02-28-2015, 01:35 AM
Toad, I think the thing is that TPTB don't want any competition with their canon ships because they know they're weak. As the episode showed with the 'brother and sister' comment they are listening to what the fans are saying and as we've noted this year with reading FB IMDB and other sites comments sections there is a vast amount of non-shippy people who are bored as fuck with the relationships and want the show the way it was and, what a concept, FUNNY!
They've also had a habit of rewriting the early seasons to give the canon ships legitimacy and the illusion that this is all a part of some master plan of continuity. Shenny was a significant part of the early seasons and by putting romantic Shenny to bed they've all but signaled the end of an era in their show. I'm quite sure there will be some canon-shippers who will say Shennys are being sucks for seeing our ship 'stomped out' by canon but for me, at least, the attempt to quell the Shenny is a back-turning on the brilliance of the early seasons--and that for me is the 'nail in the coffin'. There is no way the show will ever be as good as it was and TPTB have turned their backs on it save for the times they mine early seasons for plot ideas in a poor attempt to still give the show 'geek street cred'.
Yet, as I said above, the joke is really on them as the Shenny scene was the most in-depth conversation we've had between two characters that wasn't staged (brother and sister comment aside) to promote an agenda (ditto). Remember the cringe moments like the SIcK and Sheldon's ILY? Or Penny's admission that the only thing she's passionate about is Leonard and her friends? Just horrible stuff. Clunky. OOC. And honestly, kinda sad--not just for Shenny people but for anyone who loves the characters of Penny and Sheldon in general.
To sibling-zone Sheldon and Penny was an attempt to explain their chemistry. To channel what they can't destroy (and is so obvious to the audience). Unfortunately, it makes TPTB look absolutely ridiculous because of what I said earlier--the Shenny conversations were the most sincere on the show and, while Jim doesn't 'do' Sheldon as well as he used to, he did know enough to tone down the childish mania that's become the signature over the past three seasons. Or in other words, Sheldon managed to assemble some level of dignity. And THAT is what last night's interaction really showed me was missing for over three seasons. The same applies to Penny. Sheldon got through her defenses and they got to experience meaningful conversation. They LISTENED to each other as opposed to drowning their sorrows or being badgered into doing uncomfortable things.
Does this boil down to the 'joke's on them?' To an extent. But by no means do I mean to downplay the smack in the face the sibling-zoning was for some Shennys. Outright rejection stings. And I admit that as Penny said the 'brother' line I was like 'here we go--the agenda speaketh'. It annoyed me, mainly because it signaled not just the end of a possible romantic Shenny but also killed any hope at the show regaining even an ounce of its former glory. its playfulness. A time When I really did think 'Anything Could Happen' on Thursdays.
This episode has given me closure. We've spoken about the difference between the old and new show and the Shenny was the last arc between them save for the Lenny, which now stands alone as the central pillar of the show. I'm now over the sadness I had for the loss of possibility for the show but tbh this is less about TPTB being stupid than it is them wanting to be in control.
Well, now they're firmly in the driver's seat. Why do I have the feeling we're gonna go straight into a rock cut?
They've also had a habit of rewriting the early seasons to give the canon ships legitimacy and the illusion that this is all a part of some master plan of continuity. Shenny was a significant part of the early seasons and by putting romantic Shenny to bed they've all but signaled the end of an era in their show. I'm quite sure there will be some canon-shippers who will say Shennys are being sucks for seeing our ship 'stomped out' by canon but for me, at least, the attempt to quell the Shenny is a back-turning on the brilliance of the early seasons--and that for me is the 'nail in the coffin'. There is no way the show will ever be as good as it was and TPTB have turned their backs on it save for the times they mine early seasons for plot ideas in a poor attempt to still give the show 'geek street cred'.
Yet, as I said above, the joke is really on them as the Shenny scene was the most in-depth conversation we've had between two characters that wasn't staged (brother and sister comment aside) to promote an agenda (ditto). Remember the cringe moments like the SIcK and Sheldon's ILY? Or Penny's admission that the only thing she's passionate about is Leonard and her friends? Just horrible stuff. Clunky. OOC. And honestly, kinda sad--not just for Shenny people but for anyone who loves the characters of Penny and Sheldon in general.
To sibling-zone Sheldon and Penny was an attempt to explain their chemistry. To channel what they can't destroy (and is so obvious to the audience). Unfortunately, it makes TPTB look absolutely ridiculous because of what I said earlier--the Shenny conversations were the most sincere on the show and, while Jim doesn't 'do' Sheldon as well as he used to, he did know enough to tone down the childish mania that's become the signature over the past three seasons. Or in other words, Sheldon managed to assemble some level of dignity. And THAT is what last night's interaction really showed me was missing for over three seasons. The same applies to Penny. Sheldon got through her defenses and they got to experience meaningful conversation. They LISTENED to each other as opposed to drowning their sorrows or being badgered into doing uncomfortable things.
Does this boil down to the 'joke's on them?' To an extent. But by no means do I mean to downplay the smack in the face the sibling-zoning was for some Shennys. Outright rejection stings. And I admit that as Penny said the 'brother' line I was like 'here we go--the agenda speaketh'. It annoyed me, mainly because it signaled not just the end of a possible romantic Shenny but also killed any hope at the show regaining even an ounce of its former glory. its playfulness. A time When I really did think 'Anything Could Happen' on Thursdays.
This episode has given me closure. We've spoken about the difference between the old and new show and the Shenny was the last arc between them save for the Lenny, which now stands alone as the central pillar of the show. I'm now over the sadness I had for the loss of possibility for the show but tbh this is less about TPTB being stupid than it is them wanting to be in control.
Well, now they're firmly in the driver's seat. Why do I have the feeling we're gonna go straight into a rock cut?
Let's go exploring!