AlthoughYoung Sheldonpulled off a weird cameo trick to bring back one ofThe Big Bang Theory’s stars,Georgie & Mandy’s First Marriagecan’t replicate this approach in season 2. From thetitle ofGeorgie & Mandy’s First Marriageonward, the show has always been closely linked with the story ofYoung Sheldon.

WhileYoung Sheldon’s endingdepicted Georgie and Mandy as a happy young couple navigating parenthood and marriage,The Big Bang Theoryseason 11, episode 23, “The Sibling Realignment,” saw Georgie’s older self reference an “ex-wife” in passing. Now,Georgie & Mandy’s First Marriagemust somehow bridge the gap between these two divergent depictions.

In contrast,Young Sheldonwas much less closely linked to the events ofThe Big Bang Theory. The sitcom franchise’s first spinoff was a prequel, whereasGeorgie & Mandy’s First Marriageis a direct sequel toYoung Sheldonthat picks up where its predecessor left off. This makes it tougher for the new show to pull off one type of playful cameo seen inYoung Sheldon.

Young Sheldon Featured TBBT’s Kaley Cuoco In An Uncredited Cameo

Penny’s Actor Played The Talking Pool In Sheldon’s Nightmare

InYoung Sheldonseason 3, episode 10, “Teenager Soup and a Little Ball of Fib,” Sheldon claimed he was ill so he could avoid swimming in a school pool. Sheldon was horrified by the thought of taking a dip in water that was shared by dozens of other swimmers, resulting in a surreal nightmare sequence where sentient pool water spoke to him.

The pool tried to convince Sheldon to take a swim, telling him that it wasn’t as gross as he feared. Hilariously,Young Sheldon’s talking pool was voiced byThe Big Bang Theorystar Kaley Cuoco, who played Sheldon’s neighbor, nemesis, and eventual dear friend Penny. Like the talking pool, Penny was always trying to convince Sheldon to lighten up and try new things.

Cuoco voicing Sheldon’s fear years before he even met Penny was an ingenious gag, and it made sense that Sheldon’s subconscious would lend her voice to his nightmare’s projection of peer pressure.

AlthoughYoung Sheldon’s finale didn’t bring backCuoco’s Penny onscreen, this moment was a fun nod to fans of the sitcom franchise. Cuoco voicing Sheldon’s fear years before he even met Penny was an ingenious gag, and it made sense that Sheldon’s subconscious would lend her voice to his nightmare’s projection of peer pressure.

After all, Penny’s attempts to get Sheldon out of his shell often involved getting him involved in group activities, social experiences, and even a romantic relationship. Penny wanted Sheldon to fit in more, and the pressure to attend swimming lessons despite his misgivings was another instance of the adolescent fearing the weight of unwelcome societal expectations.

Why Georgie & Mandy’s First Marriage Can’t Copy Young Sheldon’s TBBT Cameo Trick

Young Sheldon’s Spinoff Isn’t As Zany As Its Franchise Predecessor

Since this gag worked so well and bolstered the episode it appeared in, it seems obvious thatGeorgie & Mandy’s First Marriageshould repeat Young Sheldon’s cameo trick. SinceGeorgie & Mandy’s First Marriagedoes changeThe Big Bang Theory’s canon from time to time, it wouldn’t be surprising for an original series star to play a new, unrelated character on the show.

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Not only could Georgie & Mandy’s First Marriageseason 2 technically featureThe Big Bang Theorycast cameos, but this wouldn’t even be the first time the show’s universe pulled this off. As well as Cuoco voicing the talking pool in “Teenager Soup and a Little Ball of Fibb,”Young Sheldonreused actors fromThe Big Bang Theoryin other roles.

Famously, Lance Barber played Leonard’s bully before he became George Sr. in Young Sheldon.

Medford High School’s music teacher, Ms. Fenley, was played by Melissa Tang inYoung Sheldon, who had previously played a colleague of Leonard’s inThe Big Bang Theory. Famously, Lance Barber played Leonard’s bully before he became George Sr. inYoung Sheldonand Althea Robinson played an impatient nurse in both shows.

Octavia Spencer played unrelated minor characters inYoung SheldonandThe Big Bang Theory, namely a DMV clerk and Meemaw’s stern parole officer Rhonda. Meanwhile, Michael Trucco played Dr. Dave inThe Big Bang Theory, while he was Mary’s imaginary romance novel star Rusty inYoung Sheldon. Clearly, this was a recurring approach in the prequel’s casting.

However, althoughYoung Sheldon’s story is closely linkedto the plot ofGeorgie & Mandy’s First Marriage, this doesn’t mean the series can simply copy this casting trick. The nature of some of the above cameos alone explains why. From Sheldon’s immersive nightmare to Mary’s fantasy story,Young Sheldonconstantly drops viewers into the internal worlds of its heroes.

Georgie & Mandy’s First Marriageseason 2 can’t borrowYoung Sheldon’s surprise comebacks because the spinoff has a more conventional, straightforward sitcom tone than its predecessor. The newer show is not prone to flights of fancy likeYoung Sheldon’s talking pool nightmare, meaning any returning actors fromThe Big Bang Theorywould need to play in-universe characters.

It is already strange that Sheldon never noticed the resemblance between Leonard’s bully and his father, or the striking similarities between his high school teacher and the woman Leonard cheated on Penny with.

This would be a lot weirder. It is already strange that Sheldon never noticed the resemblance between Leonard’s bully and his father, or the striking similarities between his high school teacher and the woman Leonard cheated on Penny with.Georgie & Mandy’s First Marriage’s traditional sitcom setupmakes fantasy segues and nightmare sequences less common, thus limiting these casting opportunities.

Georgie & Mandy’s First Marriage Doesn’t Need Any The Big Bang Theory Cameo Anyway

The Spinoff Still Hasn’t Even Brought Back Sheldon Himself

Fortunately,Georgie & Mandy’s First Marriageseason 2 doesn’t necessarily need thisYoung Sheldoncasting trick. The show has fared fine without any comebacks fromThe Big Bang Theorystars in season 1, and even made it through a successful first season without bringing back Sheldon himself for a cameo.

Georgie & Mandy’s First Marriageseason 2 can’t avoid its biggestYoung Sheldoncameo forever, but the fact that the show functions without Sheldon proves it wouldn’t necessarily benefit from appearances by minor stars ofThe Big Bang Theory. Whatever about anonymous voice cameos for the original show’s cast,Georgie & Mandy’s First Marriage’s biggest priority should be finally getting Sheldon back.

WhileThe Big Bang Theory’s focus shifted from Leonardto Sheldon over the years, the show always maintained a straightforward, traditional sitcom style.Georgie & Mandy’s First Marriagebrought this back, thus limiting the show’s ability to pull off fantasy sequences like those found inYoung Sheldon.

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While this does mean that the spinoff can’t pull off the same type of hidden voice cameos as its predecessor, it also proves that the show doesn’t need to. LikeThe Big Bang Theory,Georgie & Mandy’s First Marriagefunctions as an old-fashioned multicamera sitcom, meaning it doesn’t needYoung Sheldon’s casting gags that shake the show’s fourth wall.