Young Sheldon’s Paige Could Outsmart Him, If Not For Poor Upbringing

Summary:

• Young Sheldon is the CBS sitcom that was released in 2017 as a prequel to The Big Bang Theory.
• The show mainly follows the lives of the Cooper family members in 90s Texas, but it also introduced some supporting characters.
• One of them, Paige Swanson, is believed to be even smarter than Sheldon Cooper himself, but is negatively influenced by her family.

If there's one thing that can be said about the Cooper family, it's that they're by no means perfect. The show has managed to paint a very believable picture of the average family of the time. Two parents with three children, each with their very prominent flaws, affected by Sheldon's special needs.

A functioning alcoholic father, a mother too devoted to church and sometimes unfairly strict with her children, an older son who dropped out of school and became a teenage father, a troubled teenage daughter, and a genius younger son with no idea of social cues and interactions: Coopers should always be chaotic.

But compared to those around them, their family life doesn't seem half as bad. When you look at Mandy, who was abandoned by her parents because she was pregnant, or Paige, who never got the care and attention she needed, you might start to think that Mary and George were the best thing that could have happened to Georgie, Missy and Sheldon.

What Happened To Young Sheldon’s Paige

Paige Swanson is the perfect character to show how any talent can either flourish or wither away, depending on the environment. First introduced as a cheerful child prodigy in season 2, Paige could easily have been the character who went through the same journey as Sheldon, hand in hand with him.

She was very bright and academically smart, but she also had one thing that Sheldon never did: a perfect understanding of society and how to interact with it. Her personality combined with her mind could have taken her even further in life, if only the events of the show hadn't taken a turn for the worse and botched her future.

After her parents divorced, Paige never got the help and attention she needed as a child, which caused her to rebel. She was clearly hurt, and dropping out of school and changing her attitude was the only response she knew how to produce.

Everything that came after that, from going to dubious parties to running away, was nothing more than a plea for help that went unheard.

Of course, things might have been different if her household had been as understanding as the Coopers'. Sure, neither Mary nor George are perfect people, but despite the hardships of life, they manage to function well as parents. They care for their children, listen to them, and have their trust, which is not easy to come by.

Unfortunately, there are very few chances that Paige Swanson's story will have a happy ending. But it will always be there as a reminder of how much of Sheldon's success was actually the positive effect of his support system.

Be sure to tune in to Young Sheldon on February 15 on CBS to catch the final season.