[Spoilers] Discussion Topic: Season 9

[djsurrey]

nibbler747, mostly I just focus on my favorite things (when posible)...

 

 

Edited April 24, 2016 by djsurrey

[Chrismo]

33 minutes ago, nibbler747 said:

I think with Lenny, they've been highlighting problems with how they communicate with each other all season (actually the past few seasons).  I don't think they'd split them, as it's a sitcom and it's way too dark and heavy of a topic.  I've been kind of expecting some sort of big fight between them.  I'm curious what they've planned for the last show of S9.  I think the vow renewal will be a huge clusterfuck with Leonards parents fighting.  What I would like to see is Lenny escaping the insanity and finally having their much needed heart to heart where they lay their cards in the table and figure out how to be successful together.

 

I agree about splitting them up. Two main characters on a comedy show it isn't going to happen. I also don't see a cliffhanger about them either. Yes I agree that there's been arguments between them though the one in the last episode was the biggest but nothing has gone beyond that episode. IMO seeing Leonard's parents is going to make Penny see that they act similar to them. I'm sure Beverly had snarky comments about Leonard's father. It is probably one of the reasons he was gone a lot. I'm guessing that's the real cause of their divorce. Could there be a big fight? It's possibly and for some reason I think Leonard would come out on top.

whatever way the finale is handled I don't think any bizarre cliffhanger is going to happen unless it involves Raj. I don't think the writers could pull something similar to the season 8 finale without losing a lot of fans.

Edited April 24, 2016 by Chrismo

[djsurrey]

22 minutes ago, JE7 said:

And Sheldon has allways claimed to be above his base animal urges, the once a year gift is totally IC for him. 

Not to mention quirky and unique. 

[nibbler747]

21 minutes ago, Chrismo said:

I agree about splitting them up. Two main characters on a comedy show it isn't going to happen. I also don't see a cliffhanger about them either. Yes I agree that there's been arguments between them though the one in the last episode was the biggest but nothing has gone beyond that episode. IMO seeing Leonard's parents is going to make Penny see that they act similar to them. I'm sure Beverly had snarky comments about Leonard's father. It is probably one of the reasons he was gone a lot. I'm guessing that's the real cause of their divorce. Could there be a big fight? It's possibly and for some reason I think Leonard would come out on top.

whatever way the finale is handled I don't think any bizarre cliffhanger is going to happen unless it involves Raj. I don't think the writers could pull something similar to the season 8 finale without losing a lot of fans.

I agree.  I think they are going to see some parallels between Bev and Leonard's father and themselves.  Maybe it'll be a wake up call for them.

I think the cliffhanger might have to do with Penny's career or something with Raj and his women.  Maybe Emily and Clare will get talking to each other, and get pissed off, and then both tell Raj they are pregnant (just to freak him out), then dump his sorry ass.

[Chrismo]

I could see one of the other 5 (Sheldon?) compare them. Penny's career is a possibility though if Lenny is the main storyline maybe not.

 

[ajond]

1 hour ago, Tensor said:

Yeah, that is a good question.  What would be worth pissing off your husband for?  Like you, I can't think of anything worth excluding your from talking to Sheldon about it.  But it wasn't just this episode.  

There are those who like to say there isn't anything wrong.  But Leonard and Penny keep things from each other, they lie to each other, they seem to trust Sheldon more than each other, they don't talk about things that are wrong, and on top of all that, Penny is unhappy with her work situation and her life in general (I'm not talking how she feels about the marriage here).  To me, that is a marriage in trouble.  That's why I'm so down on any kind of cliffhanger for the finale.

While I don't think they will go as far as a divorce, the more negative things, versus the positive things they've shown this year, seem to be those little things TPTB say they like to drop in the various episodes and let grow.  All those things this year(including the snarkiness of Penny) and their lack of actual plots and screen time last year have almost sucked all of the joy out of the relationship for me.   If they actual separate them, it's going to be hard to come back to the show.    

i too find the whole marriage thing totally underwhelming. I can' t believe I'm saying this, but a split would not be a total disaster(as long as she doesn't end up with Sheldon or Raj). 

[djsurrey]

23 minutes ago, ajond said:

i too find the whole marriage thing totally underwhelming. I can' t believe I'm saying this, but a split would not be a total disaster(as long as she doesn't end up with Sheldon or Raj). 

Why? Because we can all watch The Middle instead?  

(Brick has a tell)

Edited April 24, 2016 by djsurrey

[ArmyGirl]

3 hours ago, JE7 said:

Penny's error isn't tactical it's strategic.

Her main problem (besides her seeming fear of adulthood) is that she hasent adjusted her thinking to match her new reality. She dosent think about things from the pov of a member of a couple, she still thinks from the pov of penny. She thinks of I instead of us.

The old saying "there is no I in team" fits here or you could say there is no P in team Hofstadter. Untill she is ready to place her marriage and husband ahead of herself at least sometimes the Union will be on shakey ground.

Hi JE7,

You hit the nail on the head, here.  Penny is still all about Penny and her wants, needs, etc. So I always end up at the same question I had from the beginning of this season --- Why in the heck did the writers marry off Leonard and Penny since they didn't want to deal with the being married.  The first year of their marriage is being handle the same way their (Lenny) engagement was.  If one did remember Lenny got engaged in S7E23 "The Gorilla Dissolution" most would swear they weren't an engaged couple in S8. Now it's the same with their first year of marriage go off to Vegas in S8E24 to get married, yet they aren't portrayed as a newly married couple, both keeping secrets, one being manipulative, rarely are they show as a couple being happily married.  smh

Makes one wonder how this season will end or/if there be a major fallout cause something has to change for Leonard, Penny, and Lenny.  They are stuck in this horrible holding pattern and it's OLD and STALE and no reason to continue to invest in the couple or the show, for me.

 

[Guest]

4 hours ago, Tensor said:

 

There are those who like to say there isn't anything wrong.  But Leonard and Penny keep things from each other, they lie to each other, they seem to trust Sheldon more than each other, they don't talk about things that are wrong, and on top of all that, Penny is unhappy with her work situation and her life in general (I'm not talking how she feels about the marriage here).

Well, yeah, but so do the other couples and I think those are minor issues. Where did you get the information about Penny being unhappy with her life from? The psychiatrist? I think that's a little far-fetched because she didn't say that at all. To me it looks like she is/was just a little overwhelmed with adult life. And your statement that they trust Sheldon more than each other is also debatable. Well at least I don't agree with it. For the really important things they still seek each other's advice. 

[Stephen Hawking]

9 hours ago, SRAM said:

Mary finding out Shamy had sex

I think Mary probably already knows by now.

[Stephen Hawking]

8 hours ago, ATOB said:

He turned down Bernie's medicine in the 'Empathy' episode,

Given the various side effects, attributed to her company's drugs, I think I'd turn them down too.  

7 hours ago, Jonny83 said:

Not sure I would want to take Bernie's experimental medicine as I wouldn't want to lactate suddenly or cry tears of acid.

Not forgetting horrible anal leakage and increased acne.  

Of course, these are only the ones Bernadette has admitted too.

Edited April 24, 2016 by Stephen Hawking

[Stephen Hawking]

5 hours ago, JE7 said:

The old saying "there is no I in team" fits here.

I've never really understood that saying, because there's no "us" in it either.

However, there is "me" in it.

5 hours ago, nibbler747 said:

I'm leaning towards something minor, like she can have unlimited time in the washroom if she takes Sheldon to the train store once a week.

Maybe it's that Sheldon won't keep locking her out of the WIFI.  

4 hours ago, Chrismo said:

I agree about splitting them up. Two main characters on a comedy show it isn't going to happen.

I wouldn't bet on that.

They split Ross and Rachel, for a l-o-n-g time.

Edited April 24, 2016 by Stephen Hawking

[Stephen Hawking]

1 hour ago, FileXxX said:

Where did you get the information about Penny being unhappy with her life from? The psychiatrist?

She did tell the psychiatrist that she and Leonard were "living with a man child".

That sounds like she's not happy with, at least some aspects of her life.

Edited April 24, 2016 by Stephen Hawking

[Jonny]

There are clearly some aspects of her life she isn't happy with but I wouldn't say being married to Leonard is one of them. The career one is the big one, being stuck in a job she doesn't want to do because she has a debt to pay off isn't good. She did say to the psychiatrist they she misses when life was easier citing living with a 'man child' and also the easier life comment could be linked to her previous professions which she probably enjoyed more than her current one.

They will continue to have arguments both small and big and that's normal but I don't see a breakup on the cards at all not now that they are married. It took all that effort to get them together and eventually married that I don't see them splitting.

I think Penny will be in a better place once that debt is paid off and she can look into doing something else for a job. Maybe Leonard's parents who are presumably wealthy offer some money to the couple to give them a bit of a financial kick start and part of that can be used to pay off the debt and give Penny that opportunity to try something different. With Beverley coming perhaps her and Penny bond more and they talk about work and Penny mentions how much she doesn't like it and why and Beverley offers to pay off her debt.

The writers have hinted at a Penny career change but that won't or can't happen until the debt is paid off.

 

Edited April 24, 2016 by Jonny83

[JE7]

25 minutes ago, Jonny83 said:

There are clearly some aspects of her life she isn't happy with but I wouldn't say being married to Leonard is one of them. The career one is the big one, being stuck in a job she doesn't want to do because she has a debt to pay off isn't good. She did say to the psychiatrist they she misses when life was easier citing living with a 'man child' and also the easier life comment could be linked to her previous professions which she probably enjoyed more than her current one.

They will continue to have arguments both small and big and that's normal but I don't see a breakup on the cards at all not now that they are married. It took all that effort to get them together and eventually married that I don't see them splitting.

I think Penny will be in a better place once that debt is paid off and she can look into doing something else for a job. Maybe Leonard's parents who are presumably wealthy offer some money to the couple to give them a bit of a financial kick start and part of that can be used to pay off the debt and give Penny that opportunity to try something different. With Beverley coming perhaps her and Penny bond more and they talk about work and Penny mentions how much she doesn't like it and why and Beverley offers to pay off her debt.

The writers have hinted at a Penny career change but that won't or can't happen until the debt is paid off.

 

That's no solution she would still be just as deep in debt just to Beverly instead of her credit card company. And being in debt to Beverly her cold controlling mother in law is a terrible idea any way you look at it

And before you say bev pays them off without wanting to be paid back, that would be even worse she would owe bev for the rest of her life and Beverly would definitely use that leverage

Edited April 24, 2016 by JE7

[ajond]

1 hour ago, FileXxX said:

I'm not quite sure if we're watching the same show, but I'm pretty happy with how they portrayed LP as a married couple so far. Gosh, people aren't happy with anything here... They could make every single episode LP centric and people would still complain about it.

The show I'm watching (reading about) has Penny unable to say why she married Leonard, sided with Sheldon on RA, general narkiness. Not, in my view, a marriage made in heaven (or even the writers room)

[mirs1]

17 minutes ago, JE7 said:

That's no solution she would still be just as deepbin debt just to be instead of her credit card company. And being in debt to Beverly her cold controlling mother in law is a terrible idea any way you look at it

We don't have much information about the girls night in 9.23, but the fact that Beverly is open to confess that she was somehow pissed off by not having being invited to Lenny wedding (while in the 200th episode she pretended to be happy about that) and Penny's decision about the redo for her sake make me think that Beverly's visit in a weird way has made them a bit closer. I'm not going as far as saying that the two of them will be BBF or that Beverly will be a lovely mother for Leonard, but maybe Penny is trying to make things work a little better in the family. That being said, I agree that being in debts with (certain) relatives is worse than being in debts with credit-card companies.

Edited April 24, 2016 by mirs1

[Jonny]

1 hour ago, JE7 said:

That's no solution she would still be just as deep in debt just to Beverly instead of her credit card company. And being in debt to Beverly her cold controlling mother in law is a terrible idea any way you look at it

And before you say bev pays them off without wanting to be paid back, that would be even worse she would owe bev for the rest of her life and Beverly would definitely use that leverage

I would only suggest Beverley giving them money under the proviso that the relationship between Lenny and Beverley is improved and is more warm. Taping information is limited but by the sounds of it Beverly was upset at not being present for it hence a re-do, mybe a sign she cares more than she lets on? Of course if Beverley gave them money and expected it be paid back it wouldn't work.

I did mention 'parents' so maybe Leonard's father could do it. But I specifically mentioned Beverley as we know nothing really yet about Leonard's father and what sort of relationship Leonard and him had or could have in the future.

It's only an idea in which some external factor could fix a problem for Penny and may make her a happier person. If the writers choose to keep her in a job she doesn't want to be until she pays off her debt then that would be fine by me as well.

 

[Chrismo]

2 hours ago, Stephen Hawking said:

 

I wouldn't bet on that.

They split Ross and Rachel, for a l-o-n-g time.

People like to compare Lenny to them. There a lot of things that are different. The main one is this is the end of season 9 not season 4 or 5 like Ross/Rachel. It would seem to be impossible now to be broken up, living across the hall and still interacting. Also the characters on Friends were equals not like TBBT where there not. There were others stories to tell on there.. Not only that a break up would have a direct effect on Shamy. Their relationship wouldn't move forward. Also Lenny already had a two year break up.

 

 

[Stephen Hawking]

10 minutes ago, Chrismo said:

People like to compare Lenny to them. There a lot of things that are different.

I didn't say there weren't differences between Leonard and Penny, and Ross and Rachel.

I was just pointing out that, contrary to your statement "Two main characters on a comedy show it isn't going to happen.", it has happened.

10 minutes ago, Chrismo said:

Also Lenny already had a two year break up.

Which, I agree, makes it unlikely, but not impossible, for it to happen again.

12 minutes ago, Chrismo said:

Also the characters on Friends were equals not like TBBT where there not.

Not sure what you mean by "equals".

If you mean educationally and intellectually, then, like Leonard and Penny, Ross and Rachel were anything but equals.

Edited April 24, 2016 by Stephen Hawking

[Guest]

2 hours ago, ajond said:

The show I'm watching (reading about) has Penny unable to say why she married Leonard

Nuh-uh... the reason why she didn't want to (she wasn't unable, she just didn't want to) say why she married Leonard is because Dr. Gallo put her on the spot and thought she's manipulating him, like his mother. That was not the case. Penny asked for a favor and Leonard did it out of love. He also received the same love back. But, of course, Dr. Gallo didn't know that, and kind of tore her apart there.

Quote

sided with Sheldon on RA

So? Is that a crime? She wasn't exactly wrong, to be honest. I mean I didn't like it either, but it made sense. It would've saved a lot of trouble if he just appeared.

Quote

general snarkiness.

So? Leonard is also snarky and teases her a lot. Does he get a free pass for that? It's just part of the playful teasing that's going on between them. Just recently she admitted that he totally rocks her world in bed. This is something everyone has been complaining about because usually she said the opposite. Turns out she was just teasing him. Did anyone care about that revelation? No, of course not. Better focus on the negative things, right?

[Stephen Hawking]

32 minutes ago, Chrismo said:

I meant there were six main characters on Friends. There are three on TBBT.

True, but there are also three couples, just like on Friends.

[Guest]

33 minutes ago, Chrismo said:

I'm not happy over the Lenny marriage as you are but not as down as others are. Though to be honest what are the happy parts of their Marriage? Married couples should not be living with someone else unless it's for financial reasons or out of medical necessity. They could be easily living across the hall, by themselves, which would make everyone happy. You are probably right some may be still unhappy even if every episode was LP centric. You are never going to please everyone. But this season certainly hasn't been LP centric. I posed this question earlier what's different now than  season 3? The only thing I can see is they seemed happier and were more of a couple in season 3.

I'm not happy about the living situation either, but Sheldon openly said they're free to live together if they really want to. Of course they don't need his permission for that, but still... They both equally love Sheldon and care about his well-being, so they decided to stick with him for a while. They could move out whenever they want to.

I'm sure if it gets to a point where one of them is unhappy, they'll just move out.

3 minutes ago, Stephen Hawking said:

True, but there are also three couples, just like on Friends.

There are four couples. Or four and a half? I'm not sure what Raj is doing.

[Chrismo]

4 minutes ago, FileXxX said:

I'm not happy about the living situation either, but Sheldon openly said they're free to live together if they really want to. Of course they don't need his permission for that, but still... They both equally love Sheldon and care about his well-being, so they decided to stick with him for a while. They could move out whenever they want to.

I'm sure if it gets to a point where one of them is unhappy, they'll just move out.

Well I think most think the awhile period has passed. They could love Sheldon equally well across the hall.

[Stephen Hawking]

13 minutes ago, FileXxX said:

Just recently she admitted that he totally rocks her world in bed.

Or was she just playing "Keeping up with the Jones'es"?

The way she said it, didn't sound all that convincing:-

Amy sounded excited, when she told Sheldon "You know the rules. Drink.", but Penny sounded positively subdued, when she told Leonard "Yeah, go ahead."

12 minutes ago, FileXxX said:

There are four couples. Or four and a half? I'm not sure what Raj is doing.

Raj is so on and off with his girlfriend(s) (currently more off than on), it's difficult to classify his situation.

Edited April 24, 2016 by Stephen Hawking