Summary
Mary being worse inThe Big Bang Theorythan inYoung Sheldonwill be fully explained inGeorgie & Mandy’s First Marriage. Sheldon’s mother was the most prominent guest member of theCooper familyin the nerd-centric sitcom. ThroughoutThe Big Bang Theory’s run, Mary appeared countless times, regularly visiting her son in California. This allowed CBS to establish the older version of the character, played by Laurie Metcalf before Zoe Perry assumed the role inYoung Sheldon. While they shared some prominent characteristics, it was clear that Mary was worse inThe Big Bang Theorythan in its prequel.
For what it’s worth, discrepancies in the characterization of Sheldon’s family didn’t just impact Mary. Arguably the best example of this was George. InThe Big Bang Theory, the Cooper patriarch was described by Mary and his favorite son as a no-good father, which was further from the truth in the prequel.Young Sheldoneven retconned George’s cheating scandalstory to fully redeem his image. The differences in Mary’s depiction between shows, however, weren’t as glaring as her husband’s. That said, there’s an extra need to explain the change in her demeanor because her story is still evolving.

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Mary Was More Stuck In Her Misguided Ways In The Big Bang Theory Than In Young Sheldon
Unlike George, whose iterations were contradicting, Mary’s versions weren’t that different. Instead, herThe Big Bang Theorydepiction was simply more judgmental and self-centered compared to her younger self. Her devotion to her church was already a well-established part of her persona long before Sheldon and Missy were born, revealing in the nerd-centric sitcom that she specifically begged the Lord for the boy genius to be smart.Mary maintained this devotion to her congregation duringYoung Sheldon’s early yearsbut broke away from it after Pastor Jeff ruthlessly kicked her out upon learning of Georgie and Mandy’s unexpected pregnancy.
At least inYoung Sheldon, however, reasoning occasionally worked on Mary. She was also more tactful with her actions and words when it came to people who didn’t have the same values. InThe Big Bang Theory, she was extremely judgmental and flat-out rude, even to Sheldon’s closest friends. She wasracist to Raj, sexist to Penny, and antisemitic to Howard. The Pasadena gang tolerated her because she was Sheldon’s mom, but many of her comments and behavior were reprehensible. What was worse was that she never saw anything wrong with her demeanor because she chalked it up to religion.

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Mary Will Be Separated From Her Family In The Young Sheldon Sequel
After theYoung Sheldonfinale, Perry is about to reprise her role as Mary inGeorgie & Mandy’s First Marriage. The follow-up to the prequel will shift its storytelling focus from the Coopers to the new family of Georgie and Mandy, who are living with the McAllisters. Despite that,Mary is confirmed to appear inGeorgie & Mandy’s First Marriagepilot, alongside Annie Potts' Meemaw. It’s unclear how she fits into the premiere, but currently, that will be her only involvement. Despite this, her absence in itself can effectively explain why she got worse inThe Big Bang Theory.
This effectively pushes Mary more toward Pastor Jeff and his church, resulting in a more devoted, albeit often misguided, Christian in the future.

It’s no secret that Mary struggled to cope with theunexpected death of George inYoung Sheldon. She tried to keep it together at first, but she eventually fell apart following the funeral. Unfortunately, with Sheldon in California and Georgie living elsewhere, she now only lives with Missy, with whom she doesn’t have the best relationship. Meanwhile, Meemaw is no longer easily accessible across the street, as she currently stays with her boyfriend, Dale. This effectively pushes Mary more toward Pastor Jeff and his church, resulting in a more devoted, albeit often misguided, Christian in the future.
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Sadly, Young Sheldon underutilized Missy, but after learning new details about her future in Georgie & Mandy’s First Marriage, it now makes sense.
Backing up this possibility isMissy’s expanded role inGeorgie & Mandy’s First Marriage. Raegan Revord was only supposed to appear in episode 2, but that has been changed. Instead, she will be in multiple outings throughout the spinoff sequel’s first year, although it’s unclear at which point she will appear. Nevertheless, spending more time with Georgie and Mandy, who live across town, further isolates Mary from the family. If anything, Missy’s visits to her brother should include their mom, but that isn’t likely going to be the case.

Sheldon & George’s Absences Contribute To Mary’s The Big Bang Theory Change
Mary Really Only Listened To Her Favorite Son & Husband
Aside from being isolated from her family, another major factor that will contribute to this change for Mary is the absence of George and Sheldon. TheYoung Sheldonfinale marked the end of the small screen road for both beloved characters, albeit in very different ways. Per the timeline, George did die around the same time that Sheldon started his post-graduate studies at Caltech. Now, that they’re both gone, nobody can effectively call out Mary for the error of her ways.
Unfortunately, the Cooper matriarch just doesn’t share the same kind of relationship that she has with Sheldon with Georgie and Missy. With the boy genius now in California, he can no longer keep his mother in check regularly, which he did occasionally when he was still living with her in Medford. Georgie will be too busy juggling so many things on her plate to pay close attention to his mom, while Missy is also going through her grief. Aside from Sheldon,George was the only other person who could actually talk some sense into Mary, but he, too, is gone.

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Will Mary Have More Than A Single Episode Appearance In Georgie & Mandy’s First Marriage?
Perry’s Mary Needs To Return For Future Georgie & Mandy’s First Marriage Episodes
Perry is only confirmed for theGeorgie & Mandy’s First Marriagepilot, but that can always change moving forward. Bringing back the Cooper matriarch has a couple of benefits. For starters, it’s always great to have Perry back as a familiar character inThe Big Bang Theoryfranchise.EndingYoung Sheldonwas divisive because the show was very popular. Granted that it was because they wanted to preserve the timeline, but by then, the majority of viewers would rather the series continue than honor continuity. Featuring Mary is a way to somehow make up for that.
As Georgie told Sheldon inThe Big Bang Theoryseason 11, he took care of the family after their dad died. He reiterated that when he promised his father during George’s funeral he would take care of the family in light of his absence.

Secondly, the establishedcanon almost mandates that Mary appears multiple times in theYoung Sheldonsequel spinoff. As Georgie told Sheldon inThe Big Bang Theoryseason 11, he took care of the family after their dad died. He reiterated that when he promised his father during George’s funeral he would take care of the family in light of his absence. It will be fairly difficult to do that if he doesn’t regularly see his mother as he continues his story inGeorgie & Mandy’s First Marriage.
Georgie & Mandy’s First Marriage
Georgie & Mandy’s First Marriage follows the couple as they navigate the complexities of adulthood, parenting, and marriage while raising their young family in Texas.
Young Sheldon
A spinoff of the sitcom The Big Bang Theory, Young Sheldon follows the youth and coming-of-age of Sheldon Cooper during his childhood in Texas as he pursues science and academia. The show also follows his parents, siblings, and Mee-Maw, painting a picture of the world where Sheldon grew up.
The Big Bang Theory
The Big Bang Theory: This sitcom follows a group of socially awkward scientists and their interactions with each other and the people around them. Centered on physicists Sheldon and Leonard, the series humorously explores friendship, romance, and the quirks of life among an eclectic group of academics.

