Sheldon realizes that creating his grant database won’t be as easy as he thought, thanks to an unforeseen move by Dr. Linkletter and the University and Sheldon’s business partner, Gary, who proves to be more harmful than helpful.
Sheldon and Dr. Sturgis are working hard to get the grant database up and running, with no help from their financier, Gary O’Brien (Dave Foley), who is assisting via conference call due to being out of the country for reasons his lawyer has advised him not to share. While O’Brien fusses over what to call the database, Sheldon learns that Dr. Linkletter is working with another student, Toby (Hermie Castillo), to get his own database started. Sheldon confronts President Hagemeyer about the betrayal, and she makes it clear that the university has every right to create their own database and Sheldon is more than welcome to re-join them if he wishes. Sheldon and Dr. Sturgis consult with O’Brien, and he convinces them to enact a vengeful plan to force the University’s hand by poaching Toby from the university.
Hagemeyer is a bright woman, and knows that she has something she can use that is more important to Sheldon than his database. She threatens to take away Sheldon’s perks at the university, unless he partners with them. The threat of having a roommate in his dorm, was enough for Sheldon to pressure O’Brien into moving faster to get his database off the ground. O’Brien sends Sheldon a mainframe and Sheldon decides to house it in his dorm, making it impossible for another student to share the space. His plan seems to be working until he plugs the mainframe in. It proves to be too powerful for the University’s electrical breakers and shuts down the power. Sheldon and the university are at an impasse and someone will eventually have to back down. Sheldon is stubborn and won’t back down easily, but being comfortable is everything to Sheldon, and Hagemeyer is holding all the cards in this regard.
The episode also gave us a long overdue update on Mandy’s pregnancy. Viewers learn that Mandy is 8 months pregnant during a visit to her OBGYN, who informs her that she has high blood pressure and must spend a week on bed rest. Georgie has grown up a lot since Mandy announced she was pregnant, and his new found maturity and responsible nature was on full display in this episode. Not only was he able to understand Mandy’s condition thanks to the baby book he read, he also managed to run all 3 businesses on his own while Mandy rested and Connie nursed a bad back. George Sr. and Missy stepped up to help, and it was a perfect opportunity for Georgie to show his dad just how far he has come.
While Mary is tending to Mandy, she urges her to try and repair things with her mother. This is a great bonding moment for the two, who up until now have not had much one on one time. Mandy confides in Mary that she is having a girl, but asks her to keep it a secret from Georgie, who has chosen not to find out the sex of the baby until the birth. Mary is honoured that Mandy trusts her, and decides to impart some motherly wisdom by encouraging Mandy to try and repair things with her mother, Audrey. When Mandy’s attempted phone call with her mother goes badly, Mary oversteps and decides to confront Audrey at the family auto shop. Mary doesn’t mince words, telling Mandy’s mother to grow up, step up and call Mandy. Her abruptness works, but it is difficult to tell if Audrey genuinely wants to call her daughter, or feels pressured by Mary to do so. Although Mandy has made peace with the fact that her parents are no longer a part of her life, having them present at the birth of her child would be a huge step in repairing their severed relationship and moving forward.
The episode featured some excellent character work by Raegan Revord, as Missy continued to work hard to assert her independence. While Missy is working at the video store, an older boy takes a liking to her and asks her out, causing an overprotective George Sr. to set him straight and send him on his way. A mortified Missy lashes out at her father and confronts him about his relationship with Brenda. She explains that Billy told her that his mother and George have been hanging out in the chicken coop. George attempts to brush it off, but Missy is a lot more astute than he thinks, and she also makes it clear that she is aware of Mary’s inappropriate relationship with Pastor Rob. This was a huge wake-up call for George Sr, who has always believed that his daughter was aloof and unaware of the hidden dynamics happening in the Cooper household. Missy proved to George that she is a lot smarter than he thinks, and it is time that he stops underestimating her. Hopefully George’s confrontation with Missy will allow him to realize that his actions are affecting more than just his marriage, and he needs to decide if he is willing to be fully committed to Mary or move on. Having one foot out the door isn’t going to work anymore.
This episode was a strong instalment of the series, featuring both comedic and compelling performances by the talented ensemble cast. As Mandy’s pregnancy nears its end, a lot of questions will need to be answered- will Mandy continue to live with Meemaw with a newborn baby in tow? Will Mandy finally allow Georgie to be a part of her life? I’d love to hear your thoughts, Young Sheldon fans! Share them below and follow me on Twitter @MiddleofCanada.
