After 19 years, The Big Bang Theory could finally escape Sheldon’s supremacy with its best sequel story. When the nerd-centric sitcom premiered in 2007, it was an ensemble, formatted like other friend-focused comedies, like Friends. As The Big Bang Theory evolved, however, it became increasingly clear that Jim Parsons’ Sheldon was its true, albeit unofficial, protagonist. The character was often at the center of its storytelling, and in the rare occasion that he wasn’t, he was still a big part of narratives, primarily via his antics. Due to the character’s popularity, creators Chuck Lorre and Bill Prady leaned into him that by the end of The Big Bang Theory, he was the primary driver of its narrative.
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Two years before the finale, CBS took advantage of the asset by launching Young Sheldon, which tackled Sheldon’s childhood in Texas with the rest of the Coopers. Unsurprisingly, the comedy immediately became a hit, eventually replacing its parent series to be TV’s number 1 comedy. That said, while Sheldon was what launched the series, it was clear in its final few seasons that it was time to move on from Sheldon. Georgie & Mandy’s First Marriage has started de-centering the character, but fully leaving him in the past could be done with The Big Bang Theory‘s best story option for a sequel focusing on Paige Swanson.
Admittedly, McKenna Grace’s character may not be familiar to those who only watched the flagship. Paige was introduced in Young Sheldon season 2 as a fellow child prodigy like Sheldon in Texas. Despite her limited appearance, showrunner Steven Molaro and Steve Holland were able to craft a compelling storyline for her. As exciting and interesting Stuart Fails to Save the Universe on HBO Max is as the continuation of The Big Bang Theory lore, seeing the rest of Paige’s story will be more meaningful to the franchise, especially in terms of expanding it beyond Sheldon.
Paige Is Better Than Sheldon In Almost Every Other Way
When Paige debuted, it was heavily implied that she was smarter than Sheldon. Not used to having anyone who could go toe-to-toe with him, this irritated the boy genius. Unfortunately, Young Sheldon was never really able to tackle this particular aspect of their characters beyond them attending Doctor Sturgis’ special class, mainly because Paige wasn’t a regular cast member in the prequel. Instead, the CBS period sitcom focused on how Paige was objectively better than Sheldon overall. Unlike Mary and George’s son, she was better-adjusted, socially adept, and emotionally healthier. Suddenly, it was difficult to accept Sheldon’s antics, because being smart clearly didn’t excuse them.
Despite a great start in life, Paige’s life was derailed when her parents divorced, as she felt like it was her fault that they split up. This started a series of rebellious choices for her, even totally dropping out of school, thinking that her life was pointless. It was, arguably, one of the most depressing storylines in Young Sheldon, especially since the series left her story unresolved. The last time she was in it, she and Missy were caught on an illegal and dangerous road trip to Florida. Still no word on what happened to her after that, which makes for the perfect narrative opening for a potential The Big Bang Theory sequel.
Following the format of The Big Bang Theory, the proposed Paige sequel series will see her in the present time, with its story filling the narrative gaps from her past while also tackling her current life. Much of her struggles in Young Sheldon were because she didn’t have any support system — something that she admitted herself. Her spinoff will see her surrounded by her own group of friends that could guide her through her redemption arc, which has a similar vibe to Sheldon’s story in The Big Bang Theory.
Why Paige Is The Perfect Character For The Next The Big Bang Theory Sequel
As previously mentioned, Stuart Fails to Save the Universe is an exciting new chapter in The Big Bang Theory franchise. It is breaking the comedy mold by going all-in on its sci-fi aspects, which fits with the mothership’s original theme. That said, as successful as Lorre’s efforts are to expand the universe with shows like Young Sheldon, Georgie & Mandy’s First Marriage, and even Stuart Fails to Save the Universe, all of these shows are so different to the mothership, leaving people still yearning for a similar narrative to the Pasadena gang’s.
Buildling a new show around Paige would effectively fill that void, and they could also do that fairly easily. While she isn’t the ideal character to build a new show around, the character is recognizable enough to entice existing fans of the universe to at least check it out. However, not much is known about the character, allowing the creative team to craft her future without being hampered by the established canon, the same way that it did with Young Sheldon.
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