S06.E12: A Baby Shower and a Testosterone-Rich Banter

[Bort]

Mary butts heads with Mandy's mother, Audrey, and Sheldon attempts male bonding.

Airdate: February 9, 2023

[shapeshifter]

“It was the best of times, it was the worst of times" (Dickens).

[Spartan Girl]

I wish Mandy’s dad and brother had just stood up to the mom and said they weren’t leaving. They were having a nice time bonding with George and Sheldon, and they’re on better terms with Mandy than she is. 

While I don’t like that the show is pushing Mandy/Georgie, I did love Mandy sticking up for Georgie, telling her mom that he and his family were there for her while she wasn’t. The locket was a sweet present, even if he got the idea from Amber.

[MollyMelrose]

Loved Mary's look of delight - partially hidden by her cup of punch - when Mandy went off on her mom.

Would have enjoyed more conversation between Sheldon and Mandy's brother to see who could out-obnoxious the other. 

 

 

[ItCouldBeWorse]

Too bad that Brenda was the only guest at the shower.  Did Mary and Connie buy all those gifts?

And Mary should really be happy to honestly answer all of Missy's questions about the mess of childbirth and of nursing; it's the best way to ensure that she will not get accidentally pregnant.

Edited February 10, 2023 by ItCouldBeWorse

[kay1864]

Can Georgie be more clueless about Mandy? (nice work on the actress’s part after getting the locket btw, going from “about to kiss Georgie” to “Oh. Amber.”)
For someone who is so great at reading people and going into sales, he sure is missing the signs.

[rmontro]

It's been driving me crazy where I've seen Mandy's mother before, and it finally hit me.  She played Salen in The Good Doctor during one season.  She must be good at playing the villain.

That brisket sounds good to me.

[HurricaneVal]

Oh yes.  Mary's face when Mandy was passionately defending Georgie and the family to her mother!

Missy really does have the EQ in the family.  Sheldon has the IQ, but for emotional intelligence, Missy is the genius.  Georgie is also good too--I loved his "I'm not an idiot" comment to Mandy--but this triangle with Amber is out of character with his nuanced perceptions.  Unless he's playing a deep game here, or truly trying because of Mandy's supposed wishes.

Also?  How old is Amber if she has an ex-husband, and has been married and divorced and dating again?  Does Georgie have a type, and that type is "needy older woman subconsciously attracted to teenagers?"

[shapeshifter]

21 minutes ago, HurricaneVal said:

How old is Amber if she has an ex-husband, and has been married and divorced and dating again?  Does Georgie have a type, and that type is "needy older woman subconsciously attracted to teenagers?"

Georgie says in this episode that Amber is young, but no specific age is given.

[Katy M]

7 hours ago, ItCouldBeWorse said:

And Mary should really be happy to answer all of Missy's questions about the mess of childbirth and of nursing; it's the best way to ensure that she will not get accidentally pregnant.

On the plus side, Missy already doesn't like babies from her babysitting experience.  But, I think she was going to answer her questions. Just not in front of everybody.  Everybody there besides Missy (and Mandy yet) had already had a baby.  But, not really the kind of conversation you feel like having in front of a group.  Especially if she thought Mandy's mom was going to hijack the information.

[appositival]

I was surprised that Missy wouldn't know what would be leaking. The nursing bra was a big hint. I thought she just might be spinning her mom up, but she didn't have her usual mischievous expression.

[Chit Chat]

11 hours ago, Spartan Girl said:

The locket was a sweet present, even if he got the idea from Amber.

I wish Georgie would've told Mandy that it was his idea to buy her a present, but that Amber helped him.  The way he said it, it came across as if the idea of a gift was Amber's alone.  He gets credit for being thoughtful enough to want to get her a gift, even if he needed some help finding something appropriate.  

[Starchild]

6 hours ago, HurricaneVal said:

Does Georgie have a type, and that type is "needy older woman subconsciously attracted to teenagers?"

It's very Freudian. He was an only child for a while and has probably been subconsciously aching for his mom's attention since Sheldon arrived to suck up all the oxygen in the family.

[DoYouLikeMutton]

Now I see where Mandy gets her ugly attitude.  The fruit doesn't fall far from the tree.

[highway61]

7 hours ago, rmontro said:

It's been driving me crazy where I've seen Mandy's mother before, and it finally hit me.  She played Salen in The Good Doctor during one season.  She must be good at playing the villain.

I kept thinking she was Dean Norris' wife in Breaking Bad, but of course she wasn't.

She was Dean Norris' girlfriend in United States of Al. (Where she was very nice.)

 

[Bethany]

17 minutes ago, DoYouLikeMutton said:

Now I see where Mandy gets her ugly attitude.  The fruit doesn't fall far from the tree.

Also because Lorre can't write a show that doesn't feature shrewish women.  

[proserpina65]

11 hours ago, kay1864 said:

Can Georgie be more clueless about Mandy? (nice work on the actress’s part after getting the locket btw, going from “about to kiss Georgie” to “Oh. Amber.”)
For someone who is so great at reading people and going into sales, he sure is missing the signs.

Maybe it's because she's shot him down so many times and she encouraged him to go out with Amber?

[shapeshifter]

12 hours ago, kay1864 said:

Can Georgie be more clueless about Mandy? (nice work on the actress’s part after getting the locket btw, going from “about to kiss Georgie” to “Oh. Amber.”)
For someone who is so great at reading people and going into sales, he sure is missing the signs.

21 minutes ago, proserpina65 said:

Maybe it's because she's shot him down so many times and she encouraged him to go out with Amber?

--and/or Georgie wanted to be honest with Mandy? Which would be kind of sweet.
But also, he's now (perhaps unwittingly?) dodged the bullet of Amber telling Mandy in the future "I'm so glad you liked the necklace I picked out for Georgie to give to you."

[Spartan Girl]

The whole Mandy/George/Amber thing is so typical of Lorre: girl repeatedly tells guy she's not interested, pushes him to date another girl, then instantly gets jealous when they hit it off. Tiresome.

[proserpina65]

2 minutes ago, Spartan Girl said:

The whole Mandy/George/Amber thing is so typical of Lorre: girl repeatedly tells guy she's not interested, pushes him to date another girl, then instantly gets jealous when they hit it off. Tiresome.

It's not just Chuck Lorre who does that in his shows.  It's a common, and yes, tiresome trope on television.

[Kaycee]

I have been noticing a trend on Young Sheldon. Mary is controlling with George, Mandy is controlling with Georgie, and Mandy's mom is controlling with Mandy's dad. It is like the guys go along to get along in the relationships. It does set a bad example for Sheldon and Missy. 

So we know Sheldon is age 11 from the talk between George and Mandy's father and we know Missy is in the 7th grade from last episode.  It puts into context the children appear a lot older than they really are. Missy working in a comic book store and the video store, plus dating this year makes her appear older then she really is by a could of years. Sheldon is very adult like most of the time and in college. 

[Bethany]

5 minutes ago, Kaycee said:

I have been noticing a trend on Young Sheldon. Mary is controlling with George, Mandy is controlling with Georgie, and Mandy's mom is controlling with Mandy's dad. It is like the guys go along to get along in the relationships.

And Brenda Sparks wins the crown for most controlling when Billy (he who hid out in the chicken coop) was still in the picture.

[shapeshifter]

22 minutes ago, proserpina65 said:

It's not just Chuck Lorre who does that in his shows.  It's a common, and yes, tiresome trope on television.

And not just on TV.

5 minutes ago, Kaycee said:

I have been noticing a trend on Young Sheldon. Mary is controlling with George, Mandy is controlling with Georgie, and Mandy's mom is controlling with Mandy's dad. It is like the guys go along to get along in the relationships. It does set a bad example for Sheldon and Missy

My kids would have been the age of the Cooper's at the same time. My mom used to send us every new paperback of The Berenstain Bears as soon as they came out. I used to cringe at how they made Papa Bear out to be such a doofus. It might have helped if when my kids' Dad read them he had a better Papa Bear role model.

At least the show has a fair number of scenes with George and the other adult males being nurturing and even wise at times.
But, yeah, the women do tend to come out looking worse. 
At least we've got Mandy. Hope for the future.

 

[possibilities]

I don't think this is Sheldon's first year of college. So he's not 11 anymore. 

[Bethany]

19 minutes ago, possibilities said:

I don't think this is Sheldon's first year of college. So he's not 11 anymore. 

He should be at least 14 now (and he and Missy look it) but since they're trying to keep George on the show as long as they can - at least I assume this is the reason - Sheldon and Missy are 12 now which ties in to Georgie being 17.  They're being consistent here, at least, as Georgie is 5 years older than the twins.  

I found this site which gives the timing of Young Sheldon for each season.  If it's accurate it would appear that this season Sheldon is starting his 3rd year of college and at some point this year will turn 13.   

Edited February 10, 2023 by Elizabeth Anne

[Sarah 103]

 

4 hours ago, Starchild said:

He was an only child for a while and has probably been subconsciously aching for his mom's attention since Sheldon arrived to suck up all the oxygen in the family.

Yes, but it isn't fair to blame this on Mary's relationship with Sheldon. Missy almost died and there was a serious health scare, so I would imagine that the twins were taking up the bulk of Mary's time and energy from the end of pregnancy (understandibly so) even before they realized Sheldon was a genuis. 

5 hours ago, ChitChat said:

I wish Georgie would've told Mandy that it was his idea to buy her a present, but that Amber helped him.  The way he said it, it came across as if the idea of a gift was Amber's alone.  He gets credit for being thoughtful enough to want to get her a gift, even if he needed some help finding something appropriate.  

YES! I thought it was so sweet that Georgie wanted to get her something that made her feel special and beautiful. He wanted to let her know he still saw her as a person who has an identity seperate from impending motherhood. 

42 minutes ago, Kaycee said:

So we know Sheldon is age 11 from the talk between George and Mandy's father and we know Missy is in the 7th grade from last episode.  

You misunderstood. Georgie said that Sheldon started college at age 11, not that he is currently 11. 

Overall, I liked this episode. Missy going to Mandy was wonderful. There are things Missy isn't quite aware of and doesn't fully understand because she's in middle school, but she knows when someone is upset and wants to help, or at least understand why they are upset. 

I wished we had more scenes of Sheldon and Connor. It's a shame that George and Mandy's father didn't bond more. They both have sons they don't really understand or have anything in common with. It shouldn't matter that one is in college at crazy young age and the other has graduated with an arts degree. 

[possibilities]

Maybe they are doing this baby plot to develop Georgie's situation enough for a spin off show.

[januaryman]

Sheldon stated he was 12 in A Lot of Band-Aids and the Cooper Surrender. The Cowboys game they were watching aired on Jan. 17, 1993, and the twins' birthday is on Feb. 26, so hopefully they'll give us that episode this season. 

I wish they had paid off the Bingo gag they set up - that had no point to it. 

Connor the social misfit is someone Sheldon could actually get along with - if he wasn't 22.

Sorry, I hate Audrey - she and Mandy are dragging down the show. Well-played, though.

[shapeshifter]

55 minutes ago, januaryman said:

Sorry, I hate Audrey - she and Mandy are dragging down the show. Well-played, though.

Mandy's mom sort of serves to make Mandy more likeable in comparison, and also because Mandy defends Georgie and his family in defiance of her mother.

[Chit Chat]

I think that Mandy is still coming to terms with her pregnancy and everything she's about to go through.   She's been warming up to Georgie because he has really stepped up to take care of her.  I think she sees him as a likeable/loveable doofus!  One minute he's presenting her with a meaningful gift, then the next minute he's trying on a nursing bra thinking it's the greatest invention of all time!

I also think that she's trying to give him an opportunity to walk away from the responsibility of being a father, and she's been pleasantly surprised (as are we) how well he's been handling all of this.  It's a dilemma for her if she's not in love with him, but it's nice that he's winning her over.  Even if they don't end up together, maybe they can co-parent amicably.  

[rmontro]

Spoiler

I don't know if this has been brought up before, but notice how Mandy's parents own a tire business?  I wonder if this is relevant, considering what BBT showed Georgie's future occupation to be.

 

[KayVeeTeeVee]

23 hours ago, highway61 said:

I kept thinking she was Dean Norris' wife in Breaking Bad, but of course she wasn't.

She was Dean Norris' girlfriend in United States of Al. (Where she was very nice.)

 

Yes!  United States of Al.  What a timely, instructive show with a great cast.  How sad it was canceled.

[leighdear]

I need to dig out my fabulous brisket recipe.  It IS from Texas.  

How on earth did they get an ultrasound photo so tiny?  Very sweet concept though.  Mandy is waking up to her reality with Georgie. 

Amber could easily be 19 or 20 and still within Georgie's age range.  Maybe married at 18 in Vegas, divorced a few months later.  18 is also legal in Texas, but emancipated minors can marry as young as 16.  I'm seeing Amber as a short-term addition to the cast.  

 

Edited February 11, 2023 by leighdear

[Gizkok]

Years ago. as a teacher in a southern state, there were many high school kids, juniors and seniors, who were married, divorced and close to remarrying. As one sweet little Junior told me, after she and her boyfriend got married, "there was nothing else to do." She also told me that her Daddy had driven them to a neighboring state for the wedding. Maybe one that didn't require a waiting time.

[shapeshifter]

20 hours ago, Gizkok said:

Years ago. as a teacher in a southern state, there were many high school kids, juniors and seniors, who were married, divorced and close to remarrying. As one sweet little Junior told me, after she and her boyfriend got married, "there was nothing else to do." She also told me that her Daddy had driven them to a neighboring state for the wedding. Maybe one that didn't require a waiting time.

My oldest daughter graduated from high school in a town not much different. Although she was engaged at 19, she is now in her 40s and has never been married or had children, but her high school friends are now on their second marriages and have adult children.
In contrast to her classmates’ parents, I just became a grandparent for the first time last year.

Like my daughter, by going to college, Sheldon will dodge that "nothing else to do" bullet.

 

Edited February 13, 2023 by shapeshifter

[SnapHappy]

23 hours ago, Gizkok said:

Years ago. as a teacher in a southern state, there were many high school kids, juniors and seniors, who were married, divorced and close to remarrying. As one sweet little Junior told me, after she and her boyfriend got married, "there was nothing else to do." She also told me that her Daddy had driven them to a neighboring state for the wedding. Maybe one that didn't require a waiting time.

So funny, but I flashed back to one of the first episodes of the TV show "Eight is Enough".  Youngest daughter Elizabeth is hanging on the phone and dad Tom asks 1st wife Joan "What did 15 year-olds do before they invented the telephone?" And she replied "They got married!"  

One of my fave shows, and I always remembered that little clip.  

/trip down memory lane

[Tom Holmberg]

On 2/9/2023 at 10:26 PM, kay1864 said:

Can Georgie be more clueless about Mandy? (nice work on the actress’s part after getting the locket btw, going from “about to kiss Georgie” to “Oh. Amber.”)
For someone who is so great at reading people and going into sales, he sure is missing the signs.

That's sort of typical male behavior, we often have no idea what women would want (and its probably worse the younger a guy gets). As a kid I once bought my mother a humumgous "cocktail ring" for Christmas based solely on its size and garishness.  I give him credit for asking what would be a good gift (and thinking of giving the gift in the first place).

And there's the Empress Carlotta's necklace episode of "The Dick van Dyke Show" on this same idea.

Edited February 13, 2023 by Tom Holmberg

[Baltimore Betty]

23 minutes ago, Tom Holmberg said:

And there's the Empress Carlotta's necklace episode of "The Dick van Dyke Show" on this same idea.

OMG! My sister and I always joke about that episode! Empress Carlotta's necklace works it's way in to lot's of our conversations and we still giggle over it. 

[Bethany]

I think it says something about this show for me now that I come here to read the comments and here it is Monday and I still haven't gotten around to actually watching the show.  Hardly must see TV for me now apparently!  I'd rather talk about it (and read what others have to say) than put in 17 minutes in front of the TV.

[Baltimore Betty]

23 minutes ago, Tom Holmberg said:

And there's the Empress Carlotta's necklace episode of "The Dick van Dyke Show" on this same idea.

OMG! My sister and I always joke about that episode! Empress Carlotta's necklace works it's way in to lot's of our conversations and we still giggle over it. 

[Tom Holmberg]

29 minutes ago, Baltimore Betty said:

OMG! My sister and I always joke about that episode! Empress Carlotta's necklace works it's way in to lot's of our conversations and we still giggle over it. 

One of my favorite DVDShow episodes.  And true to life about how men think.

[MollyMelrose]

[tennisgurl]

Mandy's mom sure has a lot of nerve, talking badly about Georgie despite him being the one who has been there for Mandy and the baby this whole time while Mandy's mom apparently wants to ignore her daughter until she can swoop in to save the day at the end. I was so glad when Mandy told her off and I laughed when Mary was smiling into her cup. Especially that she seemed to be so happy to hear Mandy throw some shade at the fancy cake that Mandy's mom got.

I wish that we had spent more time with Sheldon, Mandy's brother, and Georgie. I could see Sheldon bonding with an artsy indie artist type, especially if they could talk comic books. Hearing this guy trying to explain the greater political implications of Alan Moore's comics to Sheldon sounds hilarious. Mandy's family sounds like even more of a mess than the Coopers. 

[rmontro]

On 2/13/2023 at 9:57 AM, Tom Holmberg said:

And there's the Empress Carlotta's necklace episode of "The Dick van Dyke Show" on this same idea.

There's another episode called "The Curse of the Petrie People", where Rob's family passes on a large brooch shaped like a map of the United States to Laura.  Similar hijinks ensue.

[Bethany]

It think it says something, and it's not good, when the most interesting thing about this episode is the discussion that spun off about The Dick Van Dyke Show!!

[rmontro]

3 hours ago, Elizabeth Anne said:

It think it says something, and it's not good, when the most interesting thing about this episode is the discussion that spun off about The Dick Van Dyke Show!!

I don't know, getting compared to The Dick Van Dyke Show doesn't sound like a bad thing to me.  I've always thought it was the best  all time sitcom.

[MollyMelrose]

Curse of the Petrie People, minus the Alaska and Hawaii earrings. 🙂

[ItCouldBeWorse]

I don't see them adding a baby permanently to this show. I predict that Mandy will decide at some point after giving birth that adoption would be the best for her daughter's future, and that she will also convince a reluctant Georgie that it is for the best.

[Bethany]

9 hours ago, ItCouldBeWorse said:

I don't see them adding a baby permanently to this show. I predict that Mandy will decide at some point after giving birth that adoption would be the best for her daughter's future, and that she will also convince a reluctant Georgie that it is for the best.

I don't see them doing that but I do agree (well hope) that Mandy and the baby are relocated somewhere off camera and are not part of the show for long.  I think the actress playing Mandy is very good, this is no reflection on her, but I really hate this storyline and want it to be done!

[shapeshifter]

15 hours ago, ItCouldBeWorse said:

I don't see them adding a baby permanently to this show.

But isn't there just one more season? 
If the baby only ever has to be a newborn, most of the time they can get by with a doll in a blanket.
I think the actors are all good enough to realistically pretend they are interacting with a live baby.

I'm just not sure there's a good way to have Mandy and the baby disappear on a "comedy" show.