I Finally Understand Why Young Sheldon Treated Missy Poorly After A New Reveal About Her Future
After learning new information about her future, I now understand why Young Sheldon mistreated Missy. Sheldon’s twin sister was the second member of the Cooper family to make an appearance in The Big Bang Theory, following Mary’s debut. Unfortunately, while the family’s matriarch came back countless times throughout its run, her only daughter didn’t return until Sheldon’s wedding in season 11. Despite Missy’s minimal involvement in The Big Bang Theory, she made an impact on me, and considering the interest in her in Young Sheldon, I assume that this was also the case for many avid viewers of the franchise.
As someone who has spearheaded The Big Bang Theory and Young Sheldon‘s coverage for Screen Rant, I’ve written countless articles about both shows. Some of my favorite pieces were about Raegan Revord’s Missy, including ones criticizing the prequel for continuously sidelining her. While not everyone shared my sentiments, I believed that CBS missed a big opportunity by not putting more effort into developing Missy. She was smart, funny, and relatable. Ideally, she would have been the perfect replacement for Sheldon. After learning about Missy’s Georgie & Mandy’s First Marriage role, however, I now understand why Young Sheldon overlooked her.
Missy’s Rebellion Arc In Young Sheldon Explained
George And Mary’s Daughter Reached Her Breaking Point In Young Sheldon Season 6
Young Sheldon was born out of Sheldon’s popularity in The Big Bang Theory. When it premiered in 2017, the prequel was focused on the boy genius, and how living in Texas shaped him. As the series progressed, however, it diversified its storytelling, which I think was the best thing to ever happen to the show. While I love Iain Armitage’s Sheldon, I was always more interested in his family. Unfortunately, while the rest of the Coopers got their respective arcs, Missy barely had her own stories, especially during the spinoff’s middle years.
Sheldon was off to college, and while tackling his unique experience was fun, juxtaposing it with Missy’s more stereotypical growing pains seemed like a great way to balance Young Sheldon ‘s storytelling.
By Young Sheldon season 6, I had been harping on the matter for a few months. Season 5 barely did anything for Missy, as the series’ focus shifted to developing Georgie’s budding romance with Mandy, which made me more frustrated. Sheldon was off to college, and while tackling his unique experience was fun, juxtaposing it with Missy’s more stereotypical growing pains seemed like a great way to balance Young Sheldon‘s storytelling. I was ready to give up on the matter when CBS started incorporating criticisms of its mishandling of Revord’s character into her arc.
Finally fed up with being ignored all the time, Missy started acting out towards the end of Young Sheldon season 6. She became antagonistic and rebellious — annoyed that her parents continued to prioritize her siblings over her. At one point, she boldly stole George’s truck, called Paige, and went on a daring road trip to Florida despite being underage. Missy was clearly wrong, but I sympathized with her frustrations. She had always been there whenever anyone in her family needed her support, and yet, she seemed to be easily discarded when she was no longer needed.
Missy’s Georgie & Mandy’s Spinoff Story Shows Why Young Sheldon Didn’t Give Her A Proper Ending
Georgie Will Have To Keep His Sister In Check In His New Show
Briefly after her near-death experience in the Young Sheldon season 6 finale, Missy shaped up. Realizing the error of her ways, she tearfully apologized to George and promised to behave moving forward. While she still made mistakes like sneaking out with a boy, Missy didn’t do anything as egregious as running away. Most importantly, she even stepped up in the wake of the tornado tragedy, especially with Mary in Germany with Sheldon. Despite this, Missy, once again, got the shortest end of the stick once The Big Bang Theory fully wrapped up.
While all major characters got their respective stories, the only Cooper daughter was once again sidelined for most of its final year. Making it worse, the Young Sheldon finale didn’t even give her a proper send-off. I understand that there was limited screen time, but I’m still frustrated with the way her ending was handled until I learned about her future in Georgie & Mandy’s First Marriage. As revealed by producer Steve Holland, a big part of Georgie’s arc in the new show is keeping her sister in check, which can be challenging as he also raises his new family.
We’re going to see a slightly different Missy. She’s gone through the loss of her dad and she’s acting out. She’s [becoming] rebellious. [Georgie]’s trying to balance being a husband and a father and also being a caretaker to his sister, who’s having some struggles.
Without Young Sheldon‘s set-up, capped off by her open-ended fate in the finale, I don’t think the next chapter in Missy’s small screen arc would be as compelling, considering how long her frustrations have been percolating. Having Georgie be the one to look after her would also add extra weight to the pair’s journey in Georgie & Mandy’s First Marriage. Admittedly, this is the best-case scenario for me and everyone else who wished that Lorre and his team opted to just rebrand Young Sheldon to The Coopers, which would focus on both of Sheldon’s siblings instead of just his brother.
Can Georgie & Mandy’s First Marriage Redeem Missy & Her Story?
Georgie & Mandy’s First Marriage’s Focus Isn’t On Missy
Both The Big Bang Theory and Young Sheldon failed to make the most out of Missy. When the prequel started, she had so much potential, and I’m sad that, at this point, the franchise will unlikely be able to fully capitalize on that. Don’t get me wrong, I’m thrilled that she will be back in Georgie & Mandy’s First Marriage, especially after Revord originally revealed that she wouldn’t be part of it because she wasn’t invited to partake.
That being said, I find it hard to believe that even as a recurring character, the Young Sheldon sequel will be able to fully make amends for how the prequel handled Missy. Currently, her only confirmed appearance is in Georgie & Mandy’s First Marriage‘s second episode. I think they can bring her back a few times more throughout the rest of its first season, but that would still not be enough to properly craft a redeeming story for her.
Georgie & Mandy’s First Marriage’s pilot will also see the return of Zoe Perry and Annie Potts as Mary and Meemaw.
It’s important to note that despite Georgie’s promise at George’s funeral in the Young Sheldon finale, the main focus of his upcoming series will still be on his and Mandy’s story. The McAllisters, being the new supporting family, will also have their side plots in Georgie & Mandy’s First Marriage. This means that Missy’s story will likely be third in terms of narrative priorities for the upcoming series. For what it’s worth, at least we’re seeing her again after Young Sheldon failed to give her a satisfying send-off.
