Warning! Spoilers ahead for Georgie & Mandy's First Marriage episode 7, "An Old Mustang."The Big Bang Theory franchise cheapens Sheldon and Penny's oldest bonding moment 16 years ago via Georgie & Mandy's First Marriage. After the end of Young Sheldon, Chuck Lorre, Steven Molaro, and Steve Holland re-teamed to essentially continue the Coopers' life in Texas, even after Sheldon has left. The result is Georgie and Mandy's new show, which focuses on their arc navigating their life after their unexpected pregnancy and subsequent marriage. Admittedly, Georgie & Mandy's First Marriage barely has any ties to The Big Bang Theory, but at the end of the day, it remains tied to the nerd-centric sitcom.
Georgie and Mandy's story is essentially a spiritual sequel to the Cooper family's narrative. Its inception is a testament to Young Sheldon's success in evolving as a family sitcom after starting as an origins story for The Big Bang Theory's most popular character. While the rest of his family has already appeared in Lorre's new CBS sitcom, Sheldon has yet to return on the small screen since he moved to California, but he is regularly referenced, either directly or indirectly. Georgie & Mandy's First Marriage's latest Easter egg is easy to miss, but it has massive repercussions for his overall arc.
Georgie & Mandy's First Marriage Episode 7 Brings Back "Soft Kitty"
Baby Cece Hears The Famed Song From Her Dad
Lorre and his writing team have to carefully toe the line between crafting a new show and honoring both Young Sheldon and The Big Bang Theory. Georgie & Mandy's First Marriage episode 7, "An Old Mustang" does that by exploring more of the McAllister family dynamic, particularly with Jim and Connor, while also inserting a recognizable Easter egg. At one point in the outing, Georgie sings "Soft Kitty" to Baby Cece, explaining that he is trying to get her to sleep.
Up until that point, the song is only associated with Sheldon, claiming that it was the song that his mom would sing him when he was sick. As it turns out, that isn't exactly the case. Georgie's brief sequence in Georgie & Mandy's First Marriage episode 7 proves that Mary also used it on her other kids. In addition to that, "Soft Kitty" isn't exclusively used when someone is sick, as Sheldon claimed in The Big Bang Theory.
Penny Singing Sheldon "Soft Kitty" Was Their First Bonding Moment In The Big Bang Theory
Sheldon Annoyed His Way Into Penny's Heart
"Soft Kitty" was first introduced in The Big Bang Theory season 1, episode 11, "The Pancake Batter Anomaly," which is arguably one of the most underrated outings of the series. In it, Sheldon woke up sick. Because Leonard, Raj, and Howard knew full well what his condition entailed, all of them got away from him as quickly as possible. This led Sheldon to The Cheesecake Factory, where he pestered Penny instead. The rest of the outing saw them paired up, in one of The Big Bang Theory's earliest ploys to establish their friendship.
"The Pancake Batter Anomaly" had several stand-out scenes, but its most iconic one happened towards the very end when both of them got home. Sheldon demanded that Penny sing him "Soft Kitty" to lull him to sleep as he battled his nasty cold. This was also where The Big Bang Theory established the origins of the song, with Sheldon being clear about its importance to him, which Georgie & Mandy's First Marriage episode 7 effectively debunks 16 years later.
Considering the franchise's renewed penchant for preserving canon, as proven by the forced end of Young Sheldon, this new revelation reframes the true meaning of the song. It affects its importance to Sheldon and Penny's friendship, as the very first time that it was introduced effectively positioned Leonard's wife to be Mary's The Big Bang Theory replacement. Since then, Penny functioned as the socially-inept genius' quasi-mother in the comedy. Like the Cooper matriarch, she was patient and gentle with Sheldon, but she would also call him out when he crossed a line.
The Big Bang Theory Prequels Has Underappreciated Sheldon's Friendship With Penny
Young Sheldon Largely Ignored The Pair's Relationship
Unfortunately, this isn't the first time that a The Big Bang Theory prequel has negatively impacted or underappreciated the friendship between Sheldon and Penny. Young Sheldon failed to bring the character as a proper guest star, although Kaley Cuoco did voice the pool water in "Teenager Soup And A Little Ball Of Fib." Still, if the offshoot was able to feature Howard — someone who had a contentious relationship with the socially-inept genius throughout the sitcom's 12-year run, it should have been able to stage a cameo for one of Sheldon's best friends.
The Young Sheldon finale with adult Sheldon and Amy included a brief reference to Penny, but that was the bare minimum, considering how important Cuoco's character played in his adult life. What made this worse is that The Flight Attendant actor has recently revealed that she would always be willing to step back into the world of The Big Bang Theory if she's asked. Sadly, with barely any connection to Georgie & Mandy's First Marriage, which makes it virtually impossible to feature the character. Even when Georgie appeared in The Big Bang Theory, he didn't have much interaction with Penny.
Can Sheldon & Penny Ever Reunite On The Screen After The Big Bang Theory
The Big Bang Theory Sequel Spinoff Is Coming
Since The Big Bang Theory franchise wrapped up Sheldon's 17-year TV story via the Young Sheldon finale, the socially-inept genius has yet to be seen on the small screen. Georgie & Mandy's First Marriage has been largely focused on its titular characters, while also exploring the new dynamics of the McAllistes and occasionally bringing back the Texas-based Coopers. Despite references to the boy genius, he has been irrelevant. That said, Sheldon will inevitably return in Georgie & Mandy's First Marriage, but because of where it's set in the timeline, CBS cannot reunite Penny with him via the new show.
At this point, the only viable option for her to return is via the upcoming Stuart spinoff. It's technically a sequel, which means that both Penny and Sheldon can make an appearance. Cuoco already expressed her interest in stepping back into the famed world, while Jim Parsons is never saying never to playing Sheldon again. With that, Lorre can easily come up with a special The Big Bang Theory offshoot episode to reunite the pair years after the Pasadena gang said goodbye.
