I don't even know anymore! I think sometimes as fans we tend to overlook certain aspects of a character's behaviour, as I'm sure we do with real people. I think Sheldon has a very wide ranging personality, and he's absorbed ideas(specifically from parents) without really thinking them through. I've been trying to accept the whole. I haven't seen S8(and probably won't), but I'm wondering if making him more palatable to a wider audience, means narrowing his range. I suppose his childlike aspects balance out his condescending arrogance, (ie; for each aspect at one end of the range there was another at the opposite end to balance it). But by removing some of those aspects, they leave us with Sheldum.
I've personally not watched the series since four, because the little snippets I caught from beyond that one offended my senses too much. I never really liked the on-again, off-again "relationship" of Leon-tard and Penny. It irritated me on many episodes, but Sheldon was always the saving grace for me. Until Amy came along. She sucked the fun from the show and now I daren't ever glance at a new episode. I'll keep track of summaries - via you kind folks - to see just what they've done to murder Sheldon's character this time (and the other guys too), but I refuse to subject myself to any more Fowler nonsense.
My happiest moments watching this show were when Sheldon would say the darnest silly thing, thinking it was fine, and everyone would look at him like he was nuts. I always remember thinking, "awww, bless that socially awkward diddums", and then realising that in a few of his situations, I would probably have behaved similarly. Not everyone fits the niche of "normal", and to find a show that originally portrayed a character that I could totally understand and connect with was amazing. What they've done to Sheldon is nothing short of cruel and brutal murder. It's slow, painful and yet many of us hope that the writers will feel supreme guilt over their actions and resurrect Vintage Sheldon before he fades out of existence altogether.
This site has made me want to dig out my 1-4 boxset and revisit the good ole days, so I shall tonight
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Does anyone else notice that when the guys ever needed Penny to participate with them - before Leonard and Penny were a sort-of-thing - they
made Sheldon 'take one for the team' and ask Penny? Like, when Howard was seeing Penny's "friend" from Nebraska and it was Halo Night, Leonard shoved Sheldon in front to ask Penny to join them, even though
Leonard was the one who should have been more confident talking to Penny, and was the one interested in her in the first place. It, to me, suggests that: a) Leonard is an asshole that wants Sheldon to be blamed for everything that upsets Penny; and b) Sheldon is
still considered in charge of their group, no matter how many times they ridiculed him.
Also, hi, I'm new to this place, but I love what's been written about our favourite Physicist so far
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I know exactly what you mean. Sheldon was the Alpha. He ruled, and the writers have tried to backtrack on this because he fits better with Penny than Leonard ever could.
I knew Leonard and Penny were supposed to be dating but it was just sort of there in the background. l never took it seriously. I thought he was just going to be a passing thing, that he'd find someone else after he grew up and realised that looks are not the basis for a lifetime commitment. But leonard never grew up he just wanted the 'prize' and there was never any reason he should get it.
Sheldon was the one! Unusual and really exciting (sensually) for a celibate. His dynamic with Penny had potential like I have never seen before. He managed to make Leonard look pitiful at every turn. He was honourable, while Leonard was dishonest about who he was and his intentions. The sparks between Sheldon and Penny and how they stood their ground with each other made me feel even more certain that the show would take that path. How wrong I was. I never hated Leonard but I sure never cared about him getting his 'prize'. It just seemed like a shallow pursuit.
But what they then did to Sheldon in order to force Amy on him upsets me a lot more than Lenny. He went from being a demanding eccentric genius, to a incapable child who seems almost mentally handicapped. It's difficult to watch. And I don't understand why people find this relationship so precious. I also find her personality and physical traits an insult to everything I loved about Sheldon. I think they got it completely wrong and they have made his character annoying and creepy. But what can you do? They seem to be selling this entitlement story like it's going out of fashion. I don't get that and never will.
What bothers me most is the decision to allow Jim to act like himself instead of the character they created. He is now the same Texas know-it-all blowhard in virtually every appearance, whether on TBBT, on Letterman or in those Intel commercials. No difference. All Jim. TPTB may think that removing Sheldon's barriers is best shown by revealing his inner Texan but I think it's just bloody lazy.
I certainly agree that a lot of "Sheldon" seems to have vanished from Jim's performance, save for the odd moment. God knows why. Jim's a grand actor (and utterly superb as Vintage Sheldon obviously), so potentially it's a directorial, powers-that-be decision. To make him more "normal" perhaps?
On Letterman etc I find him charming, because Parsons is charming. The problem is that NEW!Sheldon ISN'T. He's just the Parsonian voice and form without the Parsonian charm and wit, and without Sheldon's old oddness and innocence, and I really don't see the point of that.
There's a physical aspect as well. Sheldon's somewhat "challenging" personality was always offset by the fact that he resembled either a 'baby deer' or a frantic stick insect - neither particularly threatening creatures. His vague androgyny and obvious asexuality helped here as well, in making him a little otherworldly, as did the softer, more flutey, accentless voice he used in the first 3 seasons.
Beefed up "sexy toddler" Sheldon in a normal bloke's suit drinking beer and talking LOUDLY, smacking his "little lady" on the arse is not especially endearing. It's obnoxious and dull. And incredibly un-Sheldon. Then he veers to the other extreme, and becomes a sort of sappy version of Steve Martin's Ruprecht the monkey-boy. So somewhere between sappiness and redneckery sounds the death-knell of a wonderful character...
This new look and manner also doesn't partner well with Sheldon's increased malice lately, and his awareness of sarcasm, sexuality etc. There's none of the peculiar alien left, he's entirely human now. And not a pleasant human either.
Well done on ruining him, whoever's responsible.. I hope it was worth it to you, somehow...
Ach well, Parsons will hopefully go back to surrealist theatre in the end. And Vintage Sheldon will outlast the show itself, no fear.
It's so strange to me that "character development", (as defined by writers who tend to fuck up their shows) is defined as "becoming more ordinary". My own personal character development through my life came from becoming more at ease with myself, and just being what I am, which you'd think everyone does but they often really DON'T. The problem with applying the crap-writer's "character development" to Sheldon is that he was already at ease with himself. He was always, to me, a guy who knew who he was and didn't particularly give a shit if someone thought he was "weird" or "annoying". His stubborn sense of self gave him wisdom, so by all accounts he was allowed to be a snarky bugger. But, obviously, this is very jarring without the physical side, which, as we all agree, has fucked off somewhere down the line, leaving someone with and odd mind encased in a slouching, goofy shell that doesn't sit right with me. Alien Sheldon was actually more human than Cletus The Slack-Jawed Sheldon methinks.
As for fookin' Leotard/Leonard not being a suitable match for Penny AT ALL, ANY WAY YOU LOOK AT IT, I think the reason why Lenny pissed me off is because Leonard was so blinkered. There should have been more coming-and-going ladyfriends like in Frasier. And by that, I mean NO DESTINED COUPLE FROM THE START. The moment Leonard sets eyes on Penny, you know that the writers are gonna fuck around with this idea and not let up save for a few dispassionate "dud" relationships with women that actually have more complimentary personalities with Leonard (E.g. the butter to go with his starchy miserable potato)
(02-17-2015, 02:08 AM)devilbk Wrote: [ -> ]What bothers me most is the decision to allow Jim to act like himself instead of the character they created. He is now the same Texas know-it-all blowhard in virtually every appearance, whether on TBBT, on Letterman or in those Intel commercials. No difference. All Jim. TPTB may think that removing Sheldon's barriers is best shown by revealing his inner Texan but I think it's just bloody lazy.
I agree with all of these great posts!!
but yeah... I think Jim has just been allowed to let go too much. Perhaps he was bored playing Sheldon and the writers allowed him to relax and put his own take on it. Jim only has one good character in him and he's throwing it away. He's not Mr Bean, he should stop trying to be goofy and do what he does best. The deadpan eccentric. Jim as early-season Sheldon is a masterpiece! Although to be fair on Jim, the scripts haven't been up to much, not like they were.
I think the problem is that Jim drank the Kool Aid. He believes that what he's doing with Sheldon is a subtle acting choice, showing us that Sheldon's relationship with Amy is removing the barriers he'd set up and revealing his inner, true self. The problem is that when you remove all the Sheldony goodness all you have left is a sour smarmy center. No charm. No innocence. Just asshole.
Spot on, it just makes Sheldon unlikeable. Average viewers have run out of patience with the character and some people seem to completely hate him now. They took away all the good things. The way he couldn't lie and was literal about everything never failed to make me smile. He could be a right arrogant sod, but he also made me feel like I wanted to protect him because there was something so honest and unspoilt about him.
I wonder what people will remember in 20 years time. I can see them saying "remember that crazy character Sheldon Cooper?" I do not believe they will say "remember Leonard and Penny?" or "remember Sheldon and Amy?". It will be Sheldon and the scenes they re-run on nostalgia shows will be Shenny.
well that's the future I see.
Such are the spoils of long-running shows. The actor got bored. The writers got bored. So they changed what made the character so unique and appealing in the first place. Now he's just Jethro Bodine.