Warning! The following contains spoilers from the Georgie & Mandy's First Marriage episode "Thanksgiving." Stream it with a Paramount+ subscription and read at your own risk!
Georgie & Mandy's First Marriage celebrated its first holiday episode, but I wouldn't call it a joyous affair. Most of the episode revolved around Georgie trying to get his mother and sister to attend Thanksgiving dinner even though they didn't wish to celebrate, further illustrating the impact George Sr.'s death had on the show. As we predicted from the trailer, Sheldon did not attend, but according to a recent interview with the executive producer, it was considered.
Co-creator Steve Holland spoke to TVLine about the episode and explained why Iain Armitage wasn't brought back despite the holiday being a perfect opportunity to do so. While it might've made sense for the character to return on the first Thanksgiving since his father died, Holland noted it didn't work well with the story they were trying to tell:
Initially, when we were talking about the episode, it was certainly part of the discussion — like, 'Should Sheldon be a part of this?' There are certain occasions where you could bring him back, but as we were breaking the [episode], it just felt like it was actually going to hurt this story. Often, when a matriarch or a patriarch passes away, the family can splinter, and that’s what is happening here. And as fun as it would have been to see him, it felt like there is no world where that family doesn’t get together, and Mary doesn’t celebrate Thanksgiving, if Sheldon is coming back from California. So, it seemed to make 'Sheldon sense' that he didn’t come back, and it made sense for the story we were trying to tell.
As Young Sheldon and The Big Bang Theory illustrated throughout their runs, Mary accommodates and fusses over Sheldon more than her other two children. If he were coming home for the holiday, Mary would've almost certainly made a dinner even if she didn't want to. Considering this episode was primarily about Mary's grief and not wanting to celebrate Thanksgiving due to George's death, Sheldon's appearance wouldn't work.
It's a decision I agree with, mainly because it allowed us to see more of what the Cooper household is like without Georgie, Sheldon, and George around. Missy's rebellious attitude continues to prove she deserves her own spinoff, especially when she only agreed to attend Thanksgiving if Mandy took her to get a tattoo. Her going through with the bargain was played for a joke, but I could see that coming back to bite Mandy in a future episode.
While Mary ultimately folded and showed up to celebrate Thanksgiving at the McAllister household, she left after hearing Audrey and Jim get into an argument over his drinking. Georgie chased after her, only to learn she left because it reminded her of a past argument on Thanksgiving with George Sr. and made her break down. The episode ended with Mary, Georgie, and Missy deciding to enjoy dessert at George Sr.'s grave, despite Missy thinking it was a bit creepy.
While those working in Georgie & Mandy's First Marriage camp have discussed the upside of not writing for Sheldon Cooper, I wouldn't expect him to stay away forever. Christmas is right around the corner, and assuming the show acknowledges it as well, I think it presents another opportunity for him to make an appearance. Then again, we know from The Big Bang Theory that Georgie and Sheldon weren't too close after what happened to their father, so maybe I shouldn't expect him after all.
We will see what the future holds with Sheldon on Georgie & Mandy's First Marriage when new episodes air on CBS on Thursdays at 8:00 p.m. ET. For now, let's enjoy the ride of Season 1 so far and keep an eye out for any surprises along the way.
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