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6.08 The 43 Peculiarity (Nov. 15)


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Kyzzx, I agree with you whole post, except for a minor disagreement with this. That moment in Episode 100(there are two, beginning and end of episode, but they are really the same moment) when Leonard is looking into Penny's apartment at Penny. I realize that it's supposed to be very similar to the pilot, but the look he gives her, for me anyway, is better than the look he gives her in the pilot. One born of a greater knowledge of what exactly she means to him and what they have already shared. The look she gives him back was also wonderful, and something that she couldn't have done in the pilot.

I forgot about how episode 100 is like that! I sure do like that better.

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Kyzzx, I agree with you whole post, except for a minor disagreement with this. That moment in Episode 100(there are two, beginning and end of episode, but they are really the same moment) when Leonard is looking into Penny's apartment at Penny. I realize that it's supposed to be very similar to the pilot, but the look he gives her, for me anyway, is better than the look he gives her in the pilot. One born of a greater knowledge of what exactly she means to him and what they have already shared. The look she gives him back was also wonderful, and something that she couldn't have done in the pilot.

I agree. I loved that little exchanged look between them. It seemed to sum up all of 4 years of whatever they shared and went through together.

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What Penny brings into his life is something that he really hasn't got from any of the other women he's been with...Excitement. Because Penny is different from not only him but from the other women he has been with, it adds a level of unknowness and that leads to potential discoveries. As a guy and as a scientist this type of stimulation is very powerful and serves as a strong motivational force that appeals to both his intellectual and emotional/sexual sides. This is why despite the notion that Penny may be too different for him he's always gravitated toward her and why despite the seemingly more capatiblity with the other women, those relationships have fizzled out and he has little to no contact with those women any longer.

While it's true that having little in common is usually bad for the odds of longevity in a romantic relationship. Having too much in common can be just as bad because it takes away the very thing that can makes relationships exciting in the first place and can eventually lead to stagnation and boredom.

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What Penny brings into his life is something that he really hasn't got from any of the other women he's been with...Excitement. Because Penny is different from not only him but from the other women he has been with, it adds a level of unknowness and that leads to potential discoveries. As a guy and as a scientist this type of stimulation is very powerful and serves as a strong motivational force that appeals to both his intellectual and emotional/sexual sides. This is why despite the notion that Penny may be too different for him he's always gravitated toward her and why despite the seemingly more capatiblity with the other women, those relationships have fizzled out and he has little to no contact with those women any longer.

While it's true that having little in common is usually bad for the odds of longevity in a romantic relationship. Having too much in common can be just as bad because it takes away the very thing that can makes relationships exciting in the first place and can eventually lead to stagnation and boredom.

This analysis is worth more than "I like this". Extremely well written!

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What Penny brings into his life is something that he really hasn't got from any of the other women he's been with...Excitement. Because Penny is different from not only him but from the other women he has been with, it adds a level of unknowness and that leads to potential discoveries. As a guy and as a scientist this type of stimulation is very powerful and serves as a strong motivational force that appeals to both his intellectual and emotional/sexual sides. This is why despite the notion that Penny may be too different for him he's always gravitated toward her and why despite the seemingly more compatibility with the other women, those relationships have fizzled out and he has little to no contact with those women any longer.

While it's true that having little in common is usually bad for the odds of longevity in a romantic relationship. Having too much in common can be just as bad because it takes away the very thing that can makes relationships exciting in the first place and can eventually lead to stagnation and boredom.

That "excitement" for him seems worth all the difficulties her insecurities causes him. He just redoubles his efforts to keep her happy and rebounds when ever she goes off like a grenade in his face.

The writers have dropped hints on why he does this: she is the perfect opposite of his mother. His mother is all intellect, physically distant, emotionally repressed and constantly disapproving of his accomplishments. Penny does not like to "over think" things, is physically intimate even when they are not having sex (she touches him all the time), has a fiery temper, and is in awe of his work and intellect. And as we learned in Dr. Beverly's last visit, she lost Leonard's father to "a Waitress". Leonard's feelings seem to run in the family. :icon_lol:

I wonder if "Needy Baby, Greedy Baby" is a real book in the universe of the show? That is the book, written by Beverly, that Sheldon says (in Leonard's daydream) explains why he is obsessed with the "Good-Natured Simpleton"

Edited by BangerMain
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I disagree, Penny is similiar to Leonard's mother, in the sense that she is emotionally withdrawn. Both women come accross as selfish having Leonard do most of the heavy lifting. Most mothers express their love for their sons with support and hugs, most girlfriends say I love you. Independent of brains, both women have trouble expressing true emotions to a relationships that most have no problem verbally expressing love. Thier actions are consistent with caring for him, though the mother is falls way shorter than Penny, they truly care for him, just in a messed up way. They say you marry your mother, Howard did, Amy is taking a page from Ms. Cooper (spagettie w/hotdog), guess its the same for Leonard aswell.

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I disagree, Penny is similiar to Leonard's mother, in the sense that she is emotionally withdrawn. Both women come accross as selfish having Leonard do most of the heavy lifting. Most mothers express their love for their sons with support and hugs, most girlfriends say I love you. Independent of brains, both women have trouble expressing true emotions to a relationships that most have no problem verbally expressing love. Thier actions are consistent with caring for him, though the mother is falls way shorter than Penny, they truly care for him, just in a messed up way. They say you marry your mother, Howard did, Amy is taking a page from Ms. Cooper (spagettie w/hotdog), guess its the same for Leonard aswell.

Penny is not emotionally withdrawn like Beverly. The only thing that Penny doesn't say is "I Love You" to Leonard. All Leonard and Penny's friends know that she loves him and she has said as much to them. She is afraid to say the magic words to Leonard because that gives him the power to hurt her according to what she implied in the third season. Bad things have happened to her when she says those words. I have a feeling she will jump that hurdle this season. :icon_wink:

Penny would rather show Leonard that she loves him, in the words of the R&B song from Aretha Franklin, by "giving him something he can feel. To let him know that the love is real". It's the best she can do at the moment.

The thing about Penny being the opposite of Beverly comes from the writers in 5x13, The Recombination Hypothesis.

Sheldon: All right, then. The reason you’re fixated on a good-natured simpleton like Penny is that she’s the exact opposite of your first romantic attachment, your brilliant yet intimidating mother.

Leonard: Where on earth did you get that from?

Sheldon: It’s in her book, Needy Baby, Greedy Baby.

The writers also hinted strongly at the same thing in both visits by Leonard's mother. In 2x15, The Maternal Capacitance, Leonard has Penny in bed for the first time and spoils it by saying:

Penny: Honey, shush, shush, shush, shush, shush.

Leonard: You shush, I’m happy, I want to talk about it. You know what my mother would say about this? She would say because you were not loved by your father and I was not loved by my mother, that having sex is our way of making up for the intimacy we didn’t get as children.

Penny: Why would you bring that up right now?

Leonard: I don’t know. Foreplay?

Keeping Penny the opposite of Beverly seems to be in the character book for the writers.

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Sure, I get the premise of the opposite of the mother, but, why does Lenoard express not knowing where he stands both with his mother and Penny? "Yes dear, mommy is proud" when he drives her from the airport. Penny sticks up for the other guys aswell when she man checks the guy who stole Sheldon's ostrich. Maybe you are correct, it is about power and Leonard seems to get the short end of the stick with his mother and Penny.

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I too loved the looks at the beginning of the 100th episodes , but what stole the episode for me was that even though in his day dream he realized that things could end badly again, that there is a possibility that he could be hurt again , he still asks her out...he likes her so much that he felt the risk was worth taking. This is love not lust

Regarding the Penny/Beverly situation , the writers were clearly hinting that Penny was the opposite of Beverly

But The reason Leonard is insecure at the first place is that Beverly never showed any kind if affection , she never assured him that she loves him

And it is clear that this is the same reason that Leonard is insecure in his relationship with Penny ( I agree that she shows him affection in her own way )

So the one thing Leonard has been craving his entire life is the assurance the that the person who he loves , loves him back . Which I hope Penny gives him soon :)

So at this point I'm not sure if Penny can be modeled as opposite of Beverly when it comes to Leonard

Edited by vasu
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I think that Penny is the opposite of Bevery Hofstadter in pretty much every way. Her withholding of the ILY is not because she doesn't feel it or because she doesn't think she needs to say it or because she doesn't think he deserves it, or whatever other reason BH might offer.

BH seems to feel that such squishy emotions are unnecessary to express, maybe even unnecessary to feel, that Leonard wanting to hear that is some sign of neediness or weakness in his character.

Penny, on the other hand, may be reluctant to commit her heart in that one area--the bold stating of ILY, which is the most vulnerable one can be in any relationship--but she easily and readily shows love and affection to those around her. From the beginning, she was accepting of the guys with all their foibles, even if Howard was constantly hitting on her, even if Leonard was clumsily puppy-dogging around her, even if Sheldon was constantly insulting her, etc. And she seemed to feel sorry for Raj and his inability to speak to her. But she liked them all and has always been willing to help them with advice, etc. She calls them "sweetie" or "honey" or whatever, she was willing to apologize to Howard after hurting his feelings, and on and on.

She may be intellectually the opposite of BH, but she's also emotionally the opposite as well.

It's been said that people have different "love languages"--some people need to hear the words to know they're loved, others prefer acts of service, (for instance, If you love me, you'll do things around the house without me having to ask or nag), others prefer physical touch (which seems to be Penny's language), others prefer gifts (like a shiny trinket) and others prefer quality time spent together (I think that might be Sheldon's love language, but I'm not sure.)

Anyway, I'm not sure how Beverly Hofstadter might show or receive love, but I think that Penny is obviously more giving and openly affectionate.

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My oh my, it doesn't look so good for Leonard in that picture. When he rubs his forehead like that he is usually in a ton of trouble with Penny! Oh Leonard what did you do now? ������

As far as being in trouble with Penny, she doesn't look too happy in that picture.

Edited by Tensor
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