming sitcom, first introduced in Young Sheldon season 6 with her husband, Jim Mcallister. Though not much is known about Audrey at this point, her few appearances in The Big Bang Theory prequel provide a decent sense of her nature. Strong-willed and stubborn, Audrey reminds Mary in many different ways, most notably in terms of treatment of Jim.
For background, Perry's Mary will still show up in Georgie & Mandy's First Marriage, but in a subdued role. Her sole confirmed participation thus far is in the pilot, where she will feature alongside Annie Potts' Meemaw. Beyond that, it's unknown whether she will return; The Big Bang Theory canon notes that Missy and Raegan Revord make frequent visits given Georgie's promise during George's funeral regarding looking after his sister and mother. Still, Audrey is Georgie and Mandy's matriarch for all intents and purposes, and she is worse than her predecessor.
Mary could be troublemaker in Young Sheldon, no doubt. She tended to be self-aggrandizing and judgmental. Still, most of these weaknesses resulted from her lost faith. She made the twins get baptized in the Young Sheldon finale, and although it was a moving scene between her and Sheldon, it exposed her inability to be a good mother to Missy. Notwithstanding all of this, at least her troubling behavior has some justification. Likewise cannot be said of Audrey.
She mercilessly kicked Mandy out after finding she was pregnant, pushing the Coopers to get her on. She used her money to buy her love, not to mention access to Baby, when she at last decided to reenter her daughter's good graces. Said another way, Audrey's worst comes out when she is dealing with Georgie. Every chance she has had, she has denigrated and looked down on him. The firstborn of George and Mary is just far too optimistic to let affect him.
Audrey doesn't know, though, that Mandy and Georgie both contributed to their unplanned pregnancy. The McAllister matriarch presents Georgie as entirely responsible for all that transpired. That is unfair to Sheldon's brother, who has been only dedicated to be Mandy's partner and Baby Cece's wife ever since he discovered the matter during Young Sheldon's 100th episode.
Audrey has the power to cause havoc if she keeps this attitude throughout Georgie & Mandy's first marriage. Georgie and Mandy moved in with the McAllisters across town shortly before George died in Young Sheldon season 7. They seem likely to keep that same living situation in the sequel. Audrey will thus have more access to the couple, so providing her with a means to control Mandy into divorcing Georgie—something she has promised to do. According The Big Bang Theory canon, this might be the reason the couple separates.
Young Sheldon, a spinoff of the sitcom The Big Bang Theory, tracks Sheldon Cooper's youth and coming-of- age in Texas as he pursues science and academia. The program also chronicles his parents, siblings, and Mee-Maw, so capturing the environment in which Sheldon grew up.
Based on Georgie Cooper Jr. and Mandy Mcallister, Georgie & Mandy's First Marriage is a spin-off of The Big Bang Theory and Young Sheldon. Reprising their roles from Young Sheldon, which concluded in 2024, Montana Jordan and Emily Osment The show will track Georgie and Mandy as they negotiate life as newlyweds and young parents.