Episodes 7.12 "the Hesitation Ramification" (January 2)

[Chiany]

I may be alone on this, but this was by far the worst episode of this season, here is why I think it.

 

- Sheldon's subplot was not funny, not even once. It didn't make any sense for this to be in the episode.

- Same goes for Raj & Stuarts plotline.

- Penny was obviously very drunk (she was drinking the entire episode) when she proposed, we have seen this far to often already.

- A lot of the characters (if not all) were so out of character, it didn't feel like a TBBT episode.

    - Why would Raj practice talking to guys at the mall, he never had any problems with talking to guys.

    - Amy responded very non Amy like to the pants dropping, like Stardust said, if she said it sarcasticly (or deadpan way), it might have made sense.

 

The only good thing about this episode was Bernadette's fake laugh, only time I laughed a little out loud.

 

So I won't be watching this one again.

[Chrismo]

.

Edited January 3, 2014 by Chrismo

[Superlovelexi]

Wow, so that episode was ummmm...... .....I don't know it felt off to me.   Not nearly as funny as I would expect from an episode coming back from the winter hiatus and right after the adorable Christmas episode we left off on, this one felt strange and kind of sad.  I mean why would Sheldon suddenly care whether people think he is funny or not.  Also, Sheldon is definitely funniest when he's not trying to be, so watching him try to be made him seem I don't know out of character a little bit and less funny.  I know he likes  trying to come up with equations, formulas and theories that definitely prove complex sociological constructs like the time he tried to make an algorithm for making friends, or the time Amy and Sheldon worked on a theory about how gossip travels through social groups.  But, those episodes where a LOT funnier than this one.  This one felt like filler.

 

The best part of the episode for me was all Raj/Stuart scenes. I love fact that Raj and Stuart are hanging out together again, I've never been a fan of turning them into a "couple."  But with LENNY hanging on the edge of a cliff, I don't know I wouldn't mind see Raj and Stuart pick up the slack a little bit.  They are adorable together as "friends."  and I think they could even be just as cute together as main bro-ships on the show if given more time to spend together.  Their scenes in the mall were my favorite.

 

I liked the scene where Sheldon pulled his pants down in front of Amy, and she really STARED for a long moment there didn't she before grinning like the Cheshire Cat, so that was cute.  But, I didn't really care for the fact that Sheldon acted oblivious  towards LENNY's troubles or Penny's disappointment over her scene getting cut.  I prefer it when they use to make Sheldon the unknowingly wise one.  Like the times when he would give his friends helpful advice.  Remember when he tried to help Raj meet women or that time he tried to help Leonard with his relationship with the Doctor.   I like it when they show Sheldon actively taking an interest in his friends lives instead of  ignoring their problems to focus on his self.  They always make him look bad when they do that.  This week it looks like they really made both Sheldon and Leonard look super DUMB this week and it made everything they said and did in the episode a lot less funnier than usual.

 

Leonard is usually really good at "lying" to Penny he lied to her about his sadness over his mom so he could get laid.  He pretends to be interested in things he can't stand like football just to make her happy, so it seemed odd that this week he just haphazardly goes around spitting out hurtful truths that seemed designed specifically by writers to put their relationship back on the rocks again.  I mean what gives, last episode during Christmas they were happy couple decorating a tree together and getting along fine, even flirting and teasing each other without either side getting their feelings hurt to badly.   Leonard knew when Penny walked out the door she was really devastated and embarrassed by losing her chance to be on NCIS.  Its obvious he went over there to comfort her, but instead they just have him put his foot in his mouth the way Sheldon usually would and make things worst.

 

Then later he tries to fix it by getting Penny an audition for a movie, but come on Leonard knows she doesn't really like Star Wars that much none of the girls do, so it just came off self centered he'd choose a movie he'd like to see her in probably fantasizing about her dressed up in Princess Leia bikini then actually thinking about her career and what kind of films or shows she'd actually want to be in.  I mean COME ON!  Leonard is not that big of jerk.  He's not.  He is a sweet, smart guy who even has the nickname of ROMANCE NINJA for his ability to woo his lady and make her feel better.  Why not pull out the cello again and serenade her with a cutesy song at the door like he did when she was mad at him over Alex flirting with him.  I mean why do the have to keep screwing up this relationship its not really funny anymore! 

 

I get that they have 23 episodes each season so the have got to fill the time with something, but i mean why not just let them get engaged already its just stalling at this point!  What are they waiting for the final season or something!  They can get SHAMY together then instead and move LENNY forward for crying out loud.  If LENNY breaks up over this its clearly just stalling for time.  Its ridiculous!!  They were fine last episode, absolutely fine and then Penny gets upset over something that has nothing to do with Leonard, she gets drunk and Leonard acts like an idiot and suddenly he thinks it could be all over.  That is crappy writing that is!!!

 

LENNY isn't even my favorite couple on show, SHAMY and Howardette passed them a long while back, but I still want them together and it really annoys me when writers do crap like this just out of blue.  No build up nothing.  Even if they don't break up it doesn't matter this clearly made LENNY look bad for each other for no good reason, wasn't even funny like when Penny turned out to be married to Zack.  Zack at least brought the jokes!!  What did this accomplish exactly??   I mean Penny needs to go to AA or something watching her drink every episode has long sense stopped being funny, she looks pathetic now!   I mean seriously has it really been ten years and she is still a waitress at the cheesecake factory?  That is just sad I feel bad for her character now.  She has had so little growth in fact she's getting worst in some ways.  In the beginning of the show she wasn't like this total drunkard that she has become.

 

 

I mean I'm glad next week synopsis says she quits her job, I hope it sticks, I'm tired of seeing her waste her life away.  What happened to her going back to school?  Did she ever finish that?  I mean writers just keep dropping the ball on so many story lines! What about the guys getting tenure?  Why isn't Sheldon more concerned with figuring out how to make up for that mess of his own career he made when Leonard disapproved his element existence?  Instead they have him wasting time on trying to come up with a way to be funny.  THAT IS JUST STUPID!!  HE IS ALREADY FUNNY!!

 

He doesn't need to try to be funny it ruins all his jokes.  Sheldon has always thought he was funny before he ever tried to prove it so why should he suddenly care if Leonard doesn't laugh at his jokes.  Leonard never really laughs at his jokes much and it never seem to bother Sheldon before.  Also, Amy and Sheldon use to have the same sense of humor what happened to that!!??  I remember when he would tell a lame joke and she laugh at it because she genuinely thought it was amusing now its like they are trying to make her more like Penny and Bernadette to the point its messing with the SHAMY and I don't like that!!  She doesn't need to be like them, faking her laughter at her boyfriend's/husband's jokes, the girls don't need to all morph into the same stuck up type girl  The kind that thinks "I'm better, cooler, smarter, sexier, funnier than you" type person.  Penny has always acted that way towards Leonard and it's always been one of her most unattractive qualities to me that she behaves as though she is so much "cooler" and his nerdy hobbies are all lame and pathetic.  Well her drinking all the time and acting like a dumb blonde waitress makes her look ten times more pathetic than Leonard's nerdy love for Star wars or comic books or whatever.  I mean its CRAZY for hr to act like she is in anyway better than he him! I love this show, but sometimes they just mess around with these people and don't even try to make them act sensible or caring, or even FUNNY!!  I mean if they are going to have another bump in the Leonard/Penny relationship for the umpteenth time at least let it lead to something truly hilarious!!  Not just waste our time.

 

So far from what I've seen of next week in that little preview, well I'm not impressed.  Why do they have Sheldon acting like a DOG!?? I mean really a dog?  First he acts like their kid back in season 3 which was mildly cute, but now he's acting like he's their pet give me a break!  It doesn't make any sense and it doesn't look funny either.  It really looks like they are trying to find every way imaginable to keep each of the main relationships from growing any further.  What are they all so afraid of?  Will it really kill the show if Penny actually was good at her job and didn't drink all time I DON'T THINK SO!!  Would it really kill the show if they didn't have Leonard act so afraid of losing Penny all the time and grow some BALLS!!  I DON'T THINK SO!! and I know it wouldn't kill the show to have Sheldon act like a grown ass man for a change instead of like a damn one note joker or childish prankster.  That kick me sign joke was terrible I mean just awful!     Sheldon may be selfish, egotistical, whiny, quirky, crazy at times and even down right childish, but is not plain STUPID!!  That was just STUPID!!   He is someone who hates change also, so when Leonard told him their relationship might be over it makes no sense that he would pull a prank like that.  The Sheldon we all know and love would have been telling Leonard that according to their roommate agreement they can't break up or going on about how he thinks Leonard could fix things with Penny.  That is what the old Sheldon would have done, the one that said "Please don't hurt my friend to Penny"  and told her that he likes homeostasis!  Why now would he suddenly not give a damn about the possibility of them breaking up and totally ignore Leonard's pain over it.  Makes no sense whatsoever!!  When Leonard was upset before in past Sheldon actually try to genuinely comfort him even if he was really bad at it he at least TRIED.  This time it was obvious from the start of the scene Sheldon was just there to make some dumb joke by the end.  I'm just glad he didn't say BAZINGA too, it would have ruined the show's most famous quote for one of the lamest jokes of the episode.

 

I really don't know what else to say except for I don't really care about this silly fake drama they are cooking up for LENNY, because before you know it they will be making up again and the whole thing will be forgotten about like yesterday's garbage.  I am not usually so harsh about these episodes, but this one was really not that great considering it was the first show back from break they should have wanted to come out with a real HIT leading into second half of the season not a time waster filler type episode.

 

I will give them some credit for Raj/Stuart scenes those were most appealing ones, and for at least not totally recklessly, wrecking SHAMY or Howardette too.  But, man poor LENNY, I feel sorry for this couples its like they are always the show's punching bag, They have become "that couple" you know the one on every romance drama type TV show that you know are going end up together in the end, but really shouldn't because they seem so incompatible and can just never quite seem to get their S H I T together.  No matter how hard they try to.  They go through so much unnecessary over top nonsense over the course of the show that by the end of it you really do start to almost wish they never got together in the first place because they drag things down to a sad place too much.  This show is not supposed to be like One tree Hill, this is not Dawson's Creek or any number of other cute, but overdramatic teen soapy romance dramas, i mean why so much DRAMA this week! 

 

Its not necessary, its certainly not funny.  Its supposed to be a SITCOM!  Things should be lighthearted most of the time and funny ALWAYS!  Comedies should make you smile not make you want to roll your eyes or worst feel "emo." and depressed.  I mean yes couples break up or fight over stuff on sitcoms all the time too, but they are supposed to make the fights FUNNY FIGHTS!  So you don't feel sad for the couples you just laugh at them.  There is nothing funny about having Penny propose while depressed and drunk and having Leonard awkwardly reject her because he's scared she is only saying it because she is drunk.  I mean that is the kind of thing that happens on teenage dramas that leads to one of them crying on floor of shower while the other stares sadly out of the window while it rains and emo rock music is playing in the background.  No! Hell No!  Not on my Comedy! 

 

I don't tune in to watch Big Bang Theory to be saddened, if I wanted that I'd go watch dramas!!  I have lots of actual dramas to watch for that.  I watch Big Bang Theory to laugh and to say "awww he is so cute."  and "aww she is so sweet." and oh there they go those silly nerds Hahahaha!! I come to laugh at the jokes!!   Bernadette wasn't sweet or funny, Amy wasn't sweet or funny,  Sheldon was mean like usual but totally unfunny type of mean not his usual hilarious mean behaviour, Leonard acted like a jackass and wasn't funny, Penny acted like a jackass and was totally depressed that i felt sorry for her.  Howard did nothing much this week at all really which is sad cause Simon is one of the funniest ones usually, but he was given nothing to work with here and only Raj and Stuart were adorable and funny this week.  That is sad!  I almost laughed more during the promo for this week then I did the episode, they put all funniest bits in the promo except for scenes in the mall.  The rest of the episode was either plain unfunny and way too depressing or just felt like filler time wasting stuff that has no real greatness to it.

 

GET IT TOGETHER WRITERS PLEASE!!   Remember this show is supposed to be a COMEDY about a bunch of super intelligent, adorable adult geeks and one really cute, sweet and only slightly ditzy blond waitress not a show about unfunny "EMO" RELATIONSHIP DRAMA NONSENSE that only makes the characters look DUMB and like they don't belong together.   This is not meant to be a cheesy soap opera jeez!

Edited January 3, 2014 by Superlovelexi

[smellypooper73]

That's a lot of words o.O

[tx-fictionqueen]

GET IT TOGETHER WRITERS PLEASE!!   Remember this show is supposed to be a COMEDY about a bunch of super intelligent, adorable adult geeks and one really cute, sweet and only slightly ditzy blond waitress not a show about unfunny "EMO" RELATIONSHIP DRAMA NONSENSE that only makes the characters look DUMB and like they don't belong together.   This is not meant to be a cheesy soap opera jeez!

Steve Molaro may disagree with you there...

 

That's a lot of words o.O

LOL. 

[Lionne]

Star and TX - could you please edit the spoilers out of your posts? It would be kind of you not to leave them there now that they have been pointed out.

Thanks!

[Chiany]

That's a lot of words o.O

 

Agree, can someone sum it up for me?

[Tensor]

Agree, can someone sum it up for me?

 

Superlovelexi basically feels the same way you do about the episode.    I will disagree, although I love and am a big fan of Lenny, I actually liked it.  

[djsurrey]

Wow. Could they have made Leonard any more pathetic. His efforts to console Penny were so clumsy, At least he did the  right thing by not responding to her proposal. Not looking good for us Lenny shippers. I believe the relationship has at the very least stalled and judging by taping reports of E13 it's not going to get better any time soon.

 

Rating the episode okay. Johnny and Kaley were good. Raj and Stuart were not funny and neither was Sheldon.

 

I don't think Leonard was pathetic. Penny took him by surprise. He does not get spoiler alerts.

 

One reality in real relationships is that unexpected events are sometimes handled poorly. That is often reflected in sitcoms. The strength of a relationship is often in forgiveness and smoothing over things the could have been handled better. On the other hand Leonard considering Penny was already drinking it was a bad time to try to talk to her about her problems.

 

The more relevant question is why it never occurred to Penny that her 3 line scene could be cut?

[Guitars1964]

Well, to me it still feels like the writers have hit a dry spell in humor and story line.  I didn't think the Bernadette laugh take-off from "When Harry Met Sally" was that funny. 

 

For me, when I watch older episodes, it just seems like they were... funnier than we are getting this season.  Is it possible they are running out of gas?

[Guitars1964]

 

The more relevant question is why it never occurred to Penny that her 3 line scene could be cut?

 

My recollection is that Penny has had very few acting gigs - I don't know if she'd actually done any movie or TV stuff before.  She doesn't give the impression that, after, by her own admission, 10 years in the business, she knows that much about the business.  Although Leonard's frank assessment was insensitive to Penny, it's kind of hard to argue with him.  She probably isn't going anywhere as an actress.  It seems like she just wants the fame and awards but isn't really, dare I say, passionate about the art of acting.

 

No big wonder why Leonard didn't jump at her proposal - it came across like, oh, screw it, I've got nothing else going on, might as well get married.  Wow, what a way to sweep a guy off his feet (borrowing from Leonard's own words from Valentine's Day).  Poor Penny, she actually is beginning to look a little pathetic.

[djsurrey]

Well, to me it still feels like the writers have hit a dry spell in humor and story line.  I didn't think the Bernadette laugh take-off from "When Harry Met Sally" was that funny. 

 

For me, when I watch older episodes, it just seems like they were... funnier than we are getting this season.  Is it possible they are running out of gas?

 

Not at all. Season 7 has had some very funny episodes. This episode was not so humorless as some have suggested.

[Chiany]

Not at all. Season 7 has had some very funny episodes. This episode was not so humorless as some have suggested.

 

Feel free to enlighten me, what parts did you think were funny?

[djsurrey]

My recollection is that Penny has had very few acting gigs - I don't know if she'd actually done any movie or TV stuff before.  She doesn't give the impression that, after, by her own admission, 10 years in the business, she knows that much about the business.  Although Leonard's frank assessment was insensitive to Penny, it's kind of hard to argue with him.  She probably isn't going anywhere as an actress.  It seems like she just wants the fame and awards but isn't really, dare I say, passionate about the art of acting.

 

No big wonder why Leonard didn't jump at her proposal - it came across like, oh, screw it, I've got nothing else going on, might as well get married.  Wow, what a way to sweep a guy off his feet (borrowing from Leonard's own words from Valentine's Day).  Poor Penny, she actually is beginning to look a little pathetic.

 

It might have helped her career to shmooze with people in the business rather than people in her building.

[stardustmelody]

It might have helped her career to shmooze with people in the business rather than people in her building.

Most definitely.  It is all in who you know in that business.

Star and TX - could you please edit the spoilers out of your posts? It would be kind of you not to leave them there now that they have been pointed out.

Thanks!

 

Ok..I think I edited it out, you can check post 119 and let me know if you see any that are still spoilers.

[rachelshamyfan]

As for the voting thingy I will give it excellent just for Sheldon dropping his trousers!

[Chiany]

As for the voting thingy I will give it excellent just for Sheldon dropping his trousers!

 

hmm even that could stop me from giving it a very bad.

 

oh well, glad you liked it.

Edited January 3, 2014 by Chiany

[stardustmelody]

As for the voting thingy I will give it excellent just for Sheldon dropping his trousers!

 

As much as we all enjoy Sheldon dropping his trousers, I just could not give it an excellent.  I think the scene was really odd and really out of character.   Plus the whole episode was really, well just odd (heavy, depressing and the rest was really strange).   I don't think it was bad, but I could only give it an okay.  It was an important episode so it can't be "bad" or below, but it could have been done less heavy as well and been better I think.  I think they could have gotten their point across and still made it a bit more humorous.  Plus I think it was the combination of a depressing Lenny story+odd and uncharacteristic Shamy story+depressing and pathetic Raj/Stuart story that made it really hard to give it above an okay.   Too many negative things going on all at once.

Edited January 3, 2014 by stardustmelody

[rachelshamyfan]

Penny hates it when Leonard is honest but he did the right thing

Bernie is certifiably bonkers and I think Shamy are in the strongest place they can be at the moment, they can joke about their relationship knowing that

[Chiany]

Women are a mystery to me.

Leonard did nothing there imho, she asked him to be honest and he was.

[phantagrae]

I voted for Very Good. I would have voted for excellent if the Raj/Stuart thing had been a little funnier.

I really enjoyed the episode.

[Razberrypie]

 (My thoughts sorta copied from the other thread with less shamy ) I actually rather enjoyed it, the writers took a gamble here so I can see why there would be mixed reactions. I thought shamy was fine and the exasperation didn't drag on like I thought it would. I was worried that this episode would imply that Amy no longer finds Sheldon funny, but it was the opposite I think. She thinks he doesn't need a theory of comedy when he can be funny without over-thinking it.

 

I did, however, find it harder to laugh because of the overall heaviness between lenny. I think that's the most drama I've ever seen in an episode, not that it was a bad thing, most comedies have loads more drama than TBBT. It was interesting to watch, and yeah the Sheldon/Leonard bit at the end was really nice. I think Sheldon did feel kinda bad for the "kick me" sign so he took it off even though he could have easily denied it and walked off. It felt so weird having a long segment without any laughter from the audience (well long by our standards anyway) and in the end it all comes down to personal taste whether people thought it was good-weird or bad-weird. I thought it was good-weird though 

Edited January 3, 2014 by Razberrypie

[Cecilia]

Women are a mystery to me.

Leonard did nothing there imho, she asked him to be honest and he was.

Next topic: Women. Delightfully mysterious or batcrap crazy?

Still haven't watched the episode :-p Your comment just reminded me of that.

[Chiany]

Next topic: Women. Delightfully mysterious or batcrap crazy?

Still haven't watched the episode :-p Your comment just reminded me of that.

 

Haha that's very true.

 

[rickfromillinois]

First, after every episode for the past couple of seasons the same people make comments about how terrible the episode was, how far downhill the show has gone, how the writers have run out of ideas.....yada yada yada.  Same thing week after week.  What I don't understand is why anyone would continue to watch a show that they obviously no longer care for and then take the time out of their lives to go on a forum to tell everyone just how bad the show is.   Talk about not having a life.

 

 

To me the character of Leonard was screwed from the get go.  He could have lied to Penny and tell her that she was great and was going to do great, but it would be a lie, and if Penny was honest with herself, she would know it.   Leonard was right, Penny is beautiful and talented, but there are tens of thousands of actresses in Hollywood who are just as talented and just as beautiful.  No matter how talented or beautiful an actress is, there is no guarantee that she will be a star.   I guess Leonard needs to learn to lie to Penny better.   I guess women who keep saying that they want a man who is honest are full of it.   Remember guys, if a woman asks you to be honest with her, LIE.

 

I saw a criticism of Leonard for showing Penny that Star Wars thing because they said he should know that she doesn't like Star Wars.   You have to be kidding me.  She did a HEMORRHOID commercial for crying out loud.  It's a job.   It's a movie.  It' a chance, however distant, of getting a audition for the part.  Think maybe Penny would have a better chance at getting a part then Howard?

 

If Leonard was a self absorbed jerk he would have jumped on Penny's proposal   So what if she was drunk, so what if she was feeling like her whole life was crashing around her head, so what if in affect she was saying "what the heck, my life sucks, I might as well marry Leonard".  So what?  She would be his wife.   Good call Leonard.

 

I am an avid fan of the show but this is the first time that I generally agree with negative nellies who can't seem to ever find a good thing to say about the show but continue to watch it. (go figure).  I did not find anything funny about this particular episode with the possible exception of Bernadette.  Frankly it got to the point that after a while  I found the drunken self-pitying Penny more annoying then sympathetic.  No matter what Leonard would have said to her, she would have attacked him.  The only thing that he could have done was rush to the airport and fly to New Jersey to visit his parents.

 

After her drunken proposal to Leonard while basically saying to him "My life sucks, I might as well marry you since nothing else looks better for me right now", I would almost cheer if Leonard showed her the door and told her not to come back.  For right now, I am tired of their relationship, hope that Penny either goes back to Nebraska or to her loser boyfriend Curt, and Leonard goes and looks up Comic Book Girl.  Hopefully after the next episode I will be more optimistic.

Edited January 3, 2014 by rickfromillinois