12-18-2016, 09:50 AM
I think TPTB have something they don't want to admit: Leonard is not a strong enough character to be the lead.
Even with capturing the heart of the pretty leading lady. Still zippo chemistry. It's almost as if Penny is there to legitimize Leonard. Unfortunately for creators, Leonard's flatness only sucks the life out of Penny, and their scenes together are akin to paint drying.
The only coupledom Leonard worked best in was with Sheldon--and both were single. In this, Leonard was the absolute subordinate, and IMO, was at his funniest. With the addition of Penny, it was her interactions with Sheldon which showed how plain Leonard really was--and what a self-loather, given how it became obvious that he'd give his eye-teeth to be 'normal' like Penny. Because normal guys got girls like Penny, apparently.
Early episodes with him pining over Penny 'worked' because the relationship wasn't the focus of the episode. There was an 'A' plot which swept the pining one-sided romance aside. Or in other words, Leonard's pseudo-relationship was subordinate to the main plot. Again, he is unable to drive the episodes forward--so no wonder Sheldon became such a breakout character: give him anything from the number 43, to sleep deprivation, to a 3 strike policy and entire episodes become comedic gold.
Leonard is wish-fulfillment to the utmost. That he has become more of a vile character as the seasons have gone on and yet continues to be the 'hero' of the story is proof. The show has had to lower its standards in order to make Leonard look better. Sheldon has been lobotomized, Raj is a jerk and Howard, emasculated. Poor Penny's backstory gets seedier in order to make her, at the very least, 'just as bad' as Leonard in order to make his transgressions less vile.
People talk about Mary-Sue's. Now we have the male equivalent. Find an author insert--oh, how positively Leonard.
Even with capturing the heart of the pretty leading lady. Still zippo chemistry. It's almost as if Penny is there to legitimize Leonard. Unfortunately for creators, Leonard's flatness only sucks the life out of Penny, and their scenes together are akin to paint drying.
The only coupledom Leonard worked best in was with Sheldon--and both were single. In this, Leonard was the absolute subordinate, and IMO, was at his funniest. With the addition of Penny, it was her interactions with Sheldon which showed how plain Leonard really was--and what a self-loather, given how it became obvious that he'd give his eye-teeth to be 'normal' like Penny. Because normal guys got girls like Penny, apparently.
Early episodes with him pining over Penny 'worked' because the relationship wasn't the focus of the episode. There was an 'A' plot which swept the pining one-sided romance aside. Or in other words, Leonard's pseudo-relationship was subordinate to the main plot. Again, he is unable to drive the episodes forward--so no wonder Sheldon became such a breakout character: give him anything from the number 43, to sleep deprivation, to a 3 strike policy and entire episodes become comedic gold.
Leonard is wish-fulfillment to the utmost. That he has become more of a vile character as the seasons have gone on and yet continues to be the 'hero' of the story is proof. The show has had to lower its standards in order to make Leonard look better. Sheldon has been lobotomized, Raj is a jerk and Howard, emasculated. Poor Penny's backstory gets seedier in order to make her, at the very least, 'just as bad' as Leonard in order to make his transgressions less vile.
People talk about Mary-Sue's. Now we have the male equivalent. Find an author insert--oh, how positively Leonard.
Let's go exploring!