7.21 The Anything Can Happen Recurrence

[Satnight815]

Having spent the week gambling on the horse-type-things with my violently tall and hyperactive Irish-type friend, my mind is a ball of tatters soaked in the dregs of wine, so forgive any lack of clarity. As usual.

First off, I forced my pally to watch a few episodes earlier, so I’ve got Adhesive Duck on the brain now.

Good fucking GRIEF there’s a difference between now and then! And Sheldon and Penny’s interaction in that episode…The peculiar tension, the layered fondness, I’m not a romantic but it’s utterly delightful! And Parsons' Sheldon…The rhythm, the highly strung flickering of movement, the tightly drawn twang in his poise, the fluting voice, he’s bloody mesmerising. An artist by god! Why did he change his mannerisms!

This has to be the loveliest most genuine scene in the whole series.



Sigh. Anyway, back to the “Malarky”

I’m sorry, but what the fuck was all that psychic business?
I felt distinctly like some religious fanatics were trying to foist pamphlets on me. Enough of this proselytizing bullshit. If you have to tell the audience WHAT TO FEEL AND THINK you’re obviously failing at an accurate portrayal.

First dead-man Stuart waxing lyrical about the Lenny out of left field, now some hocus-pokery backed up by Penny of all people. No wonder Sheldon was pissed.

Sheldon is meant to “give himself” to the relationship is he? HOW? What more can he do that he isn’t already doing? He IS telling her about his problems and she doesn’t want to hear. We’ve SEEN what happens when he’s "himself" around her. She tells him he’s annoying. She yells at him. She is weary and exhausted. She buggers off to drink wine instead of listening to him. WHAT precisely is Sheldon meant to gain by “giving himself” any further to that? And what IS further? Sex? Spare me…

Be more affectionate towards her? You can’t force affection out of someone. If he doesn’t feel it, he doesn’t feel it. It’s not like she’s a particularly nice person either. She’s very rude. Why do her fans think she “deserves” affection? Because they identify with her and feel they deserve affection themselves? I’m sure they do, and that they’re lovely people, but Fowler isn’t. They shouldn’t take criticism of Amy personally. It has nothing to do with them. Amy is fictional.

Also, for a character that’s explicitly being crafted into a catchment for the audience’s sympathies, Amy came across as exceedingly unpleasant in this episode.

She lied to Sheldon, snorted at Penny and Leonard’s relationship, was VERY EVIDENTALLY jealous in a mean-spirited way about Penny, then kicked Leonard in the teeth when he intimated he was enjoying their time together. She’s an obnoxious, self-pitying, self-centred arsehat. And an absolute joysuck. I feel my heart chilling by about 5 degrees whenever she lurks into view.

Pajamas, you asked in le grumblebox what I got from Sheldon’s expression in that scene being bandied about.

I got “intense frustration, disbelief, anger, interest”. In decreasing order of magnitude. Frustration because EVERYBODY is bloody determined to bring everything back to sex and relationships. He’s asking about his career! I’d be frustrated and offended too. As for interest, his career and life’s purpose is collapsing around him. If someone tells him confidently they have the key to his professional problems (even if they’re a malarky-peddler doing a cold reading) of course he’s going to be interested!

My immediate reading of the TAG scene was 1) we’re meant to be laughing AT Amy, and the writers are being a bit mean as usual 2) Amy must have short-circuited to think Sheldon would be interested sexually in a Catholic girl’s school uniform, and 3) the “gulp” that approximately five fans are hideously excited about came across as a gulp of apprehension and trepidation. If anyone interprets it as sexual interest than they’re showing a wilful blindness to the entirety of Sheldon’s history of non response to traditional sexual stimuli. And indeed blindness to his entire character.

I might add that taking the high road about “Shamy” being all about the mind (as opposed to Lenny/Shenny, they say), then losing one’s proverbial shit about any screed of interest Sheldon might show in Amy’s physical appearance, is a little hypocritical.

I'm starting to get the impression that ALL some folk care about is Sheldon showing physical affection. This must be massively aggravating to Shamy fans who were genuinely interested in a relationship of the mind.

Again, I suspect this is a case where the fans are making me more irritated than the show, and I am MORE than sure my comments HERE are irritating other fans, so I don't really know what the solution is other than steadfast avoidance of other forums. Advice there to myself and to any guests reading this.

Anyroad, after all that blether...
I laughed at Howard and Raj flinching and writhing in horror on the couch, and I'm always melancholically happy about any P/S scenes, but all in all this is another episode where the flaws scuppered any enjoyment I might have had in Penny and Sheldon's interaction. All I want to say to them both is run, run the FUCK away, right now.

Fortunately, one of them does shortly. Although he’s probably been electronically tagged, so the poor bastard won’t get far…

This post is just absolute perfection!! I mean seriously Gripe, I can't believe you haven't been promoted to Colonel yet!! You continually amaze me with your spot on analysis, razor sharp wit, and breathtaking eloquence all seemingly wrapped together so effortlessly. There is only one thing left for me to do…