10-29-2015, 10:37 AM
I have to admit that I am thrilled with the latest development that Sheldon has refused to resume his relationship with Amy, choosing instead that they remain friends.
This has been what I'd been pushing for ever since TPTB shifted Amy from a friend who found the notion of romantic love to be an unnecessary cultural construct that adds no value to human relationships, into a potential love mate for Sheldon. This was a colossal mistake, a rookie mistake, if you will, because it seems to me that only someone who has no clue into what makes Sheldon Cooper shine would make such a decision.
In the fandom there's been a rather wide gulf between those who see Sheldon's early season portrayal as 'robotic' and those who see him as a true homo novus. As Molaro has applied his romantic agenda to the show, it seemed in subsequent seasons (6-8) that TPTB were of the former sentiment—a belief that Sheldon was in need of change and that Amy was to be that catalyst. There have been interviews with Prady and others saying essentially that Amy knows what's best for Sheldon and that his reluctance to pursue a physical relationship was merely an obstacle. She broke him out of his comfort zone.
The problem I had with this is that her actions were more the result of bullying or manipulative mechanisms for self-gain than a genuine wish to break Sheldon out of his comfort zone for his benefit.
In contrast, Penny's relationship with Sheldon has been a series of 'when worlds collide' where both have learned from the other. She questioned his intellectual authority and that led to the prank battle—a battle of equals where you'd have to be blind to not see the passion in a riled Sheldon. Robot my sweet patootie.
The problem with the whole romance angle for Sheldon is that it presupposes that there was something 'missing' in his life, something that left him incomplete. I'd argue that s1-4 Sheldon Cooper was the most 'complete' character on the show. He was unique and a satisfying wave of awesome—and knew it too. He was unapologetically himself.
The conversation at the aquarium shows that Sheldon has been introspective over the six months since Amy dumped him. s8 was a horror show for Sheldon fans as he was continually badgered into becoming the boyfriend that Amy wanted him to be. And yet it wasn't enough. I think Sheldon has come to realize that it would never be enough and has therefore decided to return to a time when they got along. This is not a 'robotic reboot', this is a man who realizes that they are not romantically compatible.
And there's nothing wrong with that.
Deciding that he'd like to remain friends with Amy is a testament to how much she means to him. It's also an 'adult' response to the situation, something that might be ironic to some that this comes from Sheldon. It's not an irony for those who remember the Sheldon who gave up his spot to make amends with Wolowitz or hired Raj to keep him in the country.
"I excel at many things, but being your boyfriend wasn't one of them. I think it's better if we stay friends."
Sheldon's a remarkable man who marches to his own drummer. Given that Molaro is in charge, I realize that the romantic element will once again rear its head and envelop my Shelly but it doesn't take away the truth of Sheldon's statement.
This has been what I'd been pushing for ever since TPTB shifted Amy from a friend who found the notion of romantic love to be an unnecessary cultural construct that adds no value to human relationships, into a potential love mate for Sheldon. This was a colossal mistake, a rookie mistake, if you will, because it seems to me that only someone who has no clue into what makes Sheldon Cooper shine would make such a decision.
In the fandom there's been a rather wide gulf between those who see Sheldon's early season portrayal as 'robotic' and those who see him as a true homo novus. As Molaro has applied his romantic agenda to the show, it seemed in subsequent seasons (6-8) that TPTB were of the former sentiment—a belief that Sheldon was in need of change and that Amy was to be that catalyst. There have been interviews with Prady and others saying essentially that Amy knows what's best for Sheldon and that his reluctance to pursue a physical relationship was merely an obstacle. She broke him out of his comfort zone.
The problem I had with this is that her actions were more the result of bullying or manipulative mechanisms for self-gain than a genuine wish to break Sheldon out of his comfort zone for his benefit.
In contrast, Penny's relationship with Sheldon has been a series of 'when worlds collide' where both have learned from the other. She questioned his intellectual authority and that led to the prank battle—a battle of equals where you'd have to be blind to not see the passion in a riled Sheldon. Robot my sweet patootie.
The problem with the whole romance angle for Sheldon is that it presupposes that there was something 'missing' in his life, something that left him incomplete. I'd argue that s1-4 Sheldon Cooper was the most 'complete' character on the show. He was unique and a satisfying wave of awesome—and knew it too. He was unapologetically himself.
The conversation at the aquarium shows that Sheldon has been introspective over the six months since Amy dumped him. s8 was a horror show for Sheldon fans as he was continually badgered into becoming the boyfriend that Amy wanted him to be. And yet it wasn't enough. I think Sheldon has come to realize that it would never be enough and has therefore decided to return to a time when they got along. This is not a 'robotic reboot', this is a man who realizes that they are not romantically compatible.
And there's nothing wrong with that.
Deciding that he'd like to remain friends with Amy is a testament to how much she means to him. It's also an 'adult' response to the situation, something that might be ironic to some that this comes from Sheldon. It's not an irony for those who remember the Sheldon who gave up his spot to make amends with Wolowitz or hired Raj to keep him in the country.
"I excel at many things, but being your boyfriend wasn't one of them. I think it's better if we stay friends."
Sheldon's a remarkable man who marches to his own drummer. Given that Molaro is in charge, I realize that the romantic element will once again rear its head and envelop my Shelly but it doesn't take away the truth of Sheldon's statement.
Let's go exploring!