Executive producer Steve Holland reveals why Paige was absent in the Young Sheldon finale. The Big Bang Theory prequel was primarily about Sheldon and the Coopers, but it was also able to introduce several notable guest stars, including McKenna Grace’s character. Paige was Sheldon’s fellow prodigy who fell on hard times, resulting in a much darker path for her. Despite her popularity, Paige neither appeared nor was mentioned in the Young Sheldon finale, leaving the franchise no other opportunity to properly end her arc.
Holland addresses the questions regarding Paige’s fate in a new interview with TV Line, with the showrunner explaining that they didn’t think the character’s story needed anything more. However, he also admitted they would have wanted to have her back, but Grace was simply too busy during Young Sheldon’s final year in production. Read his full quote below:
People ask about Paige all the time, and she was only in [nine] episodes of Young Sheldon . Big Bang was done, and there was no way to go, ‘Can we go back and retrofit [her] into Big Bang Theory ?’ People online respond to Paige and I think that’s because Mckenna is incredible. The downside of Mckenna being incredible is that Mckenna is a movie star and that makes Mckenna very difficult to get.
When we got into this season, especially with it being a shortened season, we never thought that [Paige’s storyline] was an arc that needed more closing than it got. There was a parallel; she was a bit of a mirror image of Sheldon — a different way that Sheldon could have turned out — and I think we saw that play out.
Why Paige’s Incomplete Young Sheldon Arc Is Frustrating?
Despite only appearing in a handful of episodes, Paige had a clear storyline that was engaging, especially in contrast with what the show’s titular character was going through. Like Sheldon, Paige is a child prodigy, who may actually be better than the boy genius. Aside from her intellect, she’s also well-adjusted and sociable, but that all changed when her parents split up. She blamed herself and acted out in response.
The last time Paige was on the show was back in Young Sheldon season 6 when Missy ran away in her attempt to rebel against Mary and George. Now, her fate is one of the biggest unresolved plots of the series. Granted that she wasn’t an established character in The Big Bang Theory, the public’s investment in the character should have motivated the series to at least give her a proper send-off. Grace didn’t have to show up, but offering an update about Paige in Young Sheldon season 7 would have helped curb this criticism.
Paige’s whereabouts remain Young Sheldon’s most intriguing mystery, and there is currently no potential avenue to address this in the foreseeable future. While the prequel will continue via Georgie And Mandy’s First Marriage, the new show will focus on an entirely new couple who has no ties to Grace’s character. Perhaps if Missy comes back for the upcoming spinoff, she can also recruit Paige to appear.
How Young Sheldon Season 7 Could Have Easily Addressed Paige’s Fate.
Understandably, the shortened Young Sheldon final season made it difficult to tackle every single lingering plot line in the show before it wrapped up. Aside from Paige’s arc, the writers also failed to offer a resolution to Pastor Jeff’s fate. Some viewers are also not happy with the rushed Young Sheldon season 7, episode 14, which featured adult Sheldon from the future, but wasn’t able to show Sheldon having a proper farewell to his family in Texas before moving to California. Even Meemaw, Missy, and Mary were left with fates in limbo.
Young Sheldon could have easily addressed the Paige mystery in a couple of ways, though. Firstly, she and her family could have attended George’s funeral. Considering their ties to Sheldon and Missy, not to mention the return of many familiar faces to support the family in their grief, it wouldn’t have been odd to see the Swansons join the service. It could have also made Paige realize the error of her ways, motivating her to stop her rebellion. Otherwise, they could have also done it with a simple reference to the character, offering a proper update after her and Missy’s botched joyride.
Why Paige’s The Big Bang Theory Erasure Is A Big Deal?
Paige’s introduction in Young Sheldon was intriguing because it meant that Sheldon’s story about feeling out of place growing up in Texas as a child prodigy wasn’t totally true. Her existence proved that he had a peer who may have even been smarter than he was. One can only imagine how far Paige would have already gotten if she hadn’t been saddled with family issues, which were made worse by a lack of a support system. Behind-the-scenes, The Big Bang Theory never acknowledged Paige because of the timing of her introduction, but Young Sheldon still could have made amends.
Now, only time will tell if Paige’s fate gets a definitive ending. As previously mentioned, The Big Bang Theory franchise will continue to live thanks to a couple of upcoming spinoffs. Although Holland claims that they didn’t feel the need to add more to her story in Young Sheldon season 7, being always asked about Paige is an indication of how important she is to the viewers of the series. This is why it’s important for the franchise to eventually clarify what happened to her.