Spoilers Leonard And Penny Season 7 *spoiler* Discussion Thread

[JonRS92]

It is somewhat disappointing to see them apart, I agree. But let us not forget we will get our fix of Team Hofstadter in 7.02. That is the thing with partnerships : there are ups and downs. 7.03 is a down : Leonard refuses to associate with Penny out of fear she will cause him to lose, she feels insulted, they fight it out through the medium of the scavenger hunt and Penny gets to prove herself, once again, a valuable asset to any team.  

In a way, it is an important fight for them to have and for it to be resolved in such a fashion is as good a reminder of the special worth of TBBT's very own Bonnie Parker as any. 

Also, 7.03 still shows us Leonard and Penny in Team Hofstadter/X (sorry, had to include Penny in there) mode : neither is interested in the scavenger hunt in and by itself; both are committed to proving themselves to each other. Leonard wants Penny to see that he is not a "pussy" (insult courtesy of the Diabolical Imp that is Bernadette) and Penny wants to show Leonard she is not an idiot. 

The competition between them helps highlight how much they value each other's opinions.

In spite of the relatively smooth sailing experience that was the second half of the sixth season, Penny and Leonard still have some issues, both as individuals and as a couple, that need to be worked out. A lover's spat here and there does not jeopardise or negate all the progress they have made so far; it furthers it.

 

I too remember the time when every fight between Leonard and Penny had the potential to dismantle the relationship (yeah, seasons three and five, I'm talkin' to you). But we are past that stage. They now have the ability to use their disagreements and confrontations as stepping stones. 7.03 may very well be one of those cases.

 

In the meantime, we can sit back, relax and enjoy the prospect of Leonard's reaction when Evil Bernadette tells him of Penny's (completely untrue) view of him. That puppy is going to growl up a storm !

 

All good points.  I also read some here say that this was also intended to force more Sheldon and Penny interplay rather than as any serious attempt to cause strife between Leonard and Penny.  As it is, I think I can take almost any amount of problems between the two so long as they get worked out without a break up.  I don't think I could handle another break up without the benefit of spoilers.  I am not sure I would have made it through season 4 and the first half of season 5 without Internet spoilers because I started watching the show just a few weeks ago.  I got invested in Lenny very quickly and after the season 3 split I ran to the Internet to see what was what so I could continue to enjoy the rest of the stories

 

Umm ... What report? Perhaps we have me confused with someone else? I have written no report.

 

Are we talking about the taping report where they reported that Sheldon tells Penny that he has seen the topless movie?  I thought they had amended that to say that it was Howard who found it originally?

[hamerman55]

It is somewhat disappointing to see them apart, I agree. But let us not forget we will get our fix of Team Hofstadter in 7.02. That is the thing with partnerships : there are ups and downs. 7.03 is a down : Leonard refuses to associate with Penny out of fear she will cause him to lose, she feels insulted, they fight it out through the medium of the scavenger hunt and Penny gets to prove herself, once again, a valuable asset to any team.  

In a way, it is an important fight for them to have and for it to be resolved in such a fashion is as good a reminder of the special worth of TBBT's very own Bonnie Parker as any. 

Also, 7.03 still shows us Leonard and Penny in Team Hofstadter/X (sorry, had to include Penny in there) mode : neither is interested in the scavenger hunt in and by itself; both are committed to proving themselves to each other. Leonard wants Penny to see that he is not a "pussy" (insult courtesy of the Diabolical Imp that is Bernadette) and Penny wants to show Leonard she is not an idiot. 

The competition between them helps highlight how much they value each other's opinions.

In spite of the relatively smooth sailing experience that was the second half of the sixth season, Penny and Leonard still have some issues, both as individuals and as a couple, that need to be worked out. A lover's spat here and there does not jeopardise or negate all the progress they have made so far; it furthers it.

 

I too remember the time when every fight between Leonard and Penny had the potential to dismantle the relationship (yeah, seasons three and five, I'm talkin' to you). But we are past that stage. They now have the ability to use their disagreements and confrontations as stepping stones. 7.03 may very well be one of those cases.

 

In the meantime, we can sit back, relax and enjoy the prospect of Leonard's reaction when Evil Bernadette tells him of Penny's (completely untrue) view of him. That puppy is going to growl up a storm !

I think Chiara hit the nail on the head, in that Penny has to stop thinking of Leonard as a "pussy", and he has to stop thinking of her as dumb. This last taping report is good, as far as it goes, to point out Sheldon's flaws too. He gets caught up in the trees, and forgets the forest. He also has to "prove" how smart he is. It reminds me of Khan, in the Star Trek movie. Khan's son points out that they have all they really need, but Khan insists on chasing Kirk to "prove" his superior intellect. This is Sheldon in a nutshell. He's so busy proving his brilliance that he never accomplishes anything.

Thing I'm not sure about is Penny's problem. There are times she says completely out there things, such that it is hard to not think of her as stupid, then she'll do something clever. Mainly it is her lack of education, as her innate intelligence is masked by her ignorance. The same is true of Leonard's problem. As long as Penny defines tough as those insensitive gym rats she used to date, then she will never get him. Leonard has lots of courage, and is pretty resiliant. Htere are just some overt manly things he doesn't handle well, for the same reason Penny comes off as dumb. No experience. As in the episode where Penny shows the guys how to bait hooks and clean fish, they weren't shown by their dads.

[3ku11]

Leonard and Penny may be in a great place in their relationship, but they are not attached at the hip they are both self independent ppl. Leonard needs to proove himself, you may see more of that now he is back from the expedition, that was my point I made in the S7 predictions thread, he may get a bit cocky and has a bit of confidence, and may feel in this case Penny's expertise is not needed haha, they may fight but that's great forces them to keep working on their relationship.

[Chiara]

I think Chiara hit the nail on the head, in that Penny has to stop thinking of Leonard as a "pussy", and he has to stop thinking of her as dumb. This last taping report is good, as far as it goes, to point out Sheldon's flaws too. He gets caught up in the trees, and forgets the forest. He also has to "prove" how smart he is. It reminds me of Khan, in the Star Trek movie. Khan's son points out that they have all they really need, but Khan insists on chasing Kirk to "prove" his superior intellect. This is Sheldon in a nutshell. He's so busy proving his brilliance that he never accomplishes anything.

I may misremember the taping report (I have not read it in some time) but I believe the "pussy" accusation is a lie from the mind of the Princess of Darkness Bernadette.

Leonard realises very early on that rejecting Penny's offer to be his teammate was not a smart move so he wants to quit the scavenger hunt in order to find her and apologise. Bernadette, ever the ruthless competitor, does not want to lose her partner so she cooks up the "pussy" insult in order to make him angry and eager to prove himself. Both Leonard and Penny find out about the deception at the launderette (or something like that).

 

However, I would not put it past Penny to agree with Bernadette's white lie to upset Leonard and get her revenge.

 

I believe Penny has long moved on from equating "macho" or "butch" with "manly". She knows Leonard is brave and strong, in an unconventional way. The problem she used to have with him was his lack of self-assertion. Back in Lenny 1.0 time, he would bow down to her will no matter what it was and rarely say what was really on his mind if he thought it might cause a disagreement between them. In The Ornithophibia Diffusion, it all came to light : the sacrifices, the lies and the resulting resentment. Freed from the fear of Penny dumping him (that ship had sailed), Leonard became more willing to put his foot down and speak his mind, a change Penny welcomed with open arms... after it pissed her off.

Now she knows Leonard is just as strong-willed as her, just in a different way. And she enjoys it, even though she knows she will forever be the one in charge of spider control. 

 

 

As for Sheldon, I could not agree more with your assessment. He gets lost in his own brilliance and forgets to accomplish things. Still, at least he is happy. For now... (insert foreshadowing, doom-inspiring sound effect)

[Tensor]

Are we talking about the taping report where they reported that Sheldon tells Penny that he has seen the topless movie?  I thought they had amended that to say that it was Howard who found it originally?

Jon, I made a comment on a taping report that I thought Miso provided last year. Miso doesn't remember it, and wanted to know if I was confusion Miso with someone else.

[5Mississippis]

Just read a spoiler tidbit from last night's taping. The report was incomplete but part of the episode is where Penny reads a short psychological book Bev wrote that is based on Leonard. Can that woman get any more indifferent and emotionally abusive? I read somewhere in these threads a few days ago that Bev makes an appearance in the episode via Skype. What are the chances Penny phones her and yells at her telling her how wonderful Leonard is? 

[phantagrae]

Just read a spoiler tidbit from last night's taping. The report was incomplete but part of the episode is where Penny reads a short psychological book Bev wrote that is based on Leonard. Can that woman get any more indifferent and emotionally abusive? I read somewhere in these threads a few days ago that Bev makes an appearance in the episode via Skype. What are the chances Penny phones her and yells at her telling her how wonderful Leonard is? 

 

Um, no, Penny won't be calling because that's not funny.

 

Beverly is supposed to be an exaggerated, over the top kind of character, so she's always going to be belittling Leonard.  It's the nature of his upbringing, just like Sheldon's has to do with his religiously conservative, politially incorrect mother and Howard has his overbearing mother, etc.

[JonRS92]

Just read a spoiler tidbit from last night's taping. The report was incomplete but part of the episode is where Penny reads a short psychological book Bev wrote that is based on Leonard. Can that woman get any more indifferent and emotionally abusive? I read somewhere in these threads a few days ago that Bev makes an appearance in the episode via Skype. What are the chances Penny phones her and yells at her telling her how wonderful Leonard is? 

 

 

Um, no, Penny won't be calling because that's not funny.

 

Beverly is supposed to be an exaggerated, over the top kind of character, so she's always going to be belittling Leonard.  It's the nature of his upbringing, just like Sheldon's has to do with his religiously conservative, politially incorrect mother and Howard has his overbearing mother, etc.

 

The nost logical explanation for me would be for either Leonard or Sheldon to call her.  From what I read of the report it seems unlikely that Sheldon would call her so I am thinking Leonard.  Maybe it has something to do with the book and that either he, or he and Penny, want to discuss something in it with her.  It sounds as if Leonard has already read it so maybe he and Penny have an issue or a difference of opinion over a passage in it.  You might still be able to see a Penny/Bev showdown but I agree that is unlikely that Penny is the one calling.

[5Mississippis]

Just read a spoiler tidbit from last night's taping. The report was incomplete but part of the episode is where Penny reads a short psychological book Bev wrote that is based on Leonard. Can that woman get any more indifferent and emotionally abusive? I read somewhere in these threads a few days ago that Bev makes an appearance in the episode via Skype. What are the chances Penny phones her and yells at her telling her how wonderful Leonard is? 

 

Perhaps 'yells' is too strong a word. Was thinking more of how she handled Dr and Mrs Koothrapali after she returned a drunken Raj to his apartment after the '30 under 30' party. Sort of a feisty finger-wagging, shame on you type of thing. 

[Nogravitasatall]

Can that woman get any more indifferent and emotionally abusive?

Yes.

Imagine her response to the wedding invitation. Unless she has a death bed conversion it will be like this all the way to the grave. But somehow funny. Poor Leonard. LOL.

Perhaps 'yells' is too strong a word. Was thinking more of how she handled Dr and Mrs Koothrapali after she returned a drunken Raj to his apartment after the '30 under 30' party. Sort of a feisty finger-wagging, shame on you type of thing.

After being knocked down the first round Penny later took charge of Beverly, kidnapped her and manipulated her into getting falling down drunk on their second exchange. Round two to Penny. Hopefully Penny's dominance, outside Beverly's areas of competence, will continue. Bev is still just another nerd.

But Leonard is cactus.

(Eta. These seemed to go together).

Edited September 18, 2013 by Nogravitasatall

[ArmyGirl]

Just read a spoiler tidbit from last night's taping. The report was incomplete but part of the episode is where Penny reads a short psychological book Bev wrote that is based on Leonard. Can that woman get any more indifferent and emotionally abusive? I read somewhere in these threads a few days ago that Bev makes an appearance in the episode via Skype. What are the chances Penny phones her and yells at her telling her how wonderful Leonard is? 

 

Answer to the bold part is 'Yes'!

 

You can't help but think Beverly truly dislikes Leonard and probably didn't really want him.  She writes about him and how she experiment on him, not his sister, and not his brother.  I have always heard that middle children are treated different from the oldest and youngest children and Beverly plays right into that stereotype --- she is truly a vile mother and to bad Leonard didn't have a choice in who his parents are.

 

It's a miracle Leonard turn out as well as he did with a mother like her.

[SRAM]

Answer to the bold part is 'Yes'!

 

You can't help but think Beverly truly dislikes Leonard and probably didn't really want him.  She writes about him and how she experiment on him, not his sister, and not his brother.  I have always heard that middle children are treated different from the oldest and youngest children and Beverly plays right into that stereotype --- she is truly a vile mother and to bad Leonard didn't have a choice in who his parents are.

 

It's a miracle Leonard turn out as well as he did with a mother like her.

So true. Most men that are brought up like Leonard have serious woman problems and some become murders.

[phantagrae]

Yeah, except this is a sitcom, not a documentary.

[SRAM]

Yeah, except this is a sitcom, not a documentary.

That's true and that is how they get away with such an extreme character as Bev. The Leonard and Bev characters would easily be at home on the show criminal minds, too.

[Tensor]

That's true and that is how they get away with such an extreme character as Bev. The Leonard and Bev characters would easily be at home on the show criminal minds, too.

Well Chuck has a connection there. Hmmmmmm, I can see the episode name now, "Murder at 2311 N Robles"

[DrBootsHofstadter]

Has the full spoiler report been posted anywhere yet? I've been looking around but can't seem to find it. 

[Tensor]

Has the full spoiler report been posted anywhere yet? I've been looking around but can't seem to find it.

Sprinkles over at Fan Fiction has half of it up in the spoiler thread there. Then got tired and went to bed. Said the rest would go up today.

[terriblewaitress]

Sprinkles over at Fan Fiction has half of it up in the spoiler thread there. Then got tired and went to bed. Said the rest would go up today.

 

It's up over on teh spoilers thread now  

 

Guess the nighty was figured out! 

[DrBootsHofstadter]

Oh God! Read the spoilers. Leonard manipulating Penny into feeling sorry and having sex with him and he's enjoying it to see how long he can get away with it. Wow. OOC much?

 

When did they start having the Shenny write episodes?

 

Showing the topless film now this. And we're only at the fourth show. 

 

Please! Can anyone spin this positively so Leonard doesn't come off looking like a total ass?

[SRAM]

Oh God! Read the spoilers. Leonard manipulating Penny into feeling sorry and having sex with him and he's enjoying it to see how long he can get away with it. Wow. OOC much?

 

When did they start having the Shenny write episodes?

 

Showing the topless film now this. And we're only at the fourth show. 

 

Please! Can anyone spin this positively so Leonard doesn't come off looking like a total ass?

You forgot about 7.03, where he doesn't want to be teamed up with her because she isn't smart enough. This season seems like they are already trying to undo what happened in season 6.

[terriblewaitress]

I must be missing something because I don't think any of the episodes have been that bad, that we've read about so far, to worry about Leonard and Penny. 

 

She showed him his boundaries. He tried to use sympathy for sex. WHOA nobody on this planet has ever done that before. He's a nerd but he's still a guy, last time Bevs was brought up (aside from after his break-up) they ended up almost having sex - why not see where things get him this time and test the left boob theory out in the lab?

[Nogravitasatall]

I must be missing something because I don't think any of the episodes have been that bad, that we've read about so far, to worry about Leonard and Penny.

She showed him his boundaries. He tried to use sympathy for sex. WHOA nobody on this planet has ever done that before. He's a nerd but he's still a guy, last time Bevs was brought up (aside from after his break-up) they ended up almost having sex - why not see where things get him this time and test the left boob theory out in the lab?

heheheh. He is turning into a husband. He is trying to find some way to get sex on his timetable, not hers. Now that he has more opportunity he will find the ratio of time spent together and time having sex will skew against sex. Penny may have BEEN enthusiastic in that domain, but novelty wears off. I'd cut him a break on this, he's just being a guy. IMO. Edited September 18, 2013 by Nogravitasatall

[SRAM]

heheheh. He is turning into a husband. He is trying to find some way to get sex on his timetable, not hers. Now that he has more opportunity he will find the ratio of time spent together and time having sex will skew against sex. Penny may have BEEN enthusiastic in that domain, but novelty wears off. I'd cut him a break on this, he's just being a guy. IMO.

 

I agree he is being just like any other guy she has dated, which is OC for Leonard.

[Nogravitasatall]

I agree he is being just like any other guy she has dated, which is OC for Leonard.

I'm not quite with you there. He is being more like someone who has gone from having tumultuous crazy monkey sex to domesticated sex and is finding that the latter doesn't happen as often as he'd like and is trying to exercise some of his own power in completely the wrong and funny way. He gets his comeuppance by having his mother come back to emasculate him. He is still Leonard, struggling to get what he wants and shooting himself down, in the groin, in this instance.

Edited September 18, 2013 by Nogravitasatall

[eirwinrommel]

I'm not quite with you there. He is being more like someone who has gone from having tumultuous crazy monkey sex to domesticated sex and is finding that the latter doesn't happen as often as he'd like and is trying to exercise some of his own power in completely the wrong and funny way. He gets his comeuppance by having his mother come back to emasculate him. He is still Leonard, struggling to get what he wants and shooting himself down, in the groin, in this instance.

He also learned that she should keep his mouth shut. 'Anything you say can and will be used against you.' 'Friends' are no exception.