Shelnard

[Toad]

[Idle Miscreant]

The sufferings of Leonard Hofstadter...

[Gamma]

[Gamma]

Sometimes Leonard does get a dig or two in.

[FranEssi]

To me, Leonard had the potential to make a fun comic duo along with Sheldon and for Shelnard to make an interesting bromance. Any eccentric, mad genius needs his long-suffering sidekick! But the thing is the sidekick needs to have some level of fascination with and appreciation of the genius and the madness of his companion, which usually is the reason why he sticks with the genius. If they show him as too exasperated and frustrated when dealing with the eccentric character, people will question why he is even staying around. And that is exactly what has happened with Leonard. The way he behaves towards Sheldon - and vice versa - has made many viewers ask why these two are even living together.

I think the only reason the writers have all this long-suffering roommate thing going on for Leonard is because they want to draw some sympathy for him as the so-called main character. In other words, Sheldon is used only as a prop here to make the Leonard character look sympathetic for having to put up with someone like Sheldon. They want to have Leonard as the hero and Sheldon as the sidekick and a secondary character, which IMO fits neither of the characters.

Anyway, here are some Sheldon/Leonard, for all the Shelnards!

[wellplayedpenny]

I think for me the problem is that Leonard functions best as a reactionary character so in a way it's odd to have someone so passive be the lead. Hence the reason why when Sheldon came along and got into his stride, particularly in the second season, it was natural that he assume command. Now they're trying to give Leonard assertiveness but it comes about as whiny. Why? Because he isn't an assertive character by nature. Where Sheldon is concerned Leonard functions best as an explainer and an accomodator. Someone who, while not understanding why Sheldon does even half of the whacked things he does, nevertheless after a debate at the weekly roommate meetings decides to adjust rather than deal with it. Not every relationship is one of equals but that doesn't mean there can't be genuine affection between the two. As can be seen when Sheldon asks Penny not to hurt Leonard, he is protective of his roommate and friend. Leonard is portrayed as suffering for the 'humor' but there's no way he'd put up with even half of what he went through in the early seasons and the two years previous if he didn't genuinely like Sheldon. That's one thing I do thank Leonard for--unlike Sheldon's previous roommate Leonard gave him a chance and there was definite improvement in Sheldon from when we 'first' see him in The Staircase Implementation to the Pilot episode.

*le sigh* Basically this stupid show could have been so much more. The Shelnard bromance in action is a wonderful thing to watch and like everything else, TPTB ruined it. *pout*

[SpaceAnJL]

I always had doubts about Leonard, because he triggers me for Reasons. I was uneasy with his manipulations of Sheldon over Missy, Stuart over Penny, his hijacking of Stephanie from Howard - but then he crossed so many lines with the can-opener. There wasn't a way to come back from that, you do not do that sort of thing to a friend, a fellow scientist, a fellow human-being. It wasn't a one-off, they did that for weeks and watched Sheldon unravel. So I can't see how he's a friend in any sense.

If Sheldon had screwed up his own work and run off in a tantrum, and Leonard had reluctantly put his thing with Penny on hold to go get him back, that would have been great and heart-warming. As it was - I'm afraid I think he's using Sheldon to make himself feel better, and he's a nasty little arse.

It needn't have been that way. There are so many examples of duos where there's a long-suffering normal one. But they are essentially decent, and somehow the writing of Leonard misfired badly.

(Basically, what FranEssi said. What am I even doing in this thread, it scares me as a concept...)

[FranEssi]

I know what you mean, Space. I wish I could believe affection is what drives Leonard to stick around with Sheldon, but I'm afraid there is not much evidence in canon to support this IMO. Based on how Leonard generally has dealt with Sheldon, the only interpretation that seems logical to me is that Leonard gets some sort of satisfaction from having someone like Sheldon be dependent on him, especially now that we know Sheldon has a lot in common with Leonard's mother, the person Leonard has a lot of unresolved issues with. I think hanging around with Sheldon makes Leonard feel more powerful, more mature, more "normal". It makes him feel better about himself, as you pointed out.

I think for me the problem is that Leonard functions best as a reactionary character so in a way it's odd to have someone so passive be the lead. Hence the reason why when Sheldon came along and got into his stride, particularly in the second season, it was natural that he assume command. Now they're trying to give Leonard assertiveness but it comes about as whiny. Why? Because he isn't an assertive character by nature.

Well said. I agree.

[devilbk]

Given the similarities between Beverly and Sheldon I'd posit a very deep-seeded revenge fantasy on Leonard's part.

[SpaceAnJL]

This, to the above. That's how I wrote him. He wasn't aware of it, but he models his relationship with Sheldon exactly on the one he had/has with his mother. The whole cool emotional distance and the world negotiated by means of papers and schedules. Only this time, he has the upper hand, and he can strike back. I'm not sure it was even conscious to begin with, to be fair, but I certainly see that as being how it plays out.

There's been gradual role reversal, as Leonard grows in strength and confidence, because he does it at Sheldon's expense. It isn't a healthy dynamic.