Warning: Contains SPOILERS for Young Sheldon season 6.
In just one short scene, Young Sheldon season 6, episode 9 managed to establish Georgie’s entire arc on The Big Bang Theory. While Georgie struggles with Sheldon’s intelligence at times in Young Sheldon, the two brothers rarely butt heads on the sitcom spinoff. If anything, Georgie can be a surprisingly sweet and supportive to his little brother, as the age gap between them means they don’t have much in the way of traditional sibling rivalry.
However, The Big Bang Theory viewers already know that things won’t stay this way forever. In The Big Bang Theory, George resents Sheldon for his mother’s preferential treatment of his child-prodigy brother. In one of The Big Bang Theory’s most tragic stories, Georgie tells Sheldon that he feels like their mother Mary cared more about Sheldon’s genius than the hard work that Georgie put into keeping their family together after George Sr’s death. While Georgie only appeared for one scene in the outing, Young Sheldon season 6, episode 9, “College Dropouts and the Medford Miracle,” still managed to set up this Big Bang Theory arc.
Young Sheldon Pointed Out Mary and Georgie’s Similarities
In Young Sheldon season 6, episode 9, a conversation about Sheldon potentially leaving college to work on his database proposal lead to Mary pointing out that George’s life hasn’t panned out ideally since he left school. However, Mary then noted that she, too, dropped out of college and meant to go back, only for life to get in the way. George and Mary’s Young Sheldon story has proven that Mary has a chip on her shoulder about never returning to education but, when she unwittingly underlined the similarities between herself and Georgie, she also revealed the real reason that she never respected Georgie’s hard work in The Big Bang Theory.
Season 6 Episode 9 Foreshadowed Georgie’s Big Bang Theory Problem
When Mary said to Sheldon that he wouldn’t want his future to turn out like Georgie’s life, Georgie was quick to note that he is happy with his lot. This discord forms the backbone of his character’s problem with Sheldon decades later, as Georgie feels his hard work is never appreciated. He is not wrong, as Mary sees too much of herself in her selfless son’s decision to sacrifice a potential career avenue to care for a family. The Big Bang Theory’s canon already explained that Georgie spent all his time after George Sr’s death caring for his family, and this mirrors the decision that Mary made when she prioritized marriage over her plans.
Georgie’s Young Sheldon Joke Made His Big Bang Theory Story Better
In “College Dropouts and the Medford Miracle,” Georgie makes it clear that he doesn’t hate his life. This means that, while he might be annoyed by his mother insulting his work, he isn’t perpetually miserable in the years between Young Sheldon and The Big Bang Theory. Georgie will no doubt be devastated by the death of George Sr when it occurs, but he will be no more aggrieved than his siblings Sheldon and Missy. The most tragic Big Bang Theory scene proved Sheldon did look up to his father, meaning the three children are all equally impacted by the loss of George Sr. However, outside of this loss, Georgie can lead a happy life.
Since Georgie’s frustration with Sheldon stems specifically from Mary’s refusal to acknowledge all of his hard work, his life itself doesn’t need to be a thankless grind in the years following Young Sheldon. While Georgie resents his work being ignored by his mother, he doesn’t seem to hate the work itself. In much the same way, Mary does seem to find some satisfaction in her role as a mother and her job in the church, even though she felt undervalued. While some of Young Sheldon’s funniest running jokes revolve around similarities between the obstinate Sheldon and the equally stubborn Mary, Georgie also has a lot in common with his mother.
Why Young Sheldon Compared Georgie To Mary
When The Big Bang Theory revealed how much Georgie resented Mary prioritizing Sheldon’s achievements over his hard work, the show seemingly saddled the character with a pretty sad backstory. However, Mary telling Sheldon that he didn’t want his future to turn out like his brother’s life gave Georgie a chance to clarify that he does like his lot in life. Much like his mother, Georgie achieved what he wanted to and, thus, Young Sheldon proved that the character’s Big Bang Theory fate was not as disastrously bleak as it could have seemed from the evidence provided by the earlier series.
