SPOILERS: 9.01 The Matrimonial Momentum

[Nutz]

Joyce Kim, Priya, and now this girl. Leonard definately has a type, and it's not for "socially smart" blonde girls.

[devilbk]

Joyce Kim, Priya, and now this girl. Leonard definately has a type, and it's not for "socially smart" blonde girls.

I've said the very same thing.

[wellplayedpenny]

9.1 The Matrimonial Momentum

Reading as a child, I often came across the foreboding warning, 'Be careful what you wish for'. There are those in the BBT Fandom who have been badgering Prady for more 'romance'. 'More growth'. 'More on the relationships'. And that's what we get in 9.1.

First, the Shamy are no more. Of course, this is all Sheldon's fault because he insults Amy 'right to her face'. Guess no one told her that everyone's been doing that to each other for the past three seasons. Remember when she offered ten bucks for Penny's dignity after running a secret experiment/competition between Penny and her monkey? Funny how that was okay.

As of s7 it became The Amy Show and so everything and everyone revolves around her. See how broken up she is about ending things with Sheldon by how angry she gets at Penny for eloping. After all, how is Amy supposed to catch the bouquet? See how Howard defends Amy by saying that now that she's away from her 'captor' she can finally be happy. And how can we forget Stuart, who says that Amy has 'so much to offer' and that 'any man would be lucky' to have her. Even Penny came on to the Amy bandwagon, telling Sheldon that it wasn't her fault that Amy thought he was a bad boyfriend.

Then we have the 'wedding of the century' as the promo called it. Penny and Leonard elope and marry in a cheesy Vegas chapel. A marriage 8 seasons in the making that's overshadowed not only by the very real presence of Leonard's smoochy-partner at his workplace but also by the dramatics of Sheldon and Amy at the Wolowitz house. At the end of the day, no one saw the wedding. Not the audience. Not their friends.

So the romance watchers have a wedding and Sheldon's proposal ring coming from his great grandma. Things should be perfect, but they're not.

'Worst episode ever'; 'disappointing'; 'a letdown'; 'pretty boring'; 'not funny or sweet'.

These are the comments of the audience on Facebook.

You see, the writers forgot that, as a sitcom, there's something infinitely important to the show. More important than Amy or weddings or coupledom.

A sitcom is supposed to be funny. This episode wasn't.

And no, this isn't a case of 'well, the Shamy broke up and the Lenny are fighting so of course this isn't a funny or happy episode.' The tired explanation that the show is 'growing' beyond its boundaries as a mere sitcom. At HQ, we've sounded the warning bell that such a route is disastrous because it irreparably harms the humour. It disrupts the delicate harmonic balance of characterization and intellect with which jokes are crafted and executed. There was growth in the early seasons, but it was an organic one within the bounds of plausibility, hence it didn't disturb the humour dynamic. The current structure of forced frames of relationship bliss at the expense of individuality kills the humour as everything flows to protect the status quo.

Sheldon is at fault for being Sheldon and gets all the abuse from his so-called 'friends'.

Amy is the victim and gets all the pity. After all, Sheldon's friends are now her friends.

Leonard seriously fucks up but his bacon is still saved because both Penny and he are married.

The humour is gone. What's in its place is The Age of The Mean, The Angsty and The Boring.

Quit catering to the minority, Prady. Drop the relationship bullshit and get back to comedy. I don't think that's asking for too much from a sitcom.

And not that I'm the sort of person who says 'I told you so' when I said three seasons ago that the show concentrated too much on relationships to the point it was no longer funny.

But I did.

Edit PS--It seems that the next day has brought a surprise onto fb. The official posting set up by the BBT where well over a hundred people had voiced their displeasure with the episode has now vanished. Now, I'm not the sort of person who continuously plots conspiracy theories, however, this does seem rather convenient that there'd be something 'wrong' with the post that happened to voice discontent. It'd be a shame if this was intentional as it sets upon the show a particular rot. Once it was crazies like me, the delusional crack-canon outsiders, who voiced a warning about problems in BBT land. We were ignored. But now we have the average viewer voicing his and her displeasure and they, too, are being flagrantly dismissed and ignored.

Either this is a sign of, 'trust us, we have a plan' or else it's, 'we've already been paid. Just sit down, shut up and watch, Poindexter'.

[Idle Miscreant]

As an antipodean, in order to watch new season TBBT, I have to navigate carefully through a virus-riddled webpage filled with scantily-clad women, and download the appropriate file. Consequently I am rather hesitant to risk this for an episode that might annoy me in some fashion. I am still hemming and hawing over this one. To download or not to download...

I think the S/P tea scene might sway me.

However, I've been skimming the comments, like the rest of you, and have likewise seen the same carping about how it's "depressing", "unfunny", "boring".

But the one that leapt out (and one I've seen increasingly on social media over the last few years) was;

"hearing Sheldon talk about relationships and break-ups like an actual functioning man was very jarring"

This is an enormous point. Sheldon's "growth" is rendering him unrecognizable. He has been almost constantly OOC since Season 5.

His character was the creators' masterpiece. It should have remained constant. All else can swirl and shift around him, but Sheldon remains in his Spot, observing, commenting, interfering, but unalterable. Inexorable, even!

We've been saying this for years. It's not that they've put him in a relationship, it's that they're CHANGING him in the process. And the change is towards the NORMAL. That's the kicker. If they had to change him, it should have been towards the other extreme. Towards the great eccentrics and thinkers of the age.

The chief trouble is that they didn't choose a relationship where Sheldon being Sheldonic was celebrated, they chose one where being Sheldonic was considered a FLAW. By his very girlfriend. So he had to change for her. And you can't change the main character without changing the whole soul of the show.

Sheldon, the breakout character of TBBT, and the one upon whom the fate of the show rests, was known for three things;

1) His enormous intellect, 2) His alien eccentricities, 3) His superior (enraging to some) disinterest in human relationships, particularly romantic ones.

NOW;

1) He has become markedly less intelligent, and more childish, 2) He has abandoned most of his routines and specific personality traits, odd speech patterns, and general alienness, becoming less "weird" and more "boyfriend" 3) Most of his plot arcs now revolve around his romantic relationship. REVOLVE AROUND ROMANCE. Sheldon. THAT Sheldon, yes.




Regarding obsessional fan opinions, I suspect (although I haven't checked) amongst some of shippers there might be a dusting of "Well the bloody Nostalgics and Sheldon Purists should be happy now. Sheldon and Amy have broken up, so they've got their wish! And the show's miserable now, they must be fucking delighted. I hope the ratings plummet and that'll show them how sucky TBBT is WITHOUT ROMANCE" Etc.
I suspect this because it's what a handful of folk always say when there's "trouble in paradise". That we must be happy when the couples are all ranty and angst-drippy.

Not even a jot (well maybe a mild jot...). We don't want ANY relationship bollocks on the show. Amy stamping around yelling at Sheldon, Sheldon either cringing or simpering or being a vengeful git towards Amy is STILL ALL RELATIONSHIP BOLLOCKS. Whether the couples are together or apart, cooing or shouting, if the plot is ABOUT the couples, it's relationship bollocks.

What we want - Plots about Sheldon's scientific work, Howard's inventions, Raj and Howard's adventures (starting a rock band was a good idea! But then Emily scuppered it. WHY? What is it with these Buzzkill women? Women aren't all bloody like that! Where are the geek women forsooth!), Sheldon learning new skills from Penny, and vice versa, more prank wars, Sheldon going on a rampage, Penny's acting career, or indeed Penny doing anything unrelated to Leonard, experimental episodes, dreams, surrealism, film homages!
Etc etc.


If they stick to their guns, keep Sheldon and Amy separated, but friends, and return Sheldon to being TRIUMPHANT IN HIS INDEPENDENCE, the old, superior alien Sheldon, THEN the show will be saved, and we'll be happy.

[Idle Miscreant]

"Cuoco and Parsons: We already know that the traditional pairings of Parsons/Galecki, Parsons/Bialik, and Galecki/Cuoco are comedy gold, but nothing beats the dialogue and uniqueness of Parsons/Cuoco. For example: When Penny tells Sheldon that the girl who kissed Leonard is named Mandy Chow, Sheldon replies, “Oh, you don’t need to worry about her! She’s brilliant and attractive. She can do way better than Leonard.” Penny: "That's great!" But when Sheldon suggests he date Mandy to get back at Amy and Leonard, he realizes that's no good either. "No, I could never date someone with such low self-esteem that she dated Leonard." Penny replies, "I'm with Leonard!" Sheldon deadpans: "I know. Forever!" "

<From Glamour >

[Tuesday Pajamas]

From tumblr

"I really don’t understand why no one can see how absolutely perfect Penny and Sheldon are for one another. When Sheldon hears about how terrible Leonard and Penny’s wedding night is going, all of his focus immediately shifts to Penny.

Seriously, it’s as if he’s completely ignoring all of his problems and his pain and instead takes care of her. He takes the time to prepare a hot beverage for her and bring it over to her. He doesn’t even offer one to Leonard. And then Penny and he actually talked about their relationship problems, and for a second I could have sworn that something huge was going to happen between them. It was going in the right direction; if it would have progressed anymore, they could have kissed, or said something to provoke the other’s feelings, I don’t know, but dammit this was really amazing to see." - the-big-bang-bazinga

[Kimk26]

From tumblr

"I really don’t understand why no one can see how absolutely perfect Penny and Sheldon are for one another. When Sheldon hears about how terrible Leonard and Penny’s wedding night is going, all of his focus immediately shifts to Penny.

Seriously, it’s as if he’s completely ignoring all of his problems and his pain and instead takes care of her. He takes the time to prepare a hot beverage for her and bring it over to her. He doesn’t even offer one to Leonard. And then Penny and he actually talked about their relationship problems, and for a second I could have sworn that something huge was going to happen between them. It was going in the right direction; if it would have progressed anymore, they could have kissed, or said something to provoke the other’s feelings, I don’t know, but dammit this was really amazing to see." - the-big-bang-bazinga

Oh, PJ, I'm SO GLAD you posted this. I was telling Gripe the same thing earlier. I felt the SAME EXACT THING when they started to share their relationship problems. For a second, yeah, it completely felt like something big was going to happen. They got this real quiet moment..and dammit if the actors and the direction/directing..it felt like they were going to kiss or embrace, or look at each other and something was going to be said. It was a full second. And yes, it felt intentional in the writing of the scene. Not a fluke, or by-product of Jim and Kaley's chemistry. It felt like something was going to happen. And in my mind, I was like, these two could end up together. 

[Tuesday Pajamas]

It's the dynamic of the characters as well, its all there. Another one from tumblr.

"ok so i watched the tbbt premiere and I have to say I really wish they expanded that sheldon + penny scene. honestly their dynamic is the most interesting and compelling on the show and tbh I used to hardcore ship them in the earlier seasons (jfc I think I was 14 when the adhesive duck deficiency aired??? and shenny shippers collectively exploded)."

The poll is up if anyone wants to vote.

[devilbk]

Unfortunately one good scene, actually most of that scene, does not a good episode make. TPTB are now actually screwing with us. Putting powerful Shenny scenes in episodes is a tease because they aren't brave or good enough to to TBBT into a real love story. Medioccre Shenny has more smoldering fire than the hottest Lenny or Shamy ever.

[Tuesday Pajamas]

Unfortunately one good scene, actually most of that scene, does not a good episode make. TPTB are now actually screwing with us. Putting powerful Shenny scenes in episodes is a tease because they aren't brave or good enough to to TBBT into a real love story. Medioccre Shenny has more smoldering fire than the hottest Lenny or Shamy ever.

Kaley, I hear, was tremendous but I can't help imagining how much more earth shattering her scenes would be, if she were paired with Jim.   It's a no brainer really but the show has promised the canons their limp endgame and they will get it. *sigh*