How Georgie & Mandy's Season 2 Premiere Hints At Georgie's Big Bang Theory Destiny

"Georgie & Mandy's First Marriage" dropped a gigantic "Big Bang Theory" Easter egg in Thursday's premiere.

During the "Young Sheldon" spinoff's Season 2 opener, Georgie pitched new business partner Ruben on a rebrand of McAllister Auto & Tire. He wanted to rename the mom-and-pop shop Dr. Tire — and eventually expand nationwide.

Of course, as fans of "The Big Bang Theory" know, Georgie ultimately owns a chain of Dr. Tire stores. But as of 2018 — when Jerry O'Connell made his debut as a forty-something Georgie — he was known only as "The Tire King of Texas," not "The Tire King of America."

Another notable change came during the main-title sequence. While Georgie and Mandy's tango remains front and center, they're now joined by the entire CBS comedy ensemble — well, almost everyone.

As TVLine previously reported, subsequent Season 2 episodes will focus on Mandy's fledgling TV career and Mary's decision to start dating again. Below, series co-creator Steve Holland expands on those threads and weighs in on the changes introduced in Episode 1.

How Georgie & Mandy Season 2 Builds Toward Georgie's Big Bang Theory Future

TVLINE | Let's talk Dr. Tire. Georgie already has the name of his future business picked out. Is it going to change now?
We're not changing it to Dr. Tire this season. It's just a little Easter egg for those in the know. Georgie has this name in the back of his mind, and it's a nod to his future success.

TVLINE | He floats the idea of taking out additional loans and expanding across Texas. How seriously is he taking that idea right now?
One of the fun things about Georgie is that he's young and a little naive, and sometimes that works to his advantage. He'll say, "Let's just do it," without thinking about the consequences. So part of Season 2's dynamic between him and Ruben is that push-pull — Georgie wants to go full steam ahead, while Ruben's the cautious one saying, "We can't take on more debt." That tension drives a lot of their story this year.

TVLINE | Georgie refers to a five-year plan when discussing expansion. Is that secretly your own timetable for the series?
In a very casual way, yeah. It's a fun nod. We'd love to still be around five or six years from now — or longer — telling this story. We know a few points we have to hit along the way, but we don't have a strict timeline. Eventually Georgie becomes a success and Dr. Tire comes into existence, but we don't know exactly when, which gives us plenty of leeway for stories in between.

TVLINE | He even mentions expanding nationally — something "The Big Bang Theory" never addressed. Could that happen at some point after the events of the original series?
It's possible. We haven't really talked about it yet, but hopefully we'll get to that point. On "Big Bang," we know he's the tire king of Texas, and he's still as ambitious as ever. I do think he's going to have a national chain at some point.

Inside the Revamped Georgie & Mandy Season 2 Title Sequence

TVLINE | The main title sequence got a few tweaks this year. Beyond aging up CeeCee, you also added Jim, Audrey and Connor. Are we to assume they've been sitting there this whole time, and Georgie and Mandy have just been oblivious as they tango?
[Laughs] They were there the whole time — a little Easter egg we could drop in. Honestly, it's only about 20 frames different from the original main title. We wanted to respect the ensemble and also give people something new to look at. It's so easy to skip a main title, and I love ours, so anything that keeps viewers watching is fun.

TVLINE | Was there any fear about losing even a single frame of that tango?
Absolutely. We had our editor go in before we shot and carve out a tiny slot to see if it would even work. We didn't want to mess with an opening title that's already great. We extended the knee just a touch so everything lined up, but you really don't lose any of the tango. When you watch it, I don't think you'll notice anything missing.

TVLINE | CBS released a still from Episode 1 that shows Jim, Audrey and Connor seated at the kitchen table, dressed to the nines — as seen above — but we don't see that version here. Did you film alternate versions — akin to how you kept dressing up Sheldon in different outfits in the main titles for "Young Sheldon"?
It's possible that different versions might pop up from time to time this season.

TVLINE | And what about who to include — was there debate over whether Ruben should make the cut?
You have to keep watching as the season goes on to see if Ruben pops up in there.

Coming Up On Georgie & Mandy Season 2

TVLINE | Last season ended on a bit of shaky ground for Georgie and Mandy. There are obviously problems there that need to be addressed, but we don't tackle those in the premiere — they seem to be in an OK place. Talk to me about the decision not to immediately pick up that thread and instead start them off on more even footing.
We had a lot of story threads dangling last season, and it felt like it would be a disservice to pick them all up in the premiere. At the end of Season 1, they were on shaky ground, but she sits on his lap and they share a moment where they decide to try to make this work. These are two people who love each other and want this to work, but they're in a complicated relationship with a lot of outside forces making things difficult — and that's the fun of these stories to tell.

There's also a scheduling element: Chris Gorham [who plays Mandy's ex, Scott, and currently stars on CBS' Sheriff Country] is on another show in Canada, so we don't have full access to him. We're working around their schedules to keep those stories alive.

TVLINE | You previously told me that Chris will return in Episode 5, which will be the first time Georgie and Scott share a scene. Now that you've written and shot that one, tell me a bit more — what's the setup that gets them in the same room?
Mandy's been pushing to do more at work because, in her own way, she's as ambitious as Georgie. She wants to do more than just the weather, and Scott gives her the opportunity to cover a meteor shower — an overnight trip. Georgie learns she's going away with her ex, and he's obviously not happy about it. Jealousy is certainly a thing. He hasn't had a lot of relationship experience, and he decides he needs to confront this head-on and meet the guy face-to-face.

TVLINE | There was that bit of weirdness between Mandy and Scott in the Season 1 finale. How aware are we of that awkwardness when Mandy is presented with the idea of this overnight trip?
It's there in the background — the awkwardness of that moment and the awkwardness of knowing Georgie isn't thrilled about her working with her ex. She knows he's going to be even less thrilled about her going away with him overnight.

TVLINE | Two weeks prior, in Episode 3, Mary contemplates dating again. We already know Georgie is the one who initially takes issue with it. Tell me more about where his reaction stems from — is it that the wound of losing his father is still fresh, or that he thinks it's his duty to protect Mom now that Dad is gone?
For Georgie, I don't think it even occurred to him that his mother would start dating again. His first gut reaction is that it's somehow a betrayal of his father — that it's too soon. It's been more than a year since George Sr.'s death, but to Georgie it still feels fresh, and it feels like his mother is doing a disservice to his dad's memory by even considering dating again.

TVLINE | In addition to Zoe Perry, Reagan Revord returns in that episode as Missy. How does Mary's daughter feel about her dating again? Does she feel the same way that Georgie does?
Missy is thrilled at the chance that her mom might be out of the house every now and then — especially on a Friday night. She's feeling suffocated and smothered by her mom, and the thought that her mom might have a life other than looking over her shoulder is delightful to her.

TVLINE | There's a Cooper family dinner scene in that episode — and we know from "Young Sheldon" that there's always tension at that table. What's the catalyst for that one?
It's the specter of her dating again. The bowling-league guy that Mary's been talking to comes up, and Georgie immediately gets upset.

What did you think of Thursday's "Georgie & Mandy" premiere? Grade it via the following poll, then leave a comment with your full review.

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