Ship Zone [Spoilers] Shamy: Season 9

[NerwenAldarion]

Well they keep dropping little shenny things in and Steve molaro loves shenny going by his recent comments

True, it's not like Penny is married to anyone else....

The odds of Shenny happening are as good as the odds of Penny suddenly becoming a rocket scientist, possible but very very small

[rachelshamyfan]

True, it's not like Penny is married to anyone else....

The odds of Shenny happening are as good as the odds of Penny suddenly becoming a rocket scientist, possible but very very small

it's a sitcom, the writers might suddenly decide that they really do want shenny together because if their apparantly amazing chemistry and at this point nothing would suprise me

Edited October 22, 2015 by rachelshamyfan

[nibbler747]

I hear that the spoiler free thread is a lot more peaceful, and that the shippers are happier because they don't know what we know and have hope that we don't have right now by not knowing.    Sometimes I think it is the better place to be, but for my part, I kind of enjoy all the debating and speculations.   If nothing else, it serves as a good distraction until all this is over.  

So as you can tell, I fell off the spoiler free ship.  But I can tell you, the spoiler free thread is a lot more peaceful.  What I found is I watched the show untainted by everyone's opinions on it.  It's hard to watch unbiased when you've been discussing every little nuance of what we've read.

I often find that the show comes off a lot lighter and funnier than what I read in the Taping Reports, and what people report after tapings is very much coloured by their own opinions on things (which is fair).  I think episode 2 is a good example, with the Shenny kiss.  I read all about it before hand, and was upset by it.  When I watched it, it was kind of cartoony and not at all sexy.  So, now I try not to overthink stuff I haven't seen yet.

[Susana Alcira]

Please, any of you know if episode 6 (Hellium) has been shwon to the audience attending last Tuesday taping?

[phantagrae]

it's a sitcom, the writers might suddenly decide that they really do want shenny together because if their apparantly amazing chemistry and at this point nothing would suprise me

Again, ridiculous hyperbole.  The writers are not going to do something that out-of-left field just to be arbitrary and ridiculous.  Just because you don't like the storyline as it is playing out doesn't mean that the writers are random and would destroy the world as they've created it.

Sheldon and Penny do have great chemistry together, but it's not sexual chemistry.  I thought this ground was covered in the many Shenny debates where there were those who thought those two characters had better chemistry than L/P together or S/A together.  The truth is that there are many kinds of chemistry and they're not all sexual or romantic.

Jim and Kaley are terrific actors and know how to play a scene together to give it energy.  That doesn't mean that the writers or TPTB want to put them together romantically.

You keep saying nothing will surprise you--would you be surprised once Sheldon and Amy work through their issues and end up back together?  Shamy is end-game, no matter what your pessimistic heart is telling you.

[NerwenAldarion]

it's a sitcom, the writers might suddenly decide that they really do want shenny together because if their apparantly amazing chemistry and at this point nothing would suprise me

Well I would say no sitcom would throw out 9 years of character development because of chemistry but the folks at HIMYM proved me wrong there.

However the massive onslaught that followed should scare anyone from going down THAT route again.

And it isn't the same comparison, Sheldon and Penny have NEVER been ANYTHING. Has Penny or Sheldon ever shown the slightest interest in the other? NO! 

That's because from the beginning the main pairing was Leonard and Penny, they have been on and off again for 9 years until they finally got married. Now I would say that Shamy has kind of taken a front seat to the show now that Leonard and Penny are married.

But still, I honestly cannot believe we are discussing Shenny being a thing. It will NEVER happen.

Edited October 22, 2015 by NerwenAldarion

[phantagrae]

One thing we should all agree on is that We shouldn't believe the writers

 

Of course they have a plan, they just want to throw the viewers off and get them watching

So, do you believe they have a plan, or do you believe they don't know what they're doing?  I think I've seen you say both things.

I think you just want to hate on the writers because you don't like the storyline.  They haven't become suddenly incompetent.  These are the same writers who came up with all the stuff that people love--the train kiss, the ILYT, and so forth.  Did they just want to throw viewers off then?

Their job is to tell a story, mix the comedy with a little serious stuff sometimes, and to make the audience laugh.  I haven't heard any TR that said the audience booed the writers or sat in stony silence because they didn't think the show was funny.

There's no pleasing every single person, obviously, but that doesn't mean the writers are doing something wrong.

[Shamyyes]

Let's face it this break up was to stretch the story out period. They have another whole season. Maybe two. The writers themselves said at some panel that Shamy coitus has to be put off as long as possible. I know we are not only interested in that aspect of their story but the writers and tptb know that isotherm cash cow. 

I hate this story line. I hurt for the characters no matter how beautifully the actors are portraying it. Like many of you I started watching because of this couple. It hurts to see them apart. My opinion is that we are missing so much fun and happy and quirky times that could have been told 

they will be together in the end No doubt. Love the show. Love the characters. Just not enjoying this latest ride. JMHO:)

 

 

[sarah7]

So as you can tell, I fell off the spoiler free ship.  But I can tell you, the spoiler free thread is a lot more peaceful.  What I found is I watched the show untainted by everyone's opinions on it.  It's hard to watch unbiased when you've been discussing every little nuance of what we've read.

I often find that the show comes off a lot lighter and funnier than what I read in the Taping Reports, and what people report after tapings is very much coloured by their own opinions on things (which is fair).  I think episode 2 is a good example, with the Shenny kiss.  I read all about it before hand, and was upset by it.  When I watched it, it was kind of cartoony and not at all sexy.  So, now I try not to overthink stuff I haven't seen yet.

I concur with this, as a general rule, for this season at least, I've found the episodes much lighter when they finally air.

That's why I hope that episode 8 that I already hate quite much will end up being somewhat funny...

I was thinking in an alternate development for the plot of latest episode, which would have more or less the same conclusion, but that, in my opinion, would at least show some light at the end of the tunnel.

Ok, both would still have dates with Dave and Vanessa, but instead of happening in the same episode, they are two separate eps. In the first one, Amy goes in her third date with Dave, but instead of Lenny and Bernie spying on them, Leonard spill the beans to Sheldon about it and he goes to the restaurant to fight for Amy with the guy, however, when Dave recognizes him, he starts fanboying over him, Sheldon would be honored of course, and they could even start a conversation, Amy would get fed up, of course and would leave, so, yes, Amy still gets her date stolen by Sheldon, they won't have the chance to talk out their problems, but at least the precedent that Sheldon tried to fight for her would be there.

Then, in the next episode, Sheldon is still convinced that Amy is no longer interested in him (and after getting to know they guy with such a great taste  she is dating now), he asks Howard and Raj to help him get a new girlfriend, meanwhile Amy is at Penny's apt with her and Bernie, she of course is angry for the way her date with Dave turned out, but the girls make her realize that Sheldon wanted to fight for her, to get her back specially Penny, since now she knows about the ring (but she won't tell her about it yet), they convince her to try to talk with Sheldon but just when she is about to do it, she finds Vanessa talking with Sheldon at the door. Realizing what she is doing there, he exchanges some words with her (with a similar attitude she had when she was talking to Priya, perhaps) before leaving, Sheldon is confused, but Vanessa tells him she seemed jealous. He gets happy because that makes him know she is still interested in him, and she dismisses the girl because 'she is not necessary anymore'.

That way there won't be reconciliation yet, there would be more issues to address before getting there yet, but, as I said, at least both would know that there's still interest in each other.

Cheesy? yes, unoriginal? yeah, unimagintative? too Fanfiction-ish? heck, yes! but, hey, I'm working with the basis they set, I know it's a pointless excercise because everything is already done in a different way, but at this point, we can only speculate, complain and imagine scenarios, right?

Edited October 22, 2015 by sarah7

[ShLe94]

First of all, thank you guys! Reading this debate always help me see things more clearly!  Regarding the new information about 9x08, TBQH I'm not so worried. I'm sticking to my opinion: this episode seems very funny! Maybe it won't lead to reconciliation straight away, but as someone else pointed out something positive might come out of these "failed dates", in the long run. Please, writers, don't make us wait TOO long! It's about time to fix things. Maybe not in two or three episodes, but spending the entire season dealing with this break up is a total waste of time, IMO.

[katzinhatz1]

So after 8 episodes my opinion on when the shamy breakup is going to end or where it's going are now conflicted. Last week I felt maybe it would end at episode 8 or 9 but now I don't feel so sure. Especially after seeing episode 5 on screen. I know she only went on those dates after finding out that Sheldon asked out two other women and that she probably does miss him, but what bothers me is episode 8. She breaks up with Dave, but only bc he won't stop talking about Sheldon. Idk if the taping report shows differently, but to my knowledge she didn't get upset or sentimental at all when Dave brought him up and she doesn't break up with Dave bc she misses sheldon, but bc Dave is annoying. We have yet to see if amy misses sheldon or just misses the "idea" of sheldon or just wants to know she can fall back onto him if all fails. I can depict why she broke up with sheldon, but why do you think she was really upset on the staircase, and what does she love about sheldon still that made her reluctant to go on dates at first? Does she miss sheldon for who he is or the concept of dating sheldon? To me, the latter one is what the writers are showing me (even though it's probably the former). As for sheldon's side, I thought we would see them get back together pretty soon, but it seems sheldon may be moving on for real as shown from episode 8. I feel the Dave date was the last straw for Sheldon and I have some doubt that he will be inclined to fight to get amy back in the next few episodes. Sheldon thinks amy has moved on which basically tells me sheldon said "Fuck it. I'm done trying." amy meanwhile has shown no signs of trying to get back with sheldon at all this season and I feel while the breakup was good in episode 8, it still didn't move her closer to dating sheldon again bc the breakup wasn't done bc she missed sheldon. Anyways, my prediction may be different than what everyone else will think but I think the tables are going to be turned on amy. I think lenny will tell her about the ring eventually and then amy will realize how much she misses sheldon and that he has grown a little (Idk if grown is exactly right here but you get my point) and will try to win sheldon back. Problem is, sheldon is still hurt about the Dave incident. Either they will then talk this thing out and maybe reconcile or sheldon will need a few episodes to get over amy "hurting him" in order to speak. I think lenny telling amy about the ring will mark a turning point in this breakup, eventually for the better (although it may not seem that way at first). I typed without proofreading so lemme know if you want me to clarify anything or elaborate on something more

(note: I know I said earlier that I doubted some of Amy's feelings for sheldon, but I think the mention of the ring by lenny may make her realize again why she loved him or better yet "if" she truly loved him. In any case, I predict a role reversal in the breakup bc of this. I don't think it will be long until the ring is mentioned; it will probably be mentioned by lenny, but I feel sheldon may be too hurt to talk to amy or get back together with her)

Edited October 22, 2015 by katzinhatz1

[brilliantfool]

I hear that the spoiler free thread is a lot more peaceful, and that the shippers are happier because they don't know what we know and have hope that we don't have right now by not knowing.    Sometimes I think it is the better place to be, but for my part, I kind of enjoy all the debating and speculations.   If nothing else, it serves as a good distraction until all this is over.  

 

it's definitely more peaceful   x D

If it wasn't so quiet i would only hang there, i  think here we're all  often being overly negative tbh (

[Boonaroma]

And even if you disagree- even if you think Sheldon has mystifyingly yo-yo-ed from flat despair to relatively chipper roll-up-your-sleeves-and-crack-on-with-it moving on- well, unfortunately, what is sauce for the goose is sauce for the gander. Both Amy and Sheldon have been bombarded with messages from their (presumably) well-meaning friends telling them to move on, that the best way to get over someone is to get under someone else etc*. Sheldon specifically has been told that his way of dealing with relationships is all wrong. So I can't really blame either Amy or Sheldon for taking the advice of their supposedly more experienced friends. I'll even swallow my discomfort about Amy's apparently having been on that damn dating app before her friends told her to do it? I think? Correct me if I am wrong. Because I wouldn't put it past Amy, God love her, (no, seriously- I have always enjoyed the fact that Amy has such a process-oriented approach to social situations) to have gotten at Penny's Cosmo and to have internalised a whole bunch of dumbass dating advice, long before Penny and Bernie even talked to her. 

The last part of your post tempts me to ask a rather impish question: do you think that you would have been fine with it if Amy's date had gone swimmingly, and Sheldon's had gone terribly?

As to your first point about when/why Amy started dating, I think that's pretty neatly explained by the stairwell scene.  She is not a character that wants to be alone.  If Sheldon's beginning to move on , she should too.  I think that's a point of genuine difference here.  If Sheldon is truly moving on, she's pursuing the appropriate course here.  She's in her mid thirties, and her extremely reluctant and aloof boyfriend of five years is, after less than a month, asking other girls out.  If she ever wants maraige and a family, it's time to cut bait on him.  Of course, the audience is meant to think he isn't really truly moving on and it's all just a big misunderstanding.  And now we're back to where  we agree, that's  is a stupid contrived development.

The second question is easier, no.  I don't want to see Sheldon humiliated.  I'm not sure how Sheldon could be humiliated in a romatic sense, as I don't think he has any stakes there.  But I still wouldn't like to see it.  I wouldn't even want to see him made uncomfortable, say by a more sexually aggressive girl than Amy.  That I can see the writers doing for LULZ, and I really really hope they don't go there.  

 

 

[stardustmelody]

As to your first point about when/why Amy started dating, I think that's pretty neatly explained by the stairwell scene.  She is not a character that wants to be alone.  If Sheldon's beginning to move on , she should too.  I think that's a point of genuine difference here.  If Sheldon is truly moving on, she's pursuing the appropriate course here.  She's in her mid thirties, and her extremely reluctant and aloof boyfriend of five years is, after less than a month, asking other girls out.  If she ever wants maraige and a family, it's time to cut bait on him.  Of course, the audience is meant to think he isn't really truly moving on and it's all just a big misunderstanding.  And now we're back to where  we agree, that's  is a stupid contrived development.

The second question is easier, no.  I don't want to see Sheldon humiliated.  I'm not sure how Sheldon could be humiliated in a romatic sense, as I don't think he has any stakes there.  But I still wouldn't like to see it.  I wouldn't even want to see him made uncomfortable, say by a more sexually aggressive girl than Amy.  That I can see the writers doing for LULZ, and I really really hope they don't go there.  

 

 

I hope they do not go there and no, I would not wish to see any of that either!  UGH!  Just no!  

[phantagrae]

As to your first point about when/why Amy started dating, I think that's pretty neatly explained by the stairwell scene.  She is not a character that wants to be alone.  If Sheldon's beginning to move on , she should too.  I think that's a point of genuine difference here.  If Sheldon is truly moving on, she's pursuing the appropriate course here.  She's in her mid thirties, and her extremely reluctant and aloof boyfriend of five years is, after less than a month, asking other girls out.  If she ever wants maraige and a family, it's time to cut bait on him.  Of course, the audience is meant to think he isn't really truly moving on and it's all just a big misunderstanding.  And now we're back to where  we agree, that's  is a stupid contrived development.

The second question is easier, no.  I don't want to see Sheldon humiliated.  I'm not sure how Sheldon could be humiliated in a romatic sense, as I don't think he has any stakes there.  But I still wouldn't like to see it.  I wouldn't even want to see him made uncomfortable, say by a more sexually aggressive girl than Amy.  That I can see the writers doing for LULZ, and I really really hope they don't go there.  

 

 

The problem between them is not about who wants children or marriage or whatever.

She broke up with him because he demonstrated to her, once again, just how insulting and rude he can be, when all she really wanted was some peace during which to decide if/what/how she needed to work on things.  She might have been trying to formulate just what she felt she needed to tell him about the nature of their relationship, but then he pushed her over the edge.

I don't think it's a contrived development.  It's misunderstanding and a lack of communication, which is more common than one might think.  Neither of them has explained things fully and so they are each left to make assumptions about the other's actions.

She hasn't told him what it was that made her want to take a break, other than that he was trying and exhausting to be with.  He hasn't told her that he had wanted to propose to her.

He didn't tell her the nature of how he asked those women out, or that one of them was the grandmother of the other, and that he was drunk on 3 sips of beer.  She didn't tell him that she wasn't really hot on the idea of dating anyone else, Kripke or otherwise.

I don't know that she can blame him for trying to move on--her friends are giving her the same advice that his friends are giving him.  Did she expect him to sit on his hands and wait for her forever?  If they were still on a break and not broken up, I could maybe see it.  But she not only broke up with him, she also told him to leave her alone and not call her.

So, I think her surprise or shock at him talking about "moving on" was not so much about him getting over her so quickly or asking women out so quickly, but that he would do it at all.

Even though she had been contemplating dating, it was still a step she wasn't sure of, but I also think she hadn't really considered what Sheldon might do.  If she is thinking about dating, where would that leave Sheldon?  I think maybe she was surprised that he would even consider it.

So, if he's going to ask women out, then she's going to date as well.

But neither of them really knows how the other feels about it.  To me, this is not contrived development, but logical consequences of their own decisions.

[rachelshamyfan]

There is currently no proof that shamy are endgame, that ended when they were broken up and torn apart

And even if they were endgame, seeing how they are now doesn't make me a happy shipper and I wanted so much to enjoy all aspects but this current storyline is too much after a season 8 where they were pretty darn happy despite the mars issue that they sorted out

The communication has been eradicated between them, I don't understand why we have not seen them sitting down and talking about their issues, they have done that before so why not now

 

For me they were better together than apart

 

Edited October 23, 2015 by rachelshamyfan

[vonmar]

There is currently no proof that shamy are endgame, that ended when they were broken up and torn apart

And even if they were endgame, seeing how they are now doesn't make me a happy shipper and I wanted so much to enjoy all aspects but this current storyline is too much after a season 8 where they were pretty darn happy

 

I believe that they are endgame and that they will wrap this up soon.  They are neglecting other story lines...Lenny, Howardette, Raj & Emily. The episodes cannot continue to have one half of each episode revolve around the Shamy crisis. I will continue to remain confident.  The weirdness of Shamy was part of the group dynamic, which I believe is the core of the show...so it's only about when.

[legacy99]

I believe that they are endgame and that they will wrap this up soon.  They are neglecting other story lines...Lenny, Howardette, Raj & Emily. The episodes cannot continue to have one half of each episode revolve around the Shamy crisis. I will continue to remain confident.  The weirdness of Shamy was part of the group dynamic, which I believe is the core of the show...so it's only about when.

I agree they will end this storyline sooner or later but either way i don't see anymore extra time for the other characters Sent from my SM-G920P using Tapatalk

[Carlos]

it's the writers writing the whole sorry mess.....

But it is a whole sorry mess for you. Not for everybody else, so...

Basically they have been just turned into another regular boring on and off again tv couple

Not to pick on you, but I'm thinking that you thought Shamy was something that they were not...

[jenafan]

<snip>

But neither of them really knows how the other feels about it.  To me, this is not contrived development, but logical consequences of their own decisions.

Exactly this.  

Amy and Sheldon are not talking, and so they are making assumptions based on the other's complaints and actions.  

Amy has told Sheldon to leave her alone, that every time he contacts her, she has to go through pain all over again.   She refused to do FWF, something that they had fun building together.  To Sheldon, it was as if she was abandoning their child.   She refused to move in with him, after pushing him to do so for many years.   When Sheldon owned up to being poisoned with feelings, the Amy who would have talked him through his agony basically told him he had to deal with it like everyone else, that she was not in a position to help him.  All of this has Sheldon believing that she is done and perhaps doesn't love him anymore.

To add salt to his wound, Penny has told Sheldon he was a bad boyfriend and Amy had been contemplating ending it with him for awhile.   He keeps being reminded how unhappy she was, that his behavior is insulting.  He's accepted that all his friends will show up to her marriage of someone better than him.   He sees her kissing another man, which likely reaffirms his belief that he failed her in the matters of intimacy.

Sheldon admitted to Penny that Amy had left him.  When Kripke asked about Amy, Sheldon didn't just say that they broke up.  He said, "She broke up with me."  To me that implies that Sheldon has accepted blame for the split and Amy's decision.   Those were strong words to admit to his nemesis.  Then it gets worse when Leonard reminds him that Amy will date because she deserves to be happy with someone else.   

Sheldon is defeated and has no fight left in him.  So, now he is acquiescing to what he has been led to believe is Amy's desire.   He doesn't want to face her because the woman he loves more than anything in the world is also causing him the greatest pain he has ever had in the world.

On the stairwell, Sheldon pretty much gave Amy the go ahead to go out with Kripke, by acknowledging his interest, adding no additional commentary to Amy revealing he had already asked her out, and by telling her not to get too attached to him.  Even when she said that she turned him down, Sheldon didn't flinch with relief.   Why?  Because if she's not dating Kripke, he assumes it will be someone else based on Leonard's earlier comment.   If Amy reads between the lines, Sheldon in essence told her he's accepted that she is moving on.   As such, he has decided he needs to as well since this is what she wants and has given him no other choice.

We know Sheldon can't read people or facial expressions well, so even it he did see Amy's response, he likely wouldn't have picked up on the meaning behind it.    Amy didn't tell Sheldon she was upset that he was moving on, only that she was surprised he was.   Again, no clear indication that she is interested in putting a stop to it.   Sheldon, with still a little bit of a need to subconsciously hurt her in return, didn't miss the opportunity to taunt her with how good he tastes as he headed up the stairs and left her alone in the hallway in despair.

Now, Amy is defeated.   Perhaps her hurt is partly because she feels she carried the break further than she intended and has lost Sheldon before having enough time to sort through her feelings.  In addition to this comes the anger that he would consider moving on the dating bandwagon after she's turned down two attempts at men interested in her.  It took several years to ask her to be his girlfriend, and now he's moving on in the blink of an eye.  A silent insult.  She does not know how seriously committed he was wanting to marry her.   She doesn't realize that all his actions now are to cover over his pain because she gave up on him right when he was about to give her everything.

All of this is snowballing because they are not talking to each other.   Amy doesn't know Sheldon's true intentions and feelings toward her, and Sheldon has no clear understanding as to the reason for the break up.  They are bouncing signals of each other, but the meaning behind them is getting lost in translation resulting from lack of information, miscommunication, misinterpretation, and pressure from their friends to move on.   

Amy is remaining tight-lipped about her feelings, and while Sheldon's have been displayed out in the open for all to see, because their friends don't take their relationship seriously, particularly Sheldon's commitment to Amy, they have refused to intervene.  

So, now we have Amy dating as a result of Sheldon's comment on the stairwell and Sheldon is no longer just seeking a random women at the bar but is having Howard and Raj search for a new girlfriend because he saw Amy kissing another man during the most vulnerable moment of his life, as he was about to ask her to be his wife.

This whole break up is like Three's Company.   I think it was intended as a comedy of misunderstandings between two people who love each other very much and how their break up is effecting their relationships with their friends.  

Their actions as a result of everything that has happened seem logical, as you have pointed out.    The problem is there is nothing funny at all about the logical development.   Yes, we've had a few laughs here and there with the guys, but everything is broken.   Shamy is broken.   The group dynamic is broken.   4A is broken having Lenny still there with Sheldon.  Now there's too many commercials and too many characters on the show.  So even the amount of time available to give justice to such a dramatic storyline is broken. 

The Shamy fans are broken.  

[rachelshamyfan]

But it is a whole sorry mess for you. Not for everybody else, so...

Not to pick on you, but I'm thinking that you thought Shamy was something that they were not...

I believed based on what we were shown in season 8 that they were a pretty happy couple that was able to talk about any issues that came up......

[Carlos]

Ok so basically Amy kisses a guy she barely knows, then discovers he's an idiot on the third date. 

Kinda different from the Amy who asked for tepid water and told sheldon that all forms of physical contact were off the table. 

Well, O B V I O U S L Y ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! Of course they have changed since S4. They have ALL changed. Could you imagine how pathetic it would be if they had remained the same exact characters after 5 years?

[jenafan]

Well, O B V I O U S L Y ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! Of course they have changed since S4. They have ALL changed. Could you imagine how pathetic it would be if they had remained the same exact characters after 5 years?

Thank you.  I'd like to add on...

Amy and Sheldon opened each other to things they had never experienced or felt before.   Amy knows what's it's like now to be kissed.   She's curious and less inhibited now.   Sheldon now knows what it's like to have the companionship of a woman.  

Just because they don't have it with each other anymore doesn't mean that the desire to have these things just goes away.   The desire is still there to be filled.   Hence, Amy allowing a guy to kiss her and Sheldon's need to find a new girlfriend, not necessarily to jump into bed with, but to keep him company.  

I think they are acting totally IC.

Now, I realize that I previously barked at Amy kissing another guy, but my stance has changed since it seems both Sheldon and Amy are moving on, and the break up appears to be mutual now.    I'm not happy with it at all, but Amy is certainly not wrong for her actions given the circumstances, nor is Sheldon for that matter.

As mentioned in my other post, Sheldon and Amy are acting upon the consequences of their lack of communication.   They are bringing this on themselves.

[Carlos]

I like the points you bring out here.

Some people don't consider Sheldon good looking.   They think he's a weirdo like Pee-Wee Herman.   I beg to differ, but to each their own.  When he is in his element, date clothes, dressed up in a suit, I think he can be extremely sexy.

Amy is as beautiful and attractive as Vanessa.   She just hides it under the way she chooses to wear her hair, clothes, etc.    What does physical attraction have to do with any of this?   Sheldon has never been one concerned about looks unless it's a Red Head.

Perhaps what Amy considers attractive is not what others do, so who are we to judge?  Perhaps these nerd-like guys are the type she likes.  She picked Dave.  It wasn't until he started opening his mouth to talk that apparently he lost his appeal for her. 

Sheldon's date was picked by Raj and Howard.   If they had access to photos, etc, of course they are going to pick the hot girl.

I don't understand the debate over Amy or Sheldon getting better looking dates than the other and how the writers are doing a disservice to the characters by their choices.  

I think we are all just so distraught over this break up and them dating, that we may be stretching explanations from thin air to continue the negativity and/or formulate a plausible reconciliation that we hope is around the corner. 

Yesterday I was feeling so good about Shamy.   With the new TR info, I am distraught again.    This roller coaster ride is killing me.

I really wonder if the writers plans are for us now to learn to dislike Shamy as much as we grew to love them so that we are no longer routing for them to get back together because they are so freaking unrecognizable right now.     So, I just proved my own point above, because here I go speculating again.

When answers aren't provided, what can we expect but to try to form our own.

I think that the reason that the physical appearance is being discussed so much is because people are looking at things (or rather potential suitors) from their own points of view and not Sheldon's or Amy's. I've been mainly in favor of this split , primarily because of the reasons that made it come to fruition and because of the opportunity it could afford both Sheldon and Amy to grow up, and because I thought it would also help balance the relationship more. Furthermore I even interpreted the reason for Amy needing time as a result of her no being enough of a priority in Sheldon's life. However I'm not starting to like it so much because too much time has passed without us not getting even a glimpse of what Amy's point of view is. I also think that Sheldon's dating is a little OOC. I know he has made great strides , and has changed and evolve in regards to that, but if we remember correctly he still hasn't changed that much. If I'm not mistaken I believe that the make out sessions and the kissing in general was established in the RA, right? To me it is a little bit of a stretch that he'd ask Raj and Howard to get her a "new girlfriend".

Finally, I haven't been as heartbroken as you, Jena  but I must say that the ways they're keeping them apart are starting to not feel organic, and while I've always thought that it is NOT anybody's responsibility but Sheldon's and Amy's to get back together, it also feels a little bit OOC for Penny (who's the biggest gossip) not to have said anything about the tape. While that wouldn't guarantee that they'd get back together, at least Amy would have ALL the facts, and I'm sure it'd get them talking again.

Edited October 23, 2015 by Carlos

[stardustmelody]

Exactly this.  

Amy and Sheldon are not talking, and so they are making assumptions based on the other's complaints and actions.  

Amy has told Sheldon to leave her alone, that every time he contacts her, she has to go through pain all over again.   She refused to do FWF, something that they had fun building together.  To Sheldon, it was as if she was abandoning their child.   She refused to move in with him, after pushing him to do so for many years.   When Sheldon owned up to being poisoned with feelings, the Amy who would have talked him through his agony basically told him he had to deal with it like everyone else, that she was not in a position to help him.  All of this has Sheldon believing that she is done and perhaps doesn't love him anymore.

To add salt to his wound, Penny has told Sheldon he was a bad boyfriend and Amy had been contemplating ending it with him for awhile.   He keeps being reminded how unhappy she was, that his behavior is insulting.  He's accepted that all his friends will show up to her marriage of someone better than him.   He sees her kissing another man, which likely reaffirms his belief that he failed her in the matters of intimacy.

Sheldon admitted to Penny that Amy had left him.  When Kripke asked about Amy, Sheldon didn't just say that they broke up.  He said, "She broke up with me."  To me that implies that Sheldon has accepted blame for the split and Amy's decision.   Those were strong words to admit to his nemesis.  Then it gets worse when Leonard reminds him that Amy will date because she deserves to be happy with someone else.   

Sheldon is defeated and has no fight left in him.  So, now he is acquiescing to what he has been led to believe is Amy's desire.   He doesn't want to face her because the woman he loves more than anything in the world is also causing him the greatest pain he has ever had in the world.

On the stairwell, Sheldon pretty much gave Amy the go ahead to go out with Kripke, by acknowledging his interest, adding no additional commentary to Amy revealing he had already asked her out, and by telling her not to get too attached to him.  Even when she said that she turned him down, Sheldon didn't flinch with relief.   Why?  Because if she's not dating Kripke, he assumes it will be someone else based on Leonard's earlier comment.   If Amy reads between the lines, Sheldon in essence told her he's accepted that she is moving on.   As such, he has decided he needs to as well since this is what she wants and has given him no other choice.

We know Sheldon can't read people or facial expressions well, so even it he did see Amy's response, he likely wouldn't have picked up on the meaning behind it.    Amy didn't tell Sheldon she was upset that he was moving on, only that she was surprised he was.   Again, no clear indication that she is interested in putting a stop to it.   Sheldon, with still a little bit of a need to subconsciously hurt her in return, didn't miss the opportunity to taunt her with how good he tastes as he headed up the stairs and left her alone in the hallway in despair.

Now, Amy is defeated.   Perhaps her hurt is partly because she feels she carried the break further than she intended and has lost Sheldon before having enough time to sort through her feelings.  In addition to this comes the anger that he would consider moving on the dating bandwagon after she's turned down two attempts at men interested in her.  It took several years to ask her to be his girlfriend, and now he's moving on in the blink of an eye.  A silent insult.  She does not know how seriously committed he was wanting to marry her.   She doesn't realize that all his actions now are to cover over his pain because she gave up on him right when he was about to give her everything.

All of this is snowballing because they are not talking to each other.   Amy doesn't know Sheldon's true intentions and feelings toward her, and Sheldon has no clear understanding as to the reason for the break up.  They are bouncing signals of each other, but the meaning behind them is getting lost in translation resulting from lack of information, miscommunication, misinterpretation, and pressure from their friends to move on.   

Amy is remaining tight-lipped about her feelings, and while Sheldon's have been displayed out in the open for all to see, because their friends don't take their relationship seriously, particularly Sheldon's commitment to Amy, they have refused to intervene.  

So, now we have Amy dating as a result of Sheldon's comment on the stairwell and Sheldon is no longer just seeking a random women at the bar but is having Howard and Raj search for a new girlfriend because he saw Amy kissing another man during the most vulnerable moment of his life, as he was about to ask her to be his wife.

This whole break up is like Three's Company.   I think it was intended as a comedy of misunderstandings between two people who love each other very much and how their break up is effecting their relationships with their friends.  

Their actions as a result of everything that has happened seem logical, as you have pointed out.    The problem is there is nothing funny at all about the logical development.   Yes, we've had a few laughs here and there with the guys, but everything is broken.   Shamy is broken.   The group dynamic is broken.   4A is broken having Lenny still there with Sheldon.  Now there's too many commercials and too many characters on the show.  So even the amount of time available to give justice to such a dramatic storyline is broken. 

The Shamy fans are broken.  

BRAVO!  You took words right out of my mouth!  Awesome post!