As a sequel series to a spinoff, Georgie and Mandy's First Marriage has always landed in uncomfortable territory. The show's tone, several episodes into season 2, has yet to be defined, as it struggles to separate itself from Young Sheldon. Yet, the show's biggest problem is how the main characters are not portrayed as equally important, even though both of their names appear in the title. The show, in theory, should present Mandy and Georgie on equal footing. But season 2 continues the trend of only really focusing on Georgie, especially in a professional setting.
The way the series is set up, Georgie's storylines can occur at home or at work, but Mandy's storylines are almost always at home. The only season 2 plot line so far that was more about Mandy's professional career found a way to be more about Georgie than it was about Mandy's success at her job.
While Georgie is the character with more ties to The Big Bang Theory universe, Mandy was still involved in plenty of the final seasons of Young Sheldon, and should have far more inclusion in the show's main plot than what she is given. It does not help that the storylines at the tire store are not as funny as they could be. Additionally, Mandy is the funnier character, with Emily Osment's performance being far more connected to how one would view a sitcom lead than the way Georgie is written, who, even as the leading character, still is written with the same energy as his previous supporting role.
Mandy's storylines to gain more recognition and roles at work would be a perfect place for more comedy. But Georgie and Mandy's First Marriage has yet to go there, which is a shame, since anyone who watched The Big Bang Theory knows that Georgie ends up owning a successful tire franchise anyway. While there is some interest in seeing how Georgie got there, Mandy's career and future are the ones audiences know nothing about. Therefore, her character is an open door of opportunity that deserves more screen time.
Season 2 is fully invested in Georgie's time at the tire store, but spends next to no time showing Mandy being anything other than a slightly frantic mother and irritated daughter. Mandy is more than that, and the series should be placing more weight on her career. So far, Georgie and Mandy's First Marriage has only allowed Mandy's professional career to play for small bits instead of being the anchor to an entire episode. However, these smaller bits tend to be some of the funniest parts of the episodes they are included in.
Georgie and Mandy's First Marriage needs to remember to make stronger use of Mandy in a professional role because this is where the character shines. Even though they live with Mandy's family, the series is still unbalanced, where episodes come across more as this being Georgie's show, while Mandy is his supporting character wife. Mandy is a main character as well, and her life should be explored beyond Georgie and her life at home. Georgie is not a strong enough character to carry the show on his own, and the tire store does not help lift the burden. Mandy is the key to unlocking the parts of this series that could let it grow into something great, and she has been severely underused since the show began.