Georgie & Mandy Star Reflects On Mary Dating Again After Young Sheldon Tragedy — Watch Interview

It's been more than a year since the tragic loss of family patriarch George Sr. on "Young Sheldon." But has enough time passed for Mary Cooper (Zoe Perry) to move on?

Obviously, there's no right answer. Grief looks different for everyone. But that was nevertheless the question posed in Season 2, Episode 3 of "Georgie & Mandy's First Marriage," when Meemaw set up her daughter with a fellow widower: a mustached member of her bowling league named Joseph (Jeremy Brandt). (When Mary sat down to coffee with him, Joseph was the first to acknowledge their names: "All we need's a manger, huh?")

The installment marked Mary's first time dating since her husband's death — and while Missy (Raegan Revord) was thrilled to have her mom out of the house on a Friday night, her big brother wasn't nearly as enthusiastic.

In the video Q&A embedded above — with a transcript, edited for clarity, provided below — series star Montana Jordan discusses Georgie's emotional reaction, revisiting the Cooper dining room for the first time since "Young Sheldon," and what's ahead for Georgie and Mandy as the CBS comedy's sophomore run continues.

TVLINE | That opening dinner scene — the first time the Cooper family dining room has been used since "Young Sheldon" — must've been surreal. What was it like stepping back onto that set and sitting across from Zoe and Raegan again?
It's incredible because we're on a completely different stage now. Anything that you see that was on "Young Sheldon" was rebuilt on a completely different stage — and how well did they do it? I mean, you watched it! You can't even tell it's different. You feel like it's on the same stage, the same place as it was last time. But anytime that we get to have any of the Cooper family back on set, it's always a blast. We had a great family dynamic behind the scenes on that show, as we do on this show, so anytime we can bring them back, we're always welcoming them.

TVLINE | Was it weird being back there and not seeing Lance Barber at the head of the table?
It always is, man. Anytime there's not a pile of food on the other end of the table, we know Lance is missing somewhere.

TVLINE | Georgie clearly has a hard time seeing his mom with someone new. Is that coming more from a place of wanting to protect her, or struggling to let go of his dad's memory?
I think it's a little bit of both. I try to put myself in Georgie's shoes. He wants to protect his mama, but he does realize that she's a grown woman who can make her own decisions. They're all going through a hard time with George just passing away, and Mary's struggling with it. In her mind, she's probably wanting that comfort from somebody. Now that there's a part of her missing, she's trying to figure out how to find that missing piece again. 

[None of the kids] know the connection that Mary and George had as parents, and the love they had for each other. I don't think Georgie fully understands what Mary's going through. Maybe it would be good for Mary to find someone who puts a piece back in her heart, but it's hard for Georgie to accept that.

TVLINE | Georgie's reaction feels tied to that promise he made to his father to look after the family. Do you think he's confusing protecting his mom with trying to control what comes next for her?
Wow, Ryan, you're good! Yes and no. Georgie can be strong-minded about what he wants. Maybe that does come into effect when he's having these conversations with his mom. He wants things to go his way, but she wants something different. Maybe he wants more control than he's getting, and he realizes he doesn't have that control.

TVLINE | That moment when Georgie sees Mary smiling with Joseph through the kitchen shutters and quietly walks away — there's so much said in his silence. What emotions were you channeling there?
I was thinking, "Man, if it were me in this situation, I'd probably be running through them doors right now!" I would not turn around and walk off; I would have to say something. But Georgie realizes he has to put his feelings aside and realize what his mom's going through. If this is what she needs in this moment, then I need to just let it be and walk away. It was smart of him to do that rather than go in and do what he probably wanted to do. [Pause] I don't know... I was about to say that was George talking to him, but George probably would've told him to go in and kick his a–! [Laughs]

TVLINE | Georgie has grown up quite a bit over the first season and change. Do you think he would have made that same decision to walk away at the beginning of Season 1?
I don't think so. Between starting the new business and everything Mandy's got going on with this newfound fame, I feel like Georgie has matured more over this second season more than he has in any of the other seasons. All those struggles, his father just passing away... I think he's definitely matured a lot.

TVLINE | Clearly, this story's far from over at the end of Episode 3. How do you think we'll see Georgie process these emotions? Will he visit his dad's grave again or maybe see him in another dream sequence?
Those moments are important for carrying on the George character. We haven't done it yet, but hey, Season 2 ain't over yet! We still got a whole lot more to look forward to, so he might go visit his dad at the gravesite. Like I was saying earlier, in these situations, I try to put myself in Georgie's shoes, and those are some heartfelt scenes. They really are. It feels like I'm really talking to George... and it feels good to have those moments. 

TVLINE | On the work front, Georgie's ambition has been both his greatest strength and biggest challenge this season. His big-picture ideas keep clashing with Ruben's practical approach to business. Do you see Ruben as grounding Georgie or holding him back?
That's one thing about Georgie — he's gonna go headfirst, and most of the time he's not gonna look back. But this is one of those moments where he has to slow down and rethink a bunch of stuff that he thought was gonna be easier than it has actually become. It's good to have both of them because Ruben [looks at matters] from more of a logical standpoint. If it wasn't for Ruben, there's no telling what Georgie would've done by now. 

TVLINE | Fred Fagenbacher is back in Episode 4 (airing Nov. 6). What kind of trouble do Georgie and Ruben get into trying to keep him from running them out of business?
I'm still sore from a scene we filmed not long ago. We snuck over to his tire store and did some stuff to him — and in this episode we're filming now, he's getting revenge on us. Fagenbacher thinks he's the big boss in town, and Georgie and Ruben are standing their ground, you know? Well, maybe Georgie's standing his ground a little bit more than Ruben. Ruben, more likely, is going to hide in the bathroom in the back or something, but Georgie's going to hold his ground. It's a great storyline.

TVLINE | Does having a common enemy bring Georgie and Ruben closer together?
Yeah, I'd say so. They realize there's a shark in town, and he's ready to bite any chance he gets.

TVLINE | What does Mandy think of what Georgie and Ruben are up to?
Mandy's got her own stuff going on with her little ex-boyfriend that keeps coming into town! Georgie's gonna have to do something about him. I don't know what, but he'll have to figure that out.

TVLINE | In Episode 5 (airing Nov. 13), Georgie finally comes face-to-face with Mandy's ex — and current boss — Scott (played by recurring guest star Christopher Gorham). How does that first meeting play out? Does Georgie handle himself better or worse than you were expecting?
It's a really funny scene. Georgie comes in all hot-headed, ready to do something to him — but then, in the middle of the scene, he realizes, hmm... this guy is not as bad as he thought. Georgie gains some respect for him in that moment. That doesn't mean in the next episode Georgie won't be kicking him in the dust, you know? You gotta watch to find out!

What did you think of "Georgie & Mandy's First Marriage" Season 2, Episode 3, "A Will and a Dead Man's Wife"? Reflect on Montana Jordan's answers — and the episode at large — in the comments below.