As a long-time fan of The Big Bang Theory, I must admit I was excited for Georgie & Mandy’s First Marriage, hoping it would continue the charm and wit of its predecessor. However, watching the first two episodes left me with a sense of disappointment that’s almost as profound as Sheldon Cooper’s love for physics.
Due to its title and less so its plot or substance, the sitcom Young Sheldon became an easy target for humor, especially among comedians who didn’t watch any of its 141 episodes. The jokes often overlooked that the prequel to The Big Bang Theory was actually quite good, a single-camera comedy that generally had a more subdued tone similar to The Wonder Years, rather than its broader multi-camera predecessor.
In the debut of CBS’s “Georgie & Mandy’s First Marriage,” a humorous nod is made to the show’s tone. The opening scene of the pilot finds Georgie (Montana Jordan) in the company of his in-laws, Jim (Will Sasso) and Audrey (Rachel Bay Jones), all comfortably settled together watching the sitcom “Frasier.
Georgie mentions that the show “Frasier” is amusing. He prefers comedic programs. When asked to explain further, he states that some television series have laughter audible in them, while others do not.
His generally disapproving mother-in-law replies, “Well, I prefer to laugh when I choose to.”
Imagine this comedy as a blend that strikes a balance between “The Big Bang Theory”, a show with lots of laughter, and “Young Sheldon”, a more serious one. It includes certain scenes filled with excited audience laughter and others, the more heartfelt ones, without forced laugh tracks. In this way, it bears a strong resemblance to “Mom”, another excellent sitcom that occasionally featured Emily Osment from “First Marriage” as a guest star, rather than either of the Sheldon-centric shows that preceded it.
Unfortunately, upon its arrival, Mom seems to explore themes such as addiction recovery and complex relationships between damaged women, similar to how both The Big Bang Theory (dealing with the discomfort of nerds around attractive women) and Young Shendon (portraying young nerds feeling out of place in Texas during the ’90s) do. However, after two episodes sent to critics, it’s unclear what unique purpose First Marriage aims to serve. It boasts a talented cast and creators with a proven track record, including Chuck Lorre, Steven Molaro, and Steve Holland. Yet, it currently feels like a show that is merely adjacent to two successful series, still searching for its own defining characteristic.
The storyline revolves around Georgie and Mandy (Osment), who are newly-parents residing with their own parents in a mid-sized Texas town, although the exact time period isn’t explicitly stated within this fictional world. Awareness of previous episodes might enhance the story’s depth but is not strictly necessary to follow it.
As a fan, let me share a rephrased version from the characters’ perspective:
In the initial two episodes, Georgie, Sheldon’s older brother, frequently draws a connection that is reminiscent of the characters and settings from the series “Young Sheldon.” Characters like Zoe Perry as Mary, Annie Potts as Meemaw, and Raegan Revord as Missy appear, and there’s even a scene where Georgie shows strong displeasure at the thought of departing from Medford, a fictional town. This seems to be a subtle hint that references to “First Marriage” may sometimes resemble scenes from “Young Sheldon.
The fact that this series doesn’t necessarily have deep, complex characters isn’t necessarily a negative point, as viewers are already invested in these characters. Perry and Potts bring humor, while Revord delivers a striking dramatic moment in the second episode. However, it’s not always advantageous either. Although you don’t need to be familiar with ‘Young Sheldon’ or ‘The Big Bang Theory’ to follow ‘First Marriage’, understanding these shows is crucial to fully grasping why CBS would be enthusiastic about a show that seems so modest in terms of character and drama development.
The connections to earlier texts seem unimportant for the storyline, yet they’re surprisingly crucial. They occupy space that could be utilized to deepen new relationships and introduce the current situation, which are essential for the series to thrive. If each episode features a “let’s reminisce about past events” guest appearance, then perhaps that’s assumed. However, CBS hasn’t sent episodes designed to work independently.
Stripping away the connections between the characters portrayed by Perry and Potts, removing the powerful impact of numerous scenes at the grave of Lance Reddick’s character, George Senior, leaves us with essentially… a storyline devoid of its emotional depth and character-driven dynamics.
Jordan and Osment share an adorable dynamic, yet it’s peculiar how much more of that is showcased in the opening credits, where Georgie and Mandy dance a seductive tango through a messy living room, compared to the series itself. Despite the fact that the title and prior knowledge about The Big Bang Theory suggest this marriage is bound to fail, there’s an underlying sense of melancholy that the storyline hasn’t delved into yet—something I believe could differentiate First Marriage.
Coincidentally, I shared the same sentiment about the early episodes of “Young Sheldon” and the impending death of George Senior, which fans of “The Big Bang Theory” were aware was coming up. In fact, “Young Shendon” handled this rather effectively. However, it’s not that I think a series can’t navigate its tone successfully; rather, I can’t fairly evaluate a new show based on anticipation alone.
The instantly repetitive familiarity of the Jim/Audrey dynamic is more of an impediment. I’m sure the comedy will eventually find more for Dear Evan Hansen Tony winner Jones to do than play a character who is forced to perpetually apologize for being wrong about Georgie and Mandy, even though she may, in fact, be correct about whatever eventually leads to the demise of their marriage. As it stands, however, Audrey is mostly a nagging wife.
Jim strongly resembles Fred Flintstone, leading me to investigate if Will Sasso has ever portrayed Fred in a direct-to-Quibi Flintstones series, which I’m now keen to see. Frankly, considering Georgie and Mandy are somewhat older versions of Pebbles and Bam-Bam, it seems I might have just penned a Halloween plotline for this show.
If Connor manages to move beyond being just a platform for ambiguous autism portrayals and casual comparisons to the character Sheldon, he has the potential to become an intriguing figure. At present, however, he doesn’t quite reach that level.
If Ruben, or Jessie Prez as you might know him, ever moves beyond being the colleague at Jim’s tire shop who seems resentful towards Georgie due to his perceived unfair promotion, he could potentially develop into a more intriguing personality. At this point, however, he appears quite one-dimensional.
One aspect that Chuck Lorre often doesn’t receive enough recognition for – even though, as Don Draper would say, that’s what the money is for – is his ability to intelligently adapt his shows in real-time. For instance, The Big Bang Theory was subpar for most of its first season but significantly improved, particularly during its run, becoming a shining example of the genre. Similarly, Young Sheldon and Mom both developed into the best possible outcomes suggested in their initial episodes.
Could it be possible that the series “Georgie & Mandy’s First Marriage” might find its footing there? While the initial two episodes seem a bit bland and unremarkable, they do have an undercurrent of warmth and humor that could potentially develop into something more appealing.
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2024-10-17 16:55