10-14-2015, 04:59 PM
Oh, I have so much to say on this topic… (But for starters, hello! 
)
Since I’m new here, I guess I should first describe where I’m coming from. I am what would in Queen Penelope’s gaming realms be refered to as a filthy casual when it comes to TBBT. I first watched the show up to season 7, then dropped it for a year or so, watched season 8 in its entirety, came back just before season 9 started.
I also still watch the new episodes and can still find a few laughs here and there because I don’t really ship (in this show, anyway) and it does appeal to something nihilistic in me. This idea that no one achieves their dreams whether it be in their jobs or their personal lives and instead ends up with a partner they don’t really like and friends they’ve grown apart from, treading water in their careers, just seems quite realistic when I'm in a bad mood.
Because I think we can all agree that none of the relationships in the show are fun. Penny belittles what Leonard is into, and their sex life, and occasionally their relationship and generally seems to have given up on herself (remember when she used to be on her way out for auditions or girls’ night all the time? It felt like she had a life outside the show). Leonard’s become a total jerk and whiny push-over, somehow at the same time, depending on what soap opera conflict the writers want that episode. Bernadette, of course, takes the cake when it comes to ridiculing her partner and treating him like a nuisance, but unlike Penny, she has also set out to correct him. Howard accordingly acts like a nine year old. Responsible wife and lazy husband hijinks, oh boy! Sheldon has regressed even farther than that. Amy is on some sort of mission to turn Sheldon into a normal guy to be her perfect boyfriend; not that I liked her that much when she was genderswitched Sheldon – seemed lazy of the writers –, but at least back then, I understood why they were dating. Now, I don’t have the slightest clue. And then there’s Emily and Raj, who, uh… watch… horror movies together? She’s too spooky for him? I’ve got nothing, so far she’s got one weird character trait and that’s about it for her personality and they’ve been dating for like a year. Oh, and she also wants to keep him from doing fun silly things, of course (your song sucks, Raj). My guess is she’s going to turn into another Bernadette.
So all of that didn’t really bother me at first, though, because I’d watched the first seven seasons in quick succession (and not always with complete attention) and they kinda ran together, creating the illusion it had always been that way. Also, the actors are all good at their jobs, meaning they can still turn all that sniping, backbiting, and the underhanded insults into passable material. But then I rewatched… I don’t even know, but it was the start of the season 8 plotline about the paper Sheldon and Leonard wrote together, when Leonard ran over to Sheldon and told him about this idea he’d had, and then Sheldon worked it out, they were enthusiastic, etc. And I realised, holy cheese, I used to like these people, and damnit, they actually used to be friends. That’s when I went back and saw just how big of a disconnect there is to the earlier seasons – not just because of the girlfriend situation, but also because all of the characterisations and friendships seem to have fallen by the wayside, with the possible exception of Raj-Howard’s relationship (they are by now the best part of the show for me). The Sheldon-Leonard one is probably the one that is most strange to watch now because they still force them to live together. Leonard is just an ass to Sheldon most of the time, but on the other hand, I can’t really blame him either, because new Sheldon is insufferable. I’m also pretty sure Leonard would just leave, but he’s not allowed to. It’s not really a friendship anymore as much as it is a hostage situation because if he leaves and Puppy-Sheldon fails to find the toilet, obviously it’s Leonard’s fault. (Yeah, I do have a lot of complaints about what happened to Sheldon… didn’t he live alone in Europe at some point as a teenager? And now he can’t deal if his roommate moves across the hall? I get he has to adjust, but apparently he used to be able to do that.)
Anyway, this is not nearly the extent of how much I could rant, but I think I’ll leave it at this for now.
)Since I’m new here, I guess I should first describe where I’m coming from. I am what would in Queen Penelope’s gaming realms be refered to as a filthy casual when it comes to TBBT. I first watched the show up to season 7, then dropped it for a year or so, watched season 8 in its entirety, came back just before season 9 started.
I also still watch the new episodes and can still find a few laughs here and there because I don’t really ship (in this show, anyway) and it does appeal to something nihilistic in me. This idea that no one achieves their dreams whether it be in their jobs or their personal lives and instead ends up with a partner they don’t really like and friends they’ve grown apart from, treading water in their careers, just seems quite realistic when I'm in a bad mood.
Because I think we can all agree that none of the relationships in the show are fun. Penny belittles what Leonard is into, and their sex life, and occasionally their relationship and generally seems to have given up on herself (remember when she used to be on her way out for auditions or girls’ night all the time? It felt like she had a life outside the show). Leonard’s become a total jerk and whiny push-over, somehow at the same time, depending on what soap opera conflict the writers want that episode. Bernadette, of course, takes the cake when it comes to ridiculing her partner and treating him like a nuisance, but unlike Penny, she has also set out to correct him. Howard accordingly acts like a nine year old. Responsible wife and lazy husband hijinks, oh boy! Sheldon has regressed even farther than that. Amy is on some sort of mission to turn Sheldon into a normal guy to be her perfect boyfriend; not that I liked her that much when she was genderswitched Sheldon – seemed lazy of the writers –, but at least back then, I understood why they were dating. Now, I don’t have the slightest clue. And then there’s Emily and Raj, who, uh… watch… horror movies together? She’s too spooky for him? I’ve got nothing, so far she’s got one weird character trait and that’s about it for her personality and they’ve been dating for like a year. Oh, and she also wants to keep him from doing fun silly things, of course (your song sucks, Raj). My guess is she’s going to turn into another Bernadette.
So all of that didn’t really bother me at first, though, because I’d watched the first seven seasons in quick succession (and not always with complete attention) and they kinda ran together, creating the illusion it had always been that way. Also, the actors are all good at their jobs, meaning they can still turn all that sniping, backbiting, and the underhanded insults into passable material. But then I rewatched… I don’t even know, but it was the start of the season 8 plotline about the paper Sheldon and Leonard wrote together, when Leonard ran over to Sheldon and told him about this idea he’d had, and then Sheldon worked it out, they were enthusiastic, etc. And I realised, holy cheese, I used to like these people, and damnit, they actually used to be friends. That’s when I went back and saw just how big of a disconnect there is to the earlier seasons – not just because of the girlfriend situation, but also because all of the characterisations and friendships seem to have fallen by the wayside, with the possible exception of Raj-Howard’s relationship (they are by now the best part of the show for me). The Sheldon-Leonard one is probably the one that is most strange to watch now because they still force them to live together. Leonard is just an ass to Sheldon most of the time, but on the other hand, I can’t really blame him either, because new Sheldon is insufferable. I’m also pretty sure Leonard would just leave, but he’s not allowed to. It’s not really a friendship anymore as much as it is a hostage situation because if he leaves and Puppy-Sheldon fails to find the toilet, obviously it’s Leonard’s fault. (Yeah, I do have a lot of complaints about what happened to Sheldon… didn’t he live alone in Europe at some point as a teenager? And now he can’t deal if his roommate moves across the hall? I get he has to adjust, but apparently he used to be able to do that.)
Anyway, this is not nearly the extent of how much I could rant, but I think I’ll leave it at this for now.