Why Young Sheldon Season 6 Shouldn’t Bring Back Paige

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While it was sad to see Paige at her lowest ebb in season 5, Young Sheldon season 6 should not bring back the guest star to avoid reopening a Big Bang Theory plot hole. As The Conners proved in its struggles with Roseanne’s legacy, it is tough for sitcom spinoffs to stay true to their franchise predecessors. Young Sheldon has struggled with this issue throughout the show's five seasons, with viewers reasonably wondering why the title character’s childhood is so markedly different from the version of his upbringing that his older self references inThe Big Bang Theory.

One of the biggest issues that Young Sheldon struggles with is the introduction of new characters who weren’t mentioned in The Big Bang Theory, and who occasionally even contrast with information the adult Sheldon has previously provided about his life. Often, Sheldon was depicted as a thin-skinned egotist who struggled to let grudges go in the earlier series. As such, it can be jarring to see Young Sheldon introduce rivals, enemies, and assorted antagonists who Sheldon seemingly forgot all about before The Big Bang Theory began.

Related: Young Sheldon Reveals The Real Reason For Georgie’s Big Bang Sacrifice

However, much like Connie’s Young Sheldon role can justify the Big Bang Theory character’s fondness for his grandmother without becoming predictable, Paige’s surprising Young Sheldon season 5 plot proved that the show can introduce new characters and still effectively justify their absence from the earlier hit. The sad ending of Sheldon’s earliest rival (dropping out of college after running away due to the pressure and social isolation of being a teen genius) was unusually dark for the sitcom spinoff, but it did offer an answer to why The Big Bang