The news that Sheldon's earliest rival (and first crush) Paige will return in Young Sheldon season 6 could mean that one of the oldest The Big Bang Theory plot holes will soon be fixed by the sitcom spinoff. While McKenna Grace’s Paige is a welcome presence whenever the guest star appears in Young Sheldon, the character’s absence from The Big Bang Theory has never really made sense in terms of shared canon. Since Paige was Sheldon’s first crush, a formative academic rival, and a close friend throughout their tumultuous upbringings, it stands to reason that Sheldon would have mentioned her at least once during The Big Bang Theory.
Since Young Sheldon justified Sheldon’s atheism in The Big Bang Theory, his obsession with getting credit for his work, and even the source of his anxiety over his “spot,” it stands to reason that the spinoff would explain what happened that led him to never mention Paige in adulthood. During Paige’s season 5 appearance, her personal struggles caused her to leave academia, a move that could have justified Sheldon’s lack of contact with her. However, judging by a behind-the-scenes photo posted on Young Sheldon actor Iain Armitage’s Instagram, Paige will be back for season 6, and this return can finally properly explain why Sheldon never mentioned her on The Big Bang Theory
Sheldon and Paige’s Relationship Explained
Paige and Sheldon have had a rocky, on-and-off relationship throughout the 6 seasons of Young Sheldon. When Paige first appeared in the series, she was Sheldon’s rival, and she later becomes friends with Missy much to his annoyance. More recently, after Young Sheldon set up Georgie and Mandy, Paige returned in season 5 and was shocked to discover that Sheldon had a social life and friends in college. This led Sheldon’s fellow child prodigy to do some soul-searching as she realized that she was sacrificing her adolescence for academic prowess while Sheldon was seemingly able to have both, and her appearance ended with Sheldon stating that Paige dropped out after that meeting.
Paige Is Sheldon’s Foil In Young Sheldon
Since her first appearance, Paige has been Sheldon’s foil in Young Sheldon. Where the future star of The Big Bang Theory is fastidious, Paige is playful, and while Sheldon prizes order and structure, Paige is a rebel who prefers to break the rules. While The Big Bang Theory finale saw Sheldon finally loosen up and admit that he needs his friends as much as they need him, Paige wasn’t even a teenager when she dropped out of an advanced college course because visiting Sheldon made her see how much her social life was suffering thanks to her prioritizing study over personal matters.
The Big Bang Theory Never Mentioned Paige
Despite the similarities between Sheldon and Paige, the character is never mentioned in The Big Bang Theory. In reality, the reasoning for this is likely that the creators of The Big Bang Theory didn’t know a Young Sheldon spinoff would happen, and, therefore, the character of Paige didn’t exist when the original series was written. However, in the context of Young Sheldon, it is tough to justify why Sheldon would have seemingly forgotten such a formative figure from his youth. So far in season 6, Young Sheldon has foreshadowed Mary’s return to the church, Georgie and Mandy’s breakup, and George Sr’s death because of the show's connection to The Big Bang Theory canon, so it is hard to ignore Paige’s unexplained absence.
Young Sheldon Season 6 Can Justify The Big Bang Theory’s Paige Retcon
While it is currently tough to explain how Sheldon managed to forget about Paige, Young Sheldon season 6 can justify this with the character’s next appearance in the series. If Sheldon and she grew apart amicably because she is no longer as invested in academic achievement as him, this could result in their rivalry fizzling out even further as their differences become more noticeable than their similarities and, thus, a justification for why someone as self-centered as Sheldon would simply forget his friend. After all, Young Sheldon season 6 revealed why George and Mandy broke up in a similarly subtle fashion, underlining the similarities between Mandy’s father and Georgie without explicitly stating the reason.
Young Sheldon season 6 can explain why Paige is never mentioned by ensuring that she and Sheldon no longer share enough in common for Sheldon to view her as his rival. While Paige may well still be as smart as Sheldon, this alone is never enough to ensure that Sheldon will see a character as his nemesis. Sheldon started petty rivalries with the likes of Will Wheaton while also (just about) maintaining professional relationships with other academics. Sheldon’s rivalries were based more on how he felt about a person than how much of a threat they were to him in professional terms so, if he ends up ambivalent toward a more laidback, less competitive Paige, this would explain their amicable parting.
Young Sheldon Should Explain Paige’s TBBT Absence
While Young Sheldon season 6 has foreshadowed George’s death repeatedly throughout its first few episodes, the show has not yet mentioned Paige. The sitcom spinoff should use the supporting character’s return as an opportunity to explain why Paige was never mentioned in The Big Bang Theory while also fleshing out Sheldon’s character in the process. Throughout Young Sheldon season 6 so far, Sheldon has remained his usual self, as self-absorbed and clueless as ever. However, he has shown surprising new sides from time to time, as epitomized in his decision to tutor his neighbor to help out his father. The idea that Sheldon would help George Sr (particularly when George and Mary’s marriage was struggling) showed how considerate Sheldon can be despite himself.
Admittedly, George Sr’s “reverse psychology” convinced Sheldon to assist him, but this was still a reminder that Sheldon isn’t a one-dimensional character. Similarly, seeing Sheldon accept that he and Paige are headed on different paths in life would be an interesting way to establish his more accepting side. While Sheldon was famously uptight in The Big Bang Theory, he was able to co-exist with other scientists in his department and even had a successful relationship with Amy eventually. The roots of The Big Bang Theory hero’s ability to live and let others live (provided, that is, that they didn’t bother him in the process) could be found in Young Sheldon season 6 ending his rivalry with Paige.