Ship Zone [Spoilers] Shamy: Season 9

[MAH_B]

@jenafan I think you mentioned you saw a wink before. Did you catch it in the 0.25 viewing? I was inspired by you and did the same (watched the scene slow), and he TOTALLY winks at her. I can't tell if it's on purpose or not! I guess it could just be a twitch or something. It also almost looks like she might wink at him first, but maybe not...?

[Tensor]

3 hours ago, Einstein Von Brainstorm said:

Are they counting hits on the officially CBS website too do you think?

 

Nah, they aren't counting hits on any websites, for precisely the reason Melody is urging everyone to do.  Hits on a website are too easy to game.   As a simple example, there is no way to tell whether one person watched it 50 times, five people watched it 10 times each or fifty people watched it once.  

[jenafan]

1 hour ago, MAH_B said:

@jenafan I think you mentioned you saw a wink before. Did you catch it in the 0.25 viewing? I was inspired by you and did the same (watched the scene slow), and he TOTALLY winks at her. I can't tell if it's on purpose or not! I guess it could just be a twitch or something. It also almost looks like she might wink at him first, but maybe not...?

OMG!  I forgot about that.   Yes, after she says "Hi" when she smiles and comes into the room he winks at her with his right eye.  (At about 0:12).  It is so subtle, it is almost unnoticeable. 

I thought I might have mistaken it as a fluttering of the eyes, but I paused the video on the shot, and he clearly has his right eye closed and his left eye open.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PV1BV3bDyOc

Edited December 19, 2015 by jenafan

[Retroluv]

Watch Sheldon closely when Amy comes into the room. He bites his lip, takes a deep breath, and appears to be holding back a big ol' grin. Is this Jim making a conscious acting choice to convey desire/excitement through body language, or Jim trying not to break character?. I've watched it over and over...either way, it makes my heart skip a beat! 

[Listgirl]

Really can't get into this now as have to go and watch Star Wars, but winking implies flirting (or alternatively in on something) and that still seems OOC for Sheldon at this point. (Could be a JP thing as its a fairly long shot). However regardless of that the idea of Sheldon starting to deliberately flirt with Amy is appealing as I don't think he really had much game there and as he starts to develop some moves this could be very amusing. That final kiss (thanks Soopysue btw) again shows the attention to detail supplied by the actors, as the clumsy closed mouth awkward kisses from previous seasons are replaced with something controlled, deliberate and finally sensual. And it's all coming together at the right moment. 

[Tenji]

Sorry if this has been mentioned already (so many posts to catch up on!). But, after watching the episode again (and again, and again), I LOVE Jim Parson's decision to look anxiously around the room before Amy comes in. It is so in character for him to be nervous because he's not in his own bed and bedroom. He looks around, strokes the duvet (almost a self-comforting gesture) and is fidgeting. When Amy enters, this stops. He becomes calm and focuses on her. What a great way of communicating to the audience that Amy and her presence is soothing to him. It shows that different surroundings are more anxiety-inducing than what he is about to embark on with Amy.

Jim Parsons' subtlety blows me away.

[mirs1]

3 hours ago, jenafan said:

Yes.  He paid attention to her body language but misunderstood the reason for it.   I found it interesting that he wanted to know why she was nervous, and it was so sweet the way he took charge to reassure her that he was in the same boat with her and she had nothing to worry about.

One thing I agreed with on Mayim's article, is that neither one of them have a basis for comparison, so anything they do with each other will be good with each other and they know none-the-wiser.    It's special.

I like the fact he looked genuinely surprised when she said she was very nervous...he was not, at that point, so he assumed that neither Amy should be; it was very tender the way he took charge to reassure her, this is also something new for Sheldon. He made his researches and planned everything, so he had taken care of the more concrete parts of the night, but with Amy being so nervous he had to take care of the emotional part of it, and he had no preparation for it. Our boy is growing up so fast now!

[MJistheBOMB]

11 hours ago, tayryn said:

 

I'm not too worried. Sheldon's a very practical character and PP was his sub-conscious. Sheldon had already experienced a life without Amy for those 6 months. That could have been his reminder that life goes by too fast and sometimes we only have that one chance to get things right.

Besides I think the writers know what will happen with the Shamy fans if they mess with the Shamy again...

 

Hahaha, this gif. Need to save it. 

[CentralPerk]

4 hours ago, jenafan said:

I watched the whole bed seen on YouTube in .25 motion, and now I am convinced that Sheldon was all in and wanted this, too.   He has this continuous giddy smile watching Amy get under the covers and can't stop looking at her.   Seeing the kiss, where he is the one who moves in at the last second and catches her bottom lip..... Oh, my!

Yes. It was him who wanted and was ready to start when they are in bed a little shy. Amy was nervous but Sheldon seemed very calm and he seemed want to start touch her.

Edited December 19, 2015 by CentralPerk

[MJistheBOMB]

As for Jim's muscle's being not Sheldonish. I have to disagree. 

I agree with Jim when he was on the Dan Patrick Show...

Dan: you can't be buff and play a nerdy character.

Jim: well, I think these old stereotypes are exactly what we're fighting against, Dan.

Haha

Edited December 19, 2015 by MJistheBOMB

[MJistheBOMB]

4 hours ago, jenafan said:

A few hours later..... not a couple of hours

Sheldon's arm is over hers, so it seems to me he is holding her hand.   For someone who hated holding hands, he's so doing it on his own now.  I love their smiles of reflection.   It's not just Amy's hair.   Look at her breathing, while Sheldon is laying there calm.   It was definitely about her. I love the way she cuts her eyes to look at him twice without moving her head.   I think she was ecstatic to hear him say he wants to give her the same birthday present again next year, but at the same time thinking it will likely take her that long to recover from this one.

It's like neither one of them can move, and Amy is absolutely paralyzed.

I watched the whole bed seen on YouTube in .25 motion, and now I am convinced that Sheldon was all in and wanted this, too.   He has this continuous giddy smile watching Amy get under the covers and can't stop looking at her.   Seeing the kiss, where he is the one who moves in at the last second and catches her bottom lip..... Oh, my!

YouTube in slow motion you say....Hmmm....LOL

3 hours ago, jenafan said:

OMG!  I forgot about that.   Yes, after she says "Hi" when she smiles and comes into the room he winks at her with his right eye.  (At about 0:12).  It is so subtle, it is almost unnoticeable. 

I thought I might have mistaken it as a fluttering of the eyes, but I paused the video on the shot, and he clearly has his right eye closed and his left eye open.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PV1BV3bDyOc

Yeah, this isn't a wink. Jim does this sometimes. He'll blink and one eye stays open it seems. Haha. Right off the top of my head, when he's slamming the dominoes that he wasn't allowed to knock over back into their box, he does it after he mocks, "Let's box it up."

 

[2L344]

1 hour ago, CentralPerk said:

Yes. It was him who wanted and was ready to start when they are in bed a little shy. Amy was nervous but Sheldon seemed very calm and he seemed want to start touch her.

at the beginning of that scene sheldon is looking around the room as if hes trying to pass the time waiting for Amy to arrive. As nervous as she appeared i wondered if she kept him waiting a while lol

[Soopysue]

1 hour ago, MJistheBOMB said:

YouTube in slow motion you say....Hmmm....LOL

Yeah, this isn't a wink. Jim does this sometimes. He'll blink and one eye stays open it seems. Haha. Right off the top of my head, when he's slamming the dominoes that he wasn't allowed to knock over back into their box, he does it after he mocks, "Let's box it up."

 

You're right, much as a wink would be cute, I've noticed Jim does this sometimes  . 

[Shamyyes]

So much to adore in this whole episode but one of my favorites is when he asks if she is cold and she says she's nervous when he asks "Why?"  I just love how he says that like why would you be nervous with me. Love it!

[rachelshamyfan]

I've decided that even though shamy got back together,  I just can't watch the tag in platonic, Amy's disappointment and sad sad face is too much to handle

[2L344]

6 minutes ago, rachelshamyfan said:

I've decided that even though shamy got back together,  I just can't watch the tag in platonic, Amy's disappointment and sad sad face is too much to handle

yeah Mayim gave a spot on performance of showing the range of emotions Amy went through in that brief exchange with Sheldon. I felt the same way in 9.07 when Sheldon walks up with ring in hand to see Dave kiss Amy. He looked like a dog that got kicked as he turns and walks away.

As sad as the platonic scene was I felt it was necessary that Amy, too, felt the sting of the break up. we know now they both come out of it fine...neither Amy nor Sheldon held the high ground in this break up, and both of those scenes to me had them experience the consequences of taking each other for granted in the relationship.

When you look at it as "lessons learned" its a little easier to watch...and knowing they reconcile in the way they do is the sugar that helps the medicine go down!

[EvilStewie]

7 hours ago, jenafan said:

I watched the whole bed seen on YouTube in .25 motion, and now I am convinced that Sheldon was all in and wanted this, too.   He has this continuous giddy smile watching Amy get under the covers and can't stop looking at her.   Seeing the kiss, where he is the one who moves in at the last second and catches her bottom lip..... Oh, my!

He was ready, for me you have to look at previous episodes.  I think the aquarium episode said a lot. He asked twice if she sleep with anyone, So the key quote for me in this last episode was "we can find out together".  I think that meant a lot to him

[tayryn]

7 hours ago, MAH_B said:

@jenafan I think you mentioned you saw a wink before. Did you catch it in the 0.25 viewing? I was inspired by you and did the same (watched the scene slow), and he TOTALLY winks at her. I can't tell if it's on purpose or not! I guess it could just be a twitch or something. It also almost looks like she might wink at him first, but maybe not...?

How did you slow down the video? I didn't think you could do that on youtube?

[EvilStewie]

I don't know who made this video, but its awesome!! Thought I'd share! 

https://youtu.be/WnmVlpBbDoo

[Radar]

47 minutes ago, EvilStewie said:

I don't know who made this video, but its awesome!! Thought I'd share! 

https://youtu.be/WnmVlpBbDoo

Thank you for sharing! Loved the video and loved the episode. Was a tiny bit disappointed at first that they cut the cuddle scene, but hey, I just imagine that it happened off screen (to avoid a riot among those who would say it would have been too OOC for Sheldon.  ), so I will definitely not complain here! 
To sum it up: It was just perfect! The writers managed to have them - esp. Sheldon - stay in character and still be really sweet and tender. Looking forward to the voyage they will embark on now. I think there are some really good times ahead - with Shamy and all of the gang. 

[koops]

I’m only posting now because it literally took me almost two days to wrap my mind around this episode, what it meant, what it means for the future and just generally my feelings about it. In short, I loved everything about it, and some things even exceeded my expectations, until the post-coital moment and subsequent interviews which did leave me a bit concerned (well, a bit was an understatement at first, but I’ve calmed down significantly since! LOL!). I’m going to focus more on the serious Shamy developments than what was funny about the whole episode (Bob Newhart is such a legend, and Penny and that glass, OMC!) because I’ll otherwise never stop writing because it was a riot from start to finish. 

WARNING: LONG ESSAY AHEAD! 

The motivation/Proton

I loved every single scene with Proton, and particularly they way they explicitly pointed out Proton is nothing more than a part of Sheldon’s mind. We kind of knew that already, obviously, but it was nice to see it put into words. And to me that kind of emphasizes the two sides of Sheldon, not only within himself (Sheldon vs Proton) but between his inner self and the outside world. I find it interesting when Sheldon talks to Penny and Bernadette about his “gift” he refers to it as coitus and his genitals, but when he is talking to himself/Proton he talks about getting physical and is a lot more emotional about it. It opens a window to Sheldon’s private inner thoughts and shows us how it differs from the way he presents himself to the outside world. How he keeps it relatively clinical and pragmatic, but inside he is a lot more reflective and emotional. It kind of gives some grounding for those moments where he is being serious and emotional with the other characters, so that you can tell they don’t come out of nowhere, they are inside of him already. 

My favorite exchange with Proton was when Sheldon said “It’s an important night FOR US”. I think the choice of words there is very crucial. He said nothing about Amy having waited a long time for this, it being an important night for HER, him wanting to make it good for HER, him being afraid of screwing it up for HER. It was THEIR night and he wanted to make it good. He might not have longed for this for years in the same way Amy did, he might not have wanted this out of pure lust, but it still meant as much to him as it did to Amy.

I’ve posted before about how I think it would be kind of unrealistic for a man who spent 30+ years of his life dealing with issues with physical contact and germs to be looking forward to sex in the same way someone else might, or want it out of desire (yet). But that doesn’t mean he didn’t want it, or that, like Molaro said, his heart wasn’t in it. People engage in sex for different reasons, but I think in this case we would much rather have Sheldon be driven to it out of love and adoration for Amy, and putting her first, than like in those fanfic scenarios where Amy is just a tool for him to awaken his sexual desires and their first time is aloof and detached and just for his own selfish benefit, where he runs off immediately after and doesn’t take her fears or desires into consideration. Sheldon was ever the gentleman and very sweet and patient with her, and she deserves nothing less.

The couch/bed scenes

Which leads me to what I think were my favorite scenes of the entire episode, the couch scene and especially the bed scene. I think everyone went on at length about how cleverly they mixed the humor and the sweetness when Sheldon is adamant to have clear consent before he proceeds. Besides the fact that it makes him come across as one hell of a respectful gentleman, and how funny it is that that is mixed with his obsession to have everything clearly written down and explicit, I think it also just adds on evidence to the idea that Sheldon wants to do this. If he was only doing it because she wants it, then the whole question of her consent would be moot; of course she wants it. He’s asking for permission to do this WITH her, and TO her. If it were just about giving himself to her in a passive way, he would be laying back going “Here’s your birthday present. Do what you wish.”

The bed scene was hands down one of the best in the entire series when it comes to seriousness and poignancy. It was realistic and unbearably sweet but not overly cheesy and definitely not unfunny.  I think you see the shift in Sheldon from before she comes into the room to after she walks in very clearly (can we talk about that massive grin he has as he says “Hello” the first time?? - I haven't yet found that in a gif). He not only seem totally confident that, yep, this was a good decision and the right time, but I think you slowly see him letting himself get caught up in the moment and the feelings he has for her, how he gradually becomes softer and lets his own guard down. When she gets into bed he’s fidgeting under the covers, but smiling, and he almost looks eager to get started as he waits for her to acknowledge him. 

I think that “We can find out together” is an amazing line, not just becaue that’s Sheldon reassuring her and calming her nerves and being so sweet to her, but because I feel it literally encapsulates their entire relationship from day 1: their whole relationship is about finding out together about things they had no idea about or what to expect. I think it might have topped “Whether you see it or not is irrelevant” as the line that describes their relationship the best.

And that kiss was just… No words. It was a VERY pleasant surprise (I was a bit puzzled as to why it would cut before they kissed when we got the spoilers), but, more than anything, it was the sweetest, yet most sensual kiss we have ever seen between them. And it’s not just because it was in bed. I didn’t even really noticed how good it was until my 3rd or 4th time watching because it goes so fast, but the way they slowly lean into each other, almost breathless and trembling, it’s actually maybe one of the most sensually charged kisses we have seen on the show. And it’s funny because it’s actually very short, yet packs a lot of punch in that brief moment.

The ending/cuddle/interviews

And now for some things that left me a bit… deflated: the ending and the emphasis on that ending and the parallels with Wil at the cinema that dominated the interviews more than any other aspect of the episode.

On the one hand, I do understand that the show had already gone very serious, sweet and emotional with Sheldon/Shamy and needed to dial back to their more traditional humor. And I do understand that they were probably very very nervous about writing a sexually active Sheldon and how this might be received by the audience. I get that, and I do get that their need to always insert a “DON’T WORRY! SHELDON IS STILL SHELDON!” scene at the end of episodes like this very much stems from that fear. So I don’t think that that moment or line will necessarily mean much in terms of how this will be handled from here on (and Molaro has already hinted that it might not all be what it seems).

On the other hand, I found the change in demeanor between Sheldon pre-sex and in that kiss (and even Sheldon in Earworm and the passion and abandon with which he lost himself in Amy) and Sheldon post-sex - being relatively unphased - to be a bit too sharp and a bit out of place by this stage.  They seem to really want to tiptoe around Sheldon’s sexuality even here, despite the fact that in the past we have had plenty of moments where it was clear that something was simmering under the surface (like I said, Earworm, his jealousy over Amy sleeping with other men, Prom, other times where he has been sexually possessive of her, Launch Acceleration and so on). And, frankly, to go implying that they engaged in intercourse for over two hours (“of bliss” according to Molaro) and then suddenly imply “Well, Sheldon’s kind of indifferent” is a bit of a stretch. 

Not in the sense that I wanted Sheldon to be all disheveled and going “OMC that was amazing can we do a round two ASAP?”. Not at all. And, after all, he did say “I enjoyed that more than I thought I would”, not “I still don’t see the big fuss” or “Well, can say I’ve tried it once at least” and even implying he wants and looks forward to doing it again, even if it's in a year, is pretty massive for Sheldon. So that’s not my issue. This is not even about sex to me. I know there’s been a lot of debates and arguments in the past weeks about Sheldon’s sexual orientation and all that, but to me that was never really an issue worth discussing. Not only because everyone is different and although attraction, desire, lust and sex are often intertwined, they’re not intertwined in the same way for everyone and it can be very complicated, but there’s nothing wrong with not really seeing the big deal about sex.That doesn’t automatically mean not finding one's partner attractive, or not enjoying sex when one has it, or not enjoying other forms of physical intimacy. But what was always clear and undeniable to me in the entire episode is that this moment was not about sex and lust and desire per se, but about an emotional connection finding a new way to express itself. We can debate until the cows come home about what exactly it is that turns Sheldon on and what turns Amy on, but what is not up for debate is the fact that they both deeply love each other and that this moment for BOTH of them was very much about that love and and intimacy that stems from love. Whether or not they might be turned on by other things in addition to that, love was a turn on for both of them. 

And I kind of felt they sucked that out of the scene a bit, especially by cutting the cuddle. I think having them cuddle after Sheldon said his lines would have done a better job at showing that yes, while Sheldon might not be blown away by sex per se, the experience was still something that moved him on an emotional level. The fact that the lines/reactions/parallels in the end were made specifically to be about sex *the act*, and reading Lorre talk about it as if it was some kind of scientific experiment where Sheldon just gave sex a try really pissed me off because that to me is cheapening the entire experience down to pure sex as the mechanical act driven by hormones and to be an insult to what that night really represents for Sheldon and Amy as a couple. Because it wasn’t about sex for sex’s sake. Never was. That is not the issue here. 

Moving forward

Having said that, like I mentioned, I get that there were also a lot of encouraging statements in the interviews, and that 99% of the episode did incredible justice to the journey that got them here, and that in a sense it’s a good thing that they’re saying “yes, look, they’ve had sex but that’s not the point. There’s more to them than that and it’s not going to change everything they are and have been”. As much as sex is an important milestone for them, it is not what defines them, just as the lack of it didn’t define them before. To have them now be all about sex and wanting sex and having sex would be pretty unimaginative and disappointing to me.

I liked Molaro’s statements that there are years and years of them learning more about each other and ways of loving each other. That this one time wasn’t the be all and end all of their story and there’s a lot left to explore even within and outside of this realm. It’s something I felt from the TR and the way they approached this, that they’ve left a lot of room open to write more stories about how sex will become a part of their relationship from here on. And how now that it’s in “Sheldon’s psyche”, like Lorre said, it will be interesting to see how it affects him and how he compartimentalizes it or fails at compartimentalizing it and so on. In other words, this isn’t the end of the sex question, let alone their relationship, and there’s a lot left to write about, unlike when other couples consummate and that’s the end of it. 

I just hope that just as they realized that they needed to show Sheldon make the first move and initiate their first time because you don’t want to “write an episode like this where it looks like he’s being forced into something his heart is not in”, they will recognize that it would be just as distasteful to write their future sexual relationship as something where Amy demands sex on a regular basis and Sheldon just lies there and gives it to her. There’s nothing wrong with sex not being something that takes over their relationship like it does for others, but also there’s nothing wrong in showing Sheldon show his attraction to her and desire for her (because there have been hints about it in the past) and developing his own new sexuality and finding a place for it in his life. The bottom line is for them to learn to think about “Sheldon and Amy” as opposed to “Sheldon and sex”, because that’s what it comes down to for him. It’s not sex the act, Amy isn't just a vehicle for him to have sex with. It’s about Amy and his feelings, be them romantic or sensual, about Amy. 

Tidbits

Other small observations. I am floored and ecstatic by the great reviews and reception this episode has had! I was expecting a lot more backlash about Sheldon having sex, but, really, everywhere I read (TVLine, ET, SpoilerTV, FB, friends), 99% of comments praised the episode. I hope Molaro will be pleased, since I know he said he was hoping people would like it as much or even more than the SIK. And I think they definitely did! And, finally, as a big Star Wars fan, the whole construction of the episode, but especially the opening was amazing. I’ve watched the opening probably as often as I’ve watched the Shamy parts. Just hearing that music opening a TBBT episode, and what an episode at that, gave me goosebumps! Praise for most of this! I’m looking forward to seeing Shamy do nothing more than be happy and in love in the background now for a while. And if Mayim doesn’t win an Emmy this year, then there’s definitely a conspiracy!

[FortCozyMcBlanket]

4 hours ago, Shamyyes said:

So much to adore in this whole episode but one of my favorites is when he asks if she is cold and she says she's nervous when he asks "Why?"  I just love how he says that like why would you be nervous with me. Love it!

I thought this line was sooooo sweet! but at the same time I wanted to say "REALLY SHELDON?!? REALLY?? AFTER 5 YEARS OF YOUR NERVES ABOUT THIS YOU'RE WONDERING WHY AMY MIGHT BE NERVOUS?!"  but it did also say to me that Sheldon had been thinking that she was always ready for this moment and he was just holding her back this whole time, but in the moment he took comfort in learning that she's been scared too because she doesn't know what she's doing either, and that for all these years it was never just about getting pleasure out of being physical so much as it's about completely giving themselves to each other on the most intimate level. It's like he realized that while he may know the "mechanics", he questions his ability to please her in bed, but he realizes when he sees that she's scared too that it really doesn't matter because he can't screw up the more important part of this moment which is showing her how much he loves her in the most intimate way. (And from the looks of the aftermath neither of them had any complaints in any department!)

[Musickat18]

12 minutes ago, koops said:

And now for some things that left me a bit… deflated: the ending and the emphasis on that ending and the parallels with Wil at the cinema that dominated the interviews more than any other aspect of the episode.

On the one hand, I do understand that the show had already gone very serious, sweet and emotional with Sheldon/Shamy and needed to dial back to their more traditional humor. And I do understand that they were probably very very nervous about writing a sexually active Sheldon and how this might be received by the audience. I get that, and I do get that their need to always insert a “DON’T WORRY! SHELDON IS STILL SHELDON!” scene at the end of episodes like this very much stems from that fear. So I don’t think that that moment or line will necessarily mean much in terms of how this will be handled from here on (and Molaro has already hinted that it might not all be what it seems).

On the other hand, I found the change in demeanor between Sheldon pre-sex and in that kiss (and even Sheldon in Earworm and the passion and abandon with which he lost himself in Amy) and Sheldon post-sex - being relatively unphased - to be a bit too sharp and a bit out of place by this stage.  They seem to really want to tiptoe around Sheldon’s sexuality even here, despite the fact that in the past we have had plenty of moments where it was clear that something was simmering under the surface (like I said, Earworm, his jealousy over Amy sleeping with other men, Prom, other times where he has been sexually possessive of her, Launch Acceleration and so on). And, frankly, to go implying that they engaged in intercourse for over two hours (“of bliss” according to Molaro) and then suddenly imply “Well, Sheldon’s kind of indifferent” is a bit of a stretch. 

Not in the sense that I wanted Sheldon to be all disheveled and going “OMC that was amazing can we do a round two ASAP?”. Not at all. And, after all, he did say “I enjoyed that more than I thought I would”, not “I still don’t see the big fuss” or “Well, can say I’ve tried it once at least” and even implying he wants and looks forward to doing it again, even if it's in a year, is pretty massive for Sheldon. So that’s not my issue. This is not even about sex to me. I know there’s been a lot of debates and arguments in the past weeks about Sheldon’s sexual orientation and all that, but to me that was never really an issue worth discussing. Not only because everyone is different and although attraction, desire, lust and sex are often intertwined, they’re not intertwined in the same way for everyone and it can be very complicated, but there’s nothing wrong with not really seeing the big deal about sex.That doesn’t automatically mean not finding one's partner attractive, or not enjoying sex when one has it, or not enjoying other forms of physical intimacy. But what was always clear and undeniable to me in the entire episode is that this moment was not about sex and lust and desire per se, but about an emotional connection finding a new way to express itself. We can debate until the cows come home about what exactly it is that turns Sheldon on and what turns Amy on, but what is not up for debate is the fact that they both deeply love each other and that this moment for BOTH of them was very much about that love and and intimacy that stems from love. Whether or not they might be turned on by other things in addition to that, love was a turn on for both of them. 

And I kind of felt they sucked that out of the scene a bit, especially by cutting the cuddle. I think having them cuddle after Sheldon said his lines would have done a better job at showing that yes, while Sheldon might not be blown away by sex per se, the experience was still something that moved him on an emotional level. The fact that the lines/reactions/parallels in the end were made specifically to be about sex *the act*, and reading Lorre talk about it as if it was some kind of scientific experiment where Sheldon just gave sex a try really pissed me off because that to me is cheapening the entire experience down to pure sex as the mechanical act driven by hormones and to be an insult to what that night really represents for Sheldon and Amy as a couple. Because it wasn’t about sex for sex’s sake. Never was. That is not the issue here. 

Loved the essay koops! But I want to talk about this bit of it. Admittedly I haven't kept up on all the interviews, so maybe I've missed a few things that the writers have said. Having said that, in regards to the highlighted part, I don't really agree with your assessment that Sheldon was kind of indifferent (or was that what Molaro or Lorre said?) To me he seemed serene, pleasantly surprised. He wasn't mussed up and out of breath like Amy, sure, but he had a little smile and seemed really at peace and happy. I've read on various forums and places like tumblr, that a some people found the episode somewhat lacking, and I still don't really know what people were expecting? Sheldon and Amy's first time was perfect to me. Everything about it was perfect. I mean, would I have loved to have that cuddle in? Of course. Does it ruin the ep for me or change how I view that last scene? Not in the slightest. I think it is very clear that Sheldon enjoyed his time with Amy. They may not be cuddling, but they're holding hands and Amy is still out of breath after 2 hours of who knows what. And who's to say whether Sheldon was blown away by sex or not. I think he probably expected to enjoy it because, well, he's a guy, so he's guaranteed sexual satisfaction. To have him say that he enjoyed it more than he thought he would says that there was more there. What he enjoyed is up for debate sure, but it could be he enjoyed the intimacy, he enjoyed watching Amy have a good time, etc. Who knows. But he enjoyed it more than just simply getting a release and it's my own headcanon that the intimacy and feelings were what pushed his enjoyment past simple release. 

[koops]

25 minutes ago, Musickat18 said:

Loved the essay koops! But I want to talk about this bit of it. Admittedly I haven't kept up on all the interviews, so maybe I've missed a few things that the writers have said. Having said that, in regards to the highlighted part, I don't really agree with your assessment that Sheldon was kind of indifferent (or was that what Molaro or Lorre said?) To me he seemed serene, pleasantly surprised. He wasn't mussed up and out of breath like Amy, sure, but he had a little smile and seemed really at peace and happy. I've read on various forums and places like tumblr, that a some people found the episode somewhat lacking, and I still don't really know what people were expecting? Sheldon and Amy's first time was perfect to me. Everything about it was perfect. I mean, would I have loved to have that cuddle in? Of course. Does it ruin the ep for me or change how I view that last scene? Not in the slightest. I think it is very clear that Sheldon enjoyed his time with Amy. They may not be cuddling, but they're holding hands and Amy is still out of breath after 2 hours of who knows what. And who's to say whether Sheldon was blown away by sex or not. I think he probably expected to enjoy it because, well, he's a guy, so he's guaranteed sexual satisfaction. To have him say that he enjoyed it more than he thought he would says that there was more there. What he enjoyed is up for debate sure, but it could be he enjoyed the intimacy, he enjoyed watching Amy have a good time, etc. Who knows. But he enjoyed it more than just simply getting a release and it's my own headcanon that the intimacy and feelings were what pushed his enjoyment past simple release. 

I got that impression from two things: the fact that they very heavily paralleled Sheldon's reaction with Wil's reaction at the movie (and contrasted it with Amy's/the guys') and yes, that one interview with Lorre that set me off. I wouldn't say this, or the lack of cuddle, ruined the episode for me and I most definitely don't think that the episode was lacking, especially in the buildup. And I think that one of the reason why I like that bed scene and the kiss so much is because it sets the tone/idea for what we didn't get to see was like, most likely. But that's just the feeling/reaction I get from that post-coital scene, and it's not even that I expected much more out of it, I just feel like there's a bit too sharp of a difference between Sheldon pre and Sheldon post. But I understand that's just my impression and, having said that, like I said, there's other interviews that seem to indicate that there is/will be more to it than that.

[rachelshamyfan]

Reading mayims comments about the shamy sex, shows she takes it far too seriously, whereas most of us fans were very happy about it and didn't overanalyze the ins and outs (no pun intended)