What’s Wrong With Connor, Explained

Thursday’s episode of “Georgie & Mandy’s First Marriage” put Mandy’s brother front and center as Connor — long stuck in a state of arrested development — hit an emotional low point.

In the wake of last week’s pregnancy scare, which sent “Goddess of the Music Store” Chloe running for the hills, Episode 6 found him grappling with post-breakup blues, the reality of being 27, jobless and still living at home, and the creeping fear that his musical ambitions may never amount to anything. 

Georgie, Mandy, Jim and Audrey all rallied around him — Georgie kept him company when he couldn’t sleep, Mandy offered to help with his résumé, and the whole family tried to lift his spirts with beer pong and pizza. And it was in that post-party haze that Connor vowed to pour everything into his music. He wrote and recorded a new song (“Do the Axolotl”) and sent a tape to Dr. Demento — aka Barret Eugene Hansen, the American radio legend who championed novelty songs, and only recently retired in October 2025 — who, in the episode’s closing moments, is seen listening to the track.

Though previous episodes have shone a spotlight on Dougie Baldwin’s character — first in Season 1’s “An Old Mustang,” which explored Jim’s strained relationship with his son, and later in “Goddess of the Music Store,” which introduced Chloe — Season 2, Episode 6 offers even greater insight into Connor’s neuroses and his growing awareness of what’s holding him back. That made this week as good a time as any to hop on the phone with Baldwin and pick his brain about the evolution of his eccentric alter ego.

TVLINE | Connor hits a real low point here. He’s not only sad, but ashamed and directionless. Prior to being dumped by Chloe, how aware do you think he really was that he was languishing in life?
It makes me think about the road trip episode from Season 1 where Connor says, “Everything I do just disappoints my dad. Everything I do upsets him.” I don’t think Connor was that aware of how he was flailing in life, but I think he was aware of the backlash he can get from his dad, and that never felt good — or the overprotectiveness from his mom, and that doesn’t feel good. So I don’t think he was consciously aware, but I think there were moments of feeling a bit at sea or confused by his parents’ reactions to him. That would bother him. But I think now, in this episode, maybe he’s seeing that he needs to buckle down a bit.

TVLINE | His heartbreak over Chloe morphs into something much bigger — a full-blown identity crisis. Do you think this is the first time he’s found himself as worried about his future as Jim and Audrey have been in previous episodes?
When you say that, the actor in me goes back and thinks about his childhood. I’m sure, given who Connor is, that there have been many moments in his life where he has sat by himself, not quite sure what to do, or where he fits in. There have been many moments we don’t see where he’s maybe panicking a little.

TVLINE | Connor internalizes Chloe leaving as a judgment on who he is and what he’s capable of. How much self-blame do you think he’s carrying after that breakup?
I think there’s a lot [of self-blame]. The week we filmed that episode, there was a conversation I had with one of the producers about the anger he’s feeling — the anger around, “Why would she do this? I don’t understand.” There’s a frustration at feeling confused and not knowing what happened. At the heart of that is someone who’s heartbroken and does blame himself, and has been made to feel small. Especially in last week’s episode, when Connor’s mom comes into his room and invades his privacy — that makes Connor feel small. That makes him feel like he has to be looked after, like his mommy has to come help him. Behind the anger is: “Oh, I’m not worthy. I’m not good enough.” And I think that’s maybe true of many people as well.

TVLINE | Since the pilot, we’ve seen how much Connor appreciates Georgie — namely, I think, because his brother-in-law doesn’t treat him any differently. In that sense, Georgie offering emotional support this week isn’t surprising. But how do you think Connor receives Mandy, Jim and Audrey stepping up to support him? Does he perceive it as pity, or genuine affection?
I see it as genuine affection. There was a moment — one of the scenes in the kitchen where Mandy drunkenly suggests burning all of Chloe’s clothes, and Audrey jumps on top of that — and I remember feeling in that moment, “This is so nice.” I don’t think Connor’s used to being comforted in this traditional college, getting drunk way, but I think he really likes it. He feels surrounded and warmed by it. It’s a bit of a novelty — like, “Oh, now I’m just like everyone else. I’m just getting drunk with everyone else.” I think he accepts it with a lot of warmth.

TVLINE | This isn’t the first Connor-centric episode. “An Old Mustang” and “Goddess of the Music Store” immediately spring to mind. But I’m curious at what point it finally clicked for you who this character was — what propels him, what holds him back, and how he processes the world around him. Was there a specific moment, or episode, where it all crystalized for you?
“Goddess of the Music Store” felt like a big turning point. From memory, it was the first time I’d had that much to do on set. There was also that sense of, “Oh, he’s actually fine. He doesn’t need Georgie’s help.” There’s a line where I say, “I’m a musician. We get chicks,” and that always made me laugh. I enjoyed doing that line because I thought, “Yeah — in his world, this is normal for me. You’re all projecting way more concern than you need to. Actually, I’m fine.” I think that episode helped a lot because it was like, “Oh, he’s in more control than you think.” He really is trying — trying to be funny, trying to be helpful. His strangeness doesn’t come from apathy; it comes from him trying to be brave and be who he is, in whatever way feels safe.

TVLINE | We get a montage of Connor recording “Do the Axolotl,” with glimpses of him playing each instrument. Are you actually playing on any of that, or is it all TV magic?
I’m going to be very honest: the recording of the song is not me. Our wonderful musical consultant played and wrote all of that. But I was able to play the drums and that little bass bit. I was not able to play the guitar solo — I completely gave up on that. I can do little bits and sell it, for sure, but that wasn’t me.

TVLINE | Were you aware of Dr. Demento prior to this episode?
No, not one bit. I was driving my car and got a text from one of the producers saying, “Hey, listen to this.” They’d sent me “Fish Heads,” one of Dr. Demento’s songs. I remember listening and thinking, “This is the strangest thing.” I had no idea who he was, but it was cool to find out he was the guy who put Weird Al on the map.

TVLINE | One of my favorite runners in Season 1 was Connor’s friendship with Jay Leno. Throughout this episode, I thought to myself, why doesn’t he reach out to Jay in his efforts to make a real go at a music career?
Jay’s just his buddy. He’s just his friend. He’s not trying to go work for him — he’s just like, “That’s my friend.” 

TVLINE | But Jay did leave him that voicemail welcoming him to sit in with Branford Marsalis and the Tonight Show Band if he ever got out to Los Angeles…
Listen, that’s in the hands of the producers. I would love to go hang out with Jay Leno and pretend to
play in his band. That would be such a funny turn.

TVLINE | Overall, this episode feels like a pivot — either he steps up or he gives up. Have the producers given you any sense of Connor’s trajectory after this episode? In the ones you’ve shot, does he keep making strides?
He’s definitely making strides. Honestly, we get the scripts on a Wednesday, and have our table read and first rehearsal on Wednesday. We get them so on the fly that we’re waiting each week for the scripts the same way the audience waits for the episodes. There are always chats with the producers about how they’re feeling about characters at particular moments, but we rarely get a roadmap. I kind of like that.

What did you think of “Georgie & Mandy’s First Marriage” Season 2, Episode 6: “Heartbreak and the Refuge of the Downtrodden”? Did this episode give you a better understanding of Mandy’s brother? Drop your thoughts in a comment below.