Why Sheldon Never Mentioned Paige In The Big Bang Theory

Paige Swanson (McKenna Grace) has been integral on Young Sheldon, so it’s curious why Sheldon (Iain Armitage) never mentioned her on The Big Bang Theory. CBS attempts to capitalize on the popularity of the geek-centric sitcom by launching its first and still only spin-off. Their efforts turned out to be worth it as Young Sheldon continues to be a hit for the network despite The Big Bang Theory ending in 2019. However, it cannot also be denied that the spin-off has been criticized for its lax approach to preserving continuity, making it controversial for fans of the original show, with Paige’s character being a prime example.

Young Sheldon season 5 has done a better job in this regard. Earlier in the year, the offshoot strengthened its ties to its parent show with a couple of revelations explaining some of Sheldon’s quirks on The Big Bang Theory. This includes why he likes using the word “coitus” instead of “sex” and why he hates engineering. The spin-off even brought in Simon Helberg as Howard Wolowitz and Mayim Bialik as Amy Farah Fowler-Cooper for their respective voice cameos. But, there are still some lingering inconsistencies between the show, and a particular one gets highlighted as Paige returns for Young Sheldon‘s 100th episode.

Introduced in Young Sheldon season 2, Paige is Sheldon’s fellow child prodigy and one-time crush. The pair’s relationship has been complicated thus far, primarily because of Sheldon’s irritation of her because she’s effortlessly smart and doesn’t have the same social issues as he does. But considering the fact she’s been an integral part of Sheldon’s childhood, it’s interesting why he never talked about Paige on The Big Bang Theory. But, this actually makes sense knowing Sheldon. It’s possible that he intentionally kept Paige’s existence because he didn’t want his Pasadena friends to learn that there was someone like him who’s seemingly better adjusted than he was. Fans know how insecure Sheldon can be, and since Paige is equal to, if not better than him, it makes sense that he decides to not talk about her in his adulthood. 

If CBS wants to offer an official explanation, however, as to why Sheldon never talked about Paige on The Big Bang Theory, the network could also easily do that. While the pair’s relationship has been tumultuous thus far because of their intellectual rivalry, they’re still considered friends. So much so that in Young Sheldon‘s 100th episode, Paige reaches out to Sheldon for an odd favor. It’s uncertain what that request entails but it seems like Sheldon will somehow oblige. It’s worth noting that when her parents broke up, however, Paige started rebelling, and Sheldon became more empathetic toward her. But, his kindness could backfire, leaving him more pessimistic about friends and forcing him to fully sever ties with her. Whatever she does, it could hurt him so deeply that he didn’t want to bring it up ever again.

This isn’t the first time that a prominent Young Sheldon character was never mentioned on The Big Bang Theory. It’s worth noting that Sheldon’s childhood best friend’s existence was never known until a grown-up Tam (Robert Wu) arrived in Pasadena. But, it’s been explained that the pair had a falling out, so Sheldon never talked about him. The spin-0ff could perhaps go down a similar narrative route when explaining why he never talked about Paige in the original sitcom.  

Young Sheldon season 5 airs Thursdays on CBS.

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