Where's the Love for Paige Matheson?

[CMQ]

Along with the always-entertaining Anne, I would list Paige as my favorite Knots character of the later years. She was a unique mix of ice and vulnerability. There were similarities to Donna Mills' Abby (my all time favourite Knots character), but whereas Abby was mostly motivated by money, many of Paige's actions were motivated by love. She was deceitful at first but seemed to grow out of it with age. In fact by the later years she was very much 'what you see is what you get' and was openly disdainful towards Knots more deceptive characters with ulterior motives.

I thought her development from a spoilt, scheming and manipulative vixen into the show's headstrong heroine actually really worked (even though it was pretty clear that after her initial shake-things-up intro in Season 8 the writers were uncertain for a time what to do with her). And Nicollette Sheridan (besides being an absolute stunner) played the part to perfection!

But I've noticed she's not particularly beloved by many on this forum. In fact she's almost unpopular.
The character and Miss Sheridan's performance must've been a hit with audiences at the time as she was kept on after her initial plot line ran out of steam and developed into one of the shows front runners.

So I ask you all, where's the love for Paige Matheson?
And if you don't have any, why not?

 

[Sarah]

I loved Paige! I wanted to be her as a teenager, I thought she was fab. Beautiful girl. I don't see what there isn't to love.

 

[Edie70]

I haven't seen that many episodes but I liked her. She seemed very cool and I loved when she got vulnerable. That pairing with Sumner was fantastic, they were such an iconic couple. Nicollette speaks very fondly of this character and she would definitely love to reprise it if given the proper chance. She speaks about Paige here:

 

[Alexis]

I loved Paige and her stuff with Greg was great. She was one of my favourite Knots characters and I always found myself rooting for her.

 

[Willie Oleson]

She never played "nice" and I think she and Jill should have been bigger enemies.
It was interesting to watch her mature, mostly thanks to her selfish and irresponsible mother.

The story with the Mexican artefacts wasn't her best storyline because she never seemed like a person who wanted to save the world, as it were.
It's something Karen or Mack would have done, but not Paige.

I had no idea that she was so unpopular.

 

[Alexis]

She never played "nice" and I think she and Jill should have been bigger enemies.
It was interesting to watch her mature, mostly thanks to her selfish and irresponsible mother.

The story with the Mexican artefacts wasn't her best storyline because she never seemed like a person who wanted to save the world, as it were.
It's something Karen or Mack would have done, but not Paige.

I had no idea that she was so unpopular.

She's not unpopular well except for one member on here.

 

[CMQ]

I think those that dislike her are probably stuck on her weirdly inappropriate introduction into the series at the end of Season 7 (Karen's just been kidnapped why the hell are you giving Mack a daughter out of no-where when he's clearly got plenty on his plate) and then her complete mishandling and misuse in season 8.

@TommyK in one of his fantastic essays for his blog "That's alls I know' highlighted that her character basically hijacks a majority of the storylines in Season 8, stealing all the meatiest plots and that Miss Sheridan "has neither the instincts nor the skill to pull off a fraction of what's required of her. But somehow, that fact seems to go unnoticed by the powers-that-be, who keep expanding her role and praising her to the high heavens....Sheridan, it must be noted, will ultimately become a fine actress, able to hold her own against the show's most formidable veterans. But in Season 8, her first full season, she still can't say one line convincingly, or master even the most straightforward statements...one can only imagine that the writers and producers were blinded by her looks, because they seem catastrophically oblivious to her acting limitations. She seems to have no capacity for even the most straight-forward of line-readings; her deliveries are alternately distant and smug, and she intrudes everywhere, like visiting royalty."

Then in Season 9 "...the writers try to weave Sheridan back into the fabric of the show, and to find some softness beneath Paige's tough exterior....they offer up a mea culpa for how they let Paige shanghai the show in Season 8, as -- one by one -- Mack, Abby and Sumner put her in her place, reminding her that she'll never have the upper hand while they're around. The principals essentially reduce Sheridan to a supporting player, as she should have been all along. The writer's send her back to the barracks and make her come up through the ranks. It's training that will pay off handsomely the following season, when she has to transform herself from vixen into heroine -- and has (finally) acquired the skill set to do so."

Harsh but fair, although I think Lechowick and Latham's sloppy and disjointed writing had a lot to answer for that season. Her character really didn't seem planned out or structured correctly at all during season 8.
But then she's dialed back and slowly developed with much greater subtlety in Season 9, before her star-turn as series heroine in season 10. And it allows you to put her character traits from the first year down to Paige being young, petulant; and as such on the warpath seeking retribution for her emotionally depraved upbringing. In 9 and 10 she's finally growing up and develops a conscience and morality (remember the 'Abby Scale' speech), while also reinventing herself as a tenacious businesswoman.

And all the while Miss Sheridan completely rises to the challenge, playing Paige with much greater depth and sincerity - but then again her character is finally written with much greater depth and sincerity.
Once she was properly utilised and the writers worked out who Paige was (they had no freakin' clue in S8) she became one of the most compelling characters to watch as she matured and forged her own path. It certainly made for compulsive viewing.

 

[CMQ]

I haven't seen that many episodes but I liked her. She seemed very cool and I loved when she got vulnerable. That pairing with Sumner was fantastic, they were such an iconic couple. Nicollette speaks very fondly of this character and she would definitely love to reprise it if given the proper chance. She speaks about Paige here:

Love this! Has anybody ever contacted her for an interview on Knots Landing.net ? Would love to hear her insight on the last seven years of Knots!

 

[JROG]

I've never seen any evidence here or anywhere else that she's unpopular. Even on the show, she eventually developed into a lead heroine (if not the lead heroine). Knots Landing was not a show that would have done that if she wasn't liked, and the ratings wouldn't have tolerated it.

For me, I'm right between "could take her or leave her" and "she's one of my favorites". I do think her evolution and maturity was phenomenal, I enjoy her scenes and stories, and she's definitely a strong part of both Seasons 10 and 11, but I don't necessarily miss her when she's not around and I don't think I'd miss her much if she left. I do try not to think back to the Paige of Seasons 8 and 9 though....

 

[Chris2]

She’s cold, charmless, and humorless. She’s certainly beautiful, but it’s as if God lavished so much attention on her exterior that there was nothing left for the inside.

At least her mother has a healthy sense of humor and some charisma. Hanging out with Anne for an evening would be fun. Hanging out with Paige for more than a few minutes would be torturous.

 

[Snarky Oracle!]

She’s cold, charmless, and humorless. She’s certainly beautiful, but it’s as if God lavished so much attention on her exterior that there was nothing left for the inside.

At least her mother has a healthy sense of humor and some charisma. Hanging out with Anne for an evening would be fun. Hanging out with Paige for more than a few minutes would be torturous.

Absolutely correct.

 

[Willie Oleson]

She’s cold, charmless, and humorless

Yeah, there was something "European" about her. I really liked early-Paige.

 

[CMQ]

I've never seen any evidence here or anywhere else that she's unpopular.

I think some of the above messages say differently. Someone even started a Thread titled "I Hate Paige"

 

[Stillwitty]

She never played "nice" and I think she and Jill should have been bigger enemies.
It was interesting to watch her mature, mostly thanks to her selfish and irresponsible mother.

The story with the Mexican artefacts wasn't her best storyline because she never seemed like a person who wanted to save the world, as it were.
It's something Karen or Mack would have done, but not Paige.

I had no idea that she was so unpopular.

The artifacts were for Greg....that was her motivation.