bfm

And I liked and laughed at the casual way they treated the Sheldon shananigan of the week.

He tried to but Raj made him take pitty on him. Penny wasn't surprised by his difficulty standing strong against Raj, saying Leonard is a people pleaser.

It appears that Penny did not hyphenate when she got married but rather changed her last name to Hofstadter. It was a nice episode. What I liked the most was Penny talking about how people disregard her and wanting to fight for hers in a situation where she could do it (she probably wouldn't when making a sale). It's a rare ocassion that they delve into more serious challenges Penny faces. It's a shame they didn't take more time for that. Leonard should have been more insistent with Raj. However I liked it that they didn't make him appear to be the bad guy or just plain unsupportive of Penny for no reason. It is in fact Penny who noted that he has problems dealing with someone being upset, she wasn't too mad at him but angered by his flaw. Leonard telling her she should fight for herself was originally him trying to appease her after he failed in front of Raj, but there is a point to that. She doesn't need him to fight her battles. I do think he should have been with her to back her up but in Leonard's case that would be detrimental, as in the scene in 4A >< Raj was an ass. He was a total ass to Penny and knew how to play Leonard. I guess Penny didn't take what he said seriously in the last scend because she knew he was trying to play her. What a jerk. The comic book store plot was nice. I wonder if anything is going to evolve with Denise, maybe a recurring character. Amy in the store made me laugh, as well as some of her reaction to Sheldon in their apartment. Well done Mayim. It was nice that Amy tried to learn and talk about comic books but I doubt this will continue.

The way Leonard said "she knows I have a girlfriend..." suggests she did know before and should have known that it won't be okay to ask him out. She suggested Penny to join only for him to accepg her offer and later talked about lunch/dinner/coffee (don't remember exactly) which made Leonard cause the fall of the Jenga tower, meaning he understood that she was asking him out. As for Lenny commonalities, yes that has been beaten to death and that is why I won't elaborate my counter-arguments right now, I had done that so many times. I agree they seem not to have common interests and hobbies, and it would be great if the writers showed us something they like doing together, but interests and hobvies are not all there is. I think Leonard and Penny have a similar attitude, which you can see in their reactions to the things that happen or are told on the show. I'd say there are many scenes in which you could switch their lines, perhaps with a slight change of wording, and no one would notice. They're both generally compassionate and caring, with the occasional lack of compassion outweighted by all the times they do show compassion, kindness and caring. They both bust on their friends and on each other but to a point, Howard and Berbadette usually go further (a good example is the way both couples react to Raj being out of his former apartment). They also have a similar sense of humor. Another thing relates to what Penny does not show, which is also what makes me see her in a different way than you (i.e., not a "cardboard", that description IMO would fit seasons 1-2). Penny cares a lot about presenting a cool, strong image, hence she hides her more vulnerable sides. Of course she is far from being as insecure as Leonard but she has her own share of insecurities and feelings of unworthiness. While with Leonard these feelings are all out there she hides them or masks them with anger. My guess is we'll agree to disagree on Penny. I guess there are cultural differences here. To me "dating" could mean not exclusive while "girlfriend-boyfriend" means exclusive. I think the way Leonard said Alex knew he had a girlfriend means he thought she was not supposed to ask him out. So if Penny did bad things as a teenager she should be punished for life?

I don't see it that way. A girlfriend/boyfriend usually means the couple is exclusive. I believe one should not ask out someone who has a girl/boyfriend. If he wanted to be with Alex he would have broken up with Penny after getting to know Alex as friends in the university without dating.

Again, I'm not saying she wasn't immature. A person can help/insipire another to mature without their relationship dynamic being like a parents and child's. I gave the Halley example to show that Penny can be more responsible than she is given credit for, even by her friends and husband. I think that was also the goal of this story.

Just this season everybody tought that she wasn't able to care for Halley and she proved them wrong.

I don't disagree with this, just think their relationship does not have a parent-child dynamic (like Howard and Bernadette's has).

I think both Leonard and Penny are and have been ersatz-parents to Sheldon for years. Leonard to Penny not really, but he is a compassionate person and tends to show understanding and tolerance to others' flaws. He is gaining acceptance by serving others' needs, sometimes too much on the expanse of his own.

I agree to a point. What Leonard has with Sheldon and with Penny could be considered repetition compulsion, that is when one repeats a dynamic that was overwhelming to him/her. Now with Sheldon and also Beverly herself the same abuse is repeated. With Penny I don't think it's the case. Yes, Penny is sometimes mean to him and had rejected him thus (unwillingly) breaking his heart. However, she does truly love him and has shown him her love. She could've shown more and not hurt him but here enter her own issues, that doesn't mean she doesn't love him enough. Actually given her own issues Leonard is suitable for her, as he wouldn't give up on her when she draws away like others might do. So while not perfect, I think his relationship with Penny is a corrective experience for Leonard. And yes, as a kid Penny had bullied kids at school. As an adult she knows this is not okay but does not 100% regret it. This is bad. However, I think the examples of her showing care and compassion for others, including her friends who are very different than her, far outweigh the instances when she shows lack of empathy and bullying behavior.

I didn't like her hair in season 8 but I did like it in season 9 when it grew but wasn't long yet.

The way he was raised he could have come out more Sheldon than Sheldon in terms of narcissistic behavior Well at least he won't depend on them, and he could see them as a continuation of himself so this could expand to them.

Well that is the way Sheldon is, and it's no surprise he would denigrate the most the person on whom he was most dependent. That's called "manic defenses", he elevates himself and denigrates others to deny his dependency on them.

That is a beautiful post @hokie3457! I do not believe people have a "One and only", but I do think Leonard and Penny are great for each other.

Being "whiney" and "spineless" has NOTHING to do with being a genius. Most people growing up the way Leonard did would be so far worse. The guy is a well functioning physicist with friends and a healthy (healthy, not perfect) relationship, that shows GREAT resillience, and it goes unnoticed. Coming out unscratched he would have to be a robot or otherwise inhuman...