The Speculation with Spoilers Saturation

[TWP]

I just read it, and I think it sounds perfect. I can't wait to see the episode!

It really does.  It hits all the right notes.  Well done, show!

[SmithW6079]

Ugh.

[TWP]

Sheldon will become a real boy! It's the best character development, well, since Pinnochio!

 

They really do handle it very well, including the ending which assures that he won't turn into a perv or something. :-)

[Indy]

What I want to know is what will the Shamy sex agreement** be like?  ;-). 

I'm sure there will be a Coitus section added to the Relationship Agreement.  Specifying things like frequency, location, and whether or not Sheldon is allowed to keep his socks on.  

[SmithW6079]

Sheldon will become a real boy! It's the best character development, well, since Pinnochio!

Sex is not a requirement to become a "real" anything. Does Amy having sex mean she's now a "real" woman?

Sheldon has always been presented as asexual, which is broadly defined.

This is from Wikipedia's article on asexuality:

Asexual people, though lacking sexual attraction to any gender, might engage in purely romantic relationships, while others might not. There are asexual-identified individuals who report that they feel sexual attraction but not the inclination to act on it because they have no true desire or need to engage in sexual or non-sexual activity (cuddling, hand-holding, etc.), while other asexuals engage in cuddling or other non-sexual physical activity.

That's pretty much been Amy and Sheldon's entire relationship, at least on his part.

[Valerie]

Sheldon could still be asexual, possibly even grey ace or demisexual. Demis only engage in sex once they have made a deep, emotional bond with the other person. And I feel as though they've been hinting at Sheldon's growing curiousity about coitus for a while now (off the top of my head when he said it's not out of the picture completely).

 

Some aces may be open to sexual encounters if it's scheduled/planned, and see it as something for their partner and not for themselves. Sheldon suggesting that they do this once a year on Amy's birthday is actually not as unusual as it sounds.

[huahaha]

I agree that the upcoming Sheldon story is presenting him as demisexual or graysexual, and I recognize OCD/germ issues as well. I have some experience with that, and the germ-phobic person needs time to see their partner's germs as their own, basically. Sheldon has definitely been taking steps to do that with Amy (making out, etc.). Now, if the show writes it so Sheldon is forced into sex he doesn't want, I will not be on board for that at all. But if he finds something in it that he likes, on his own schedule, what's wrong with that?

[TWP]

Sex is not a requirement to become a "real" anything. Does Amy having sex mean she's now a "real" woman?

 

I was joking.  I guess I figured that since the show is a comedy, I didn't need to say so.  I was apparently wrong. 

 

Of course, Sheldon is a real person.  Sigh.  Sheldon seems stunted in many ways, relationships being just one.  Amy, with her faults, is a whole lot less mal-adjusted. For one thing, she seems comfortable sitting in any spot, so clearly the OCD is milder.  She also appears to understand humor and sarcasm better.

 

Maybe sex will be a breakthrough for Sheldon in other factors in his life.  That was a little of what I was getting at with my comment. But it was A JOKE. 

 

The number one assumption to be made in reading anything I say is that I'm probably not serious and even more rarely so on TBBT board.  Please make a note of it ;-). <-Not serious about that last sentence either .

Edited November 22, 2015 by TWP

[caligirl50]

Well TWP, the breakthrough comment you made above was actually on an episode where Penny takes Sheldon to a psychic and the psychic tells Sheldon (without naming names) that Amy is the key to his career success.  The episode aired last season (I think) when Sheldon decided he didn't want to focus on string theory any longer but didn't know what area he did want to study.

[Homily]

I've never seen Sheldon as asexual (or Aperger's for that matter).  To me he stopped maturing when he was about 12 and  has spent most of his adult life emulating Mr Spock.  Something both he and the other characters have talked about from time to time over the years.  He's becoming a real person and not just a guy who wishes he was a robot more and more as the show has progressed and especially as his relationship with Amy has developed.  Sheldon will always be Sheldon I hope but if his maturation into a fully formed adult is handled well I'll be happy,  I still don't want to see him and Amy in bed though.

Edited November 22, 2015 by Homily

[Valerie]

From the taping report, it seems like they imply afterward that it was slightly awkward but still sweet. More enjoyable than Sheldon was predicting. I don't think sex is going to be a regular thing between them -- Sheldon implies the next time will be Amy's birthday the following year, which she seems more than okay with -- but it was something she wanted and that Sheldon finally felt ready for.

 

I'm looking forward to seeing how what we've read on screen translates to how it's acted, and also if they're just going to leave it at that as I predict they will.

[hnygrl]

I don't know what this makes me...*shrug* but I don't think I'll be watching that episode, and TBBT is fast losing it's luster for me.

 

All the reasons I watched are pretty much gone now. Every now and again we get an old school funny episode. But well, I guess that last sentence says it doesn't it? "Old School" funny. The "good old days" are long gone and you can't go backwards. This show is just friends in California now, and instead of a coffee shop we get a comic book store. We still have "the apartment" and everybody's coupled up, except in this version, even JOEY'S coupled up.

 

Personally, I don't approve of this story line. Like i stated earlier, I would be okay with it if the sex was IMPLIED, if we didn't see any bedroom scenes, but they're going to go there. Then I'm sure they're gonna make Amy a sex maniac, begging for sex every day and Sheldon being reluctant.

 

Or worse, the "friends" getting all up in their business, telling (Amy mostly) how it "should" work relationship-wise.

 

I guess the mature thing to do is quit watching instead of constantly bemoaning the lowering of the IQs of my favorite geniuses....

And mostly (sadly), I have. Quit watching. I couldn't even tell you what Thursday's show was about I was so disconnected (come to think of it WHAT WAS it about????) **oh yeah...thanksgiving....*

Edited November 23, 2015 by hnygrl

[KatWay]

I haven't really been watching this season, but this spoiler basically ensures I won't be watching again. This show has lost all that once made it original and creative and become yet another couples sitcom, and stripping Sheldon of his uniqueness (because OCD quirky highly intelligent asshole in itself is nothing new) just cements it. I didn't watch Two and a Half Men because of its sex-obsessed writing, and I'm certainly not watching Two and a Half Couples.

 

Also, and perhaps more importantly, this show is just not funny anymore. 

[Homily]

I've found this season to be a real improvement on last year - and to be honest I didn't dislike last year's shows either, just found the year a bit uneven - but this year I've laughed out loud a few times and there are some episodes that I know I will want to watch again.  Sure it's not got the freshness of the first few years of BBT but that's to be expected.  As long as it can make me laugh and care about the characters I will watch.  That said, I am not sure about this latest development either. 

[Badsamaritan]

I'm glad. I like it when characters I've watched over time actually mature and change. These characters are what? Early 30s now? No way I want to see 30 something Sheldon still acting like S2 Sheldon, or any of the characters for that matter. Perpetually stunted man-child. I'm glad he's growing up. He will never be normal, but I like seeing him mature. It's a nice contrast to the stories he's told about his childhood and lack of friends and feeling truly loved by someone other than Mom or MeeMaw. I'm reminded of the episode where he & Penny conducted that Love experiment and he talked about wishing he could read minds because of his inability to understand certain emotions and Penny wished she could help him. So I think he's shown he does want to grow as a person so for me this isn't at all out of character.

[Mom x 3]

Congratulations on those of you who called it.  I figured it would happen, but I did not think it would happen this soon.   I'm a little bummed, because I was hoping that it actually wouldn't happen.  
 

Season 9 Episode 15 taping report.

[anna0852]

Howard is going to be so happy.

[SmithW6079]

Congratulations on those of you who called it.  I figured it would happen, but I did not think it would happen this soon.   I'm a little bummed, because I was hoping that it actually wouldn't happen.  

 

Season 9 Episode 15 taping report.

Ugh.

[Homily]

I don't know if this will be a good thing for the show but at least it's a nod to real life.  In a group of 30 somethings it's not unreasonable that this would be a step taken by at least one of the couples.  I like that they're willing to move these people forward with their lives.  Whether that will bring the funny though is another question.

[3 is enough]

The next new episode, airing on the 4th of February is titled

The Meemaw Materialization

.

Wonder who will play her?

[SmithW6079]

The next new episode, airing on the 4th of February is titled

The Meemaw Materialization

.

Wonder who will play her?

She has already been cast. I don't think it's a spoiler.

[GrtGzu]

Well, did you hear about this?

[anna0852]

I really hope the 200th is an hour long show. They'll need all the time they can get for that many guest stars.

[AriAu]

She will be played by June Squibb

 

.She will be appropriately crotchety and loving of her little moon pie, but I am bummed because Vicky Lawrence would have been an inspired choice, topped only by having Carol Burnett play her (as an older Eunice).

[Homily]

Eunice didn't love anyone but herself though and Mee Maw loves her Moon Pie!

[AriAu]

Eunice didn't love anyone but herself though and Mee Maw loves her Moon Pie!

 

I'll buy that, but wouldn't it be fun to see and Laurie Metcalf chewing up the scenery!

[anna0852]

With Season 10 looming, I wanted to start speculating on when Baby Wolowitz shows up. We know Bernie told Howard she was pregnant right around Valentines day, which means she's probably due sometime in the fall. Sweeps week baby?

[chitowngirl]

November (Sweeps month) should be the due date, but they will have to time jump if we pick up where we left off at the wedding.

[OtterMommy]

15 hours ago, chitowngirl said:

November (Sweeps month) should be the due date, but they will have to time jump if we pick up where we left off at the wedding.

True...but the date/time of year was never really defined in the last episode of last season and they could "make up time" between September and November.  

I would have to stick with the idea that it will be sweeps month, so either November or February--and I doubt February because that would invite too many viewer comments on Benadette's 12+ month pregnancy.

[wknt3]

22 hours ago, OtterMommy said:

True...but the date/time of year was never really defined in the last episode of last season and they could "make up time" between September and November.  

I would have to stick with the idea that it will be sweeps month, so either November or February--and I doubt February because that would invite too many viewer comments on Benadette's 12+ month pregnancy.

I would also guess November to get a little extra attention during the NFL season. The real question isn't when since we all know it will be November or February. It's where will Howard be stuck until the last possible moment before the birth and what stupid juvenile thing will he be doing? And how will they set it up so Sheldon is stuck with Bernadette during the delivery? Will they miss any sitcom childbirth cliches?

[CherryAmes]

3 minutes ago, wknt3 said:

Will they miss any sitcom childbirth cliches?

It's a Chuck Lorre show and based on how they handled Judith's labour and delivery in Two and a Half Men I may have to skip the Bernie gives birth episode until  I read about it here.  To be fair the women on BBT are not all the soul sucking shrews that the women on TAHM were but I still have little confidence that Lorre can handle something like this without making the women mean and the men useless.

[mstar1125]

This isn't really "speculation with spoilers" since I haven't seen any spoilers about this, but I got a definite "Air Force guy is Howard's dad" vibe from the whole way those scenes were set up (him not giving his name or explaining why he wanted to see Howard). It would make sense for him to show up now that Mrs. Wolowitz is out of the picture, and  he might live close by if Howard's half-brother is in San Diego. 

[Dots And Stripes]

On 9/21/2016 at 1:08 PM, mstar1125 said:

This isn't really "speculation with spoilers" since I haven't seen any spoilers about this, but I got a definite "Air Force guy is Howard's dad" vibe from the whole way those scenes were set up (him not giving his name or explaining why he wanted to see Howard). It would make sense for him to show up now that Mrs. Wolowitz is out of the picture, and  he might live close by if Howard's half-brother is in San Diego. 

I got the same vibe but if that's where they're going I'll be very disappointed for 2 reasons. One is that it was so poorly executed. Two is it would require a re-writing of Howard's backstory. From old episodes, Howard remembered his father. It's not like his father ran off when he was an infant. Howard should recognize him, or at least realize that he knows the guy from somewhere even if so much time as past that he doesn't immediately place the man as his father.

[AnnieBeez]

I didn't get that vibe at all. I thought there was military interest in their invention last season. 

[anna0852]

I think that Howard would have mentioned his father was in the Air Force, even if he hasn't seen him since he was 12. There's no way the guy could be that highly placed and only have joined since leaving his family. But it will be interesting to see how are lovable nerds manage to stick their foot in their mouths when dealing with this one.

[vavera4ka]

18 hours ago, anna0852 said:

I think that Howard would have mentioned his father was in the Air Force, even if he hasn't seen him since he was 12. There's no way the guy could be that highly placed and only have joined since leaving his family. But it will be interesting to see how are lovable nerds manage to stick their foot in their mouths when dealing with this one.

two words: secret mission

lol

[snarkylady]

Is there an appropriate thread for Baby Wolowitz gender and name speculation?  I wasn't certain where to post this.

I don't have any spoilers for this but am going to fearlessly predict:

Baby Girl (delivered with Raj and/or Sheldon attending)

First choice for the name:  Carol Ann

Second choice name:  Debbie

[Homily]

I don't think Bernadette will let Howard name the baby Debbie.  Maybe a middle name.  I think given Howard's creepy relationship with his mother naming his daughter after her would be, well, creepy!

[PinkRibbons]

You underestimate how important it is for many Jews to pass on family names. I've seen grandparents crushed to the point that they feel the deceased has been lost all over again because their children refuse to give their own child that name, even as a middle name. I've known the most secular Jews who wouldn't violate that tradition. In many cases at the very least, the first initial of one of a child's names matches that of the previous family member.

Incidentally I'm named after my great-grandmother who I understand was emotionally abusive, cruel and just plain unpleasant. It's still a great name, and she doesn't pop into everybody's heads every time I'm called. The name belongs to me now. And I'm aware that my name stands to tell the world that, for all her faults, a woman with my name lived once, gave birth to my wonderful grandmother and kept her safe through a world war.

[Homily]

That reminds me of something I wondered about. Unless Bernadette converts will the baby even be raised Jewish?  Have they ever talked about that?

[snarkylady]

PinkRibbons .... yes, I suggested Debbie (or more likely Deborah) for that very reason since the show has emphasized Howard's Jewish heritage repeatedly over the years. 

Homily .... good point, since Judaism employs a matrilineal descent and from what we've seen Bernadette did not convert then the child wouldn't be considered Jewish. 

My take is to use Debbie if they want to honor the character and Howard's heritage,  or Carol Ann if they want to honor the actress who played her. 

[hnygrl]

Looks like this may be the end of the show. Not because they're out of ideas, but because the contract negotiations are in the toilet. At this point, neither side is willing to budge and season 11 is a wash. So far. I think, that if they want to continue getting paid (and let's face it, none of them has anyone beating down their doors for other parts), they (the actors) will cave. Eventually. Before filming for the new season starts. Maybe?  

I don't know...I'm not as into TBBT as I used to be....

I would attach links but the ones I've found that tell the story adequately are so badly written as to be embarrassing.

[anna0852]

I wonder if Big Bang  will address the fact that Carrie Fisher has passed.

[Literata]

• They've got to do something with Leonard and Penny if they want anyone to continue to care about this show. IMO, the two of them as a married couple not only have zero chemistry, but there doesn't seem to be a way for the writers to move them forward in any substantive way. Having them get pregnant isn't an answer; we're already seeing, with baby Halley, that the writers have no idea how to integrate a baby.
• I'm in the make-Raj-gay camp. It could be handled sensitively; e.g., he's had little luck with relationships over the years because he's been repressing his true self. This would enable us to care about Raj again, and the characters' reactions to his coming out would be notable as well. 

[MaryMitch]

4 hours ago, Literata said:

• They've got to do something with Leonard and Penny if they want anyone to continue to care about this show. IMO, the two of them as a married couple not only have zero chemistry, but there doesn't seem to be a way for the writers to move them forward in any substantive way. Having them get pregnant isn't an answer; we're already seeing, with baby Halley, that the writers have no idea how to integrate a baby.
• I'm in the make-Raj-gay camp. It could be handled sensitively; e.g., he's had little luck with relationships over the years because he's been repressing his true self. This would enable us to care about Raj again, and the characters' reactions to his coming out would be notable as well. 

I love Leonard and Penny together. As Stuart said a couple seasons ago, they make each other a better person.

As for the other, I dunno... we've known Raj for so many years, making him gay seems like a cop-out.

[Literata]

3 minutes ago, MaryMitch said:

we've known Raj for so many years, making him gay seems like a cop-out.

As another poster noted, it depends on the writing. I can see it working as part of the current storyline. Raj is taking stock, trying to get himself figured out. It's plausible that he's in his 30s and hasn't come out; he likely would have feared disappointing his parents, who had been known to joke about his being gay but probably would have reacted badly to an actual announcement. I can see this going one of two ways: It's handled sensitively, like Howard's mom's death and the letter from Howard's dad, or it's turned into a punchline. The writers don't seem to know what to do with Raj, so my hopes aren't high, but maybe this could  make BBT halfway relevant again.   

[LoneHaranguer]

1 hour ago, MaryMitch said:

As for the other, I dunno... we've known Raj for so many years, making him gay seems like a cop-out.

Bi may be the better choice, given the groundwork over the years.

[CherryAmes]

19 hours ago, MaryMitch said:

As for the other, I dunno... we've known Raj for so many years, making him gay seems like a cop-out.

Totally agree.  And aside from all else I cannot see the Lorre team handling subject matter like that in any way sensitively.  And frankly I don't like the implication that just because a guy can like "girlish" things and doesn't have the best of luck with women hey presto make him gay.  BBT already makes a helluva lot of stereotypes based on gender it would be nice if they didn't trot down that road too.

Edited March 23, 2017 by CherryAmes

[TheOtherOne]

Finale spoiler:

Quote

The gang is concerned when Sheldon's former admirer, Dr. Ramona Nowitzki (Riki Lindhome), resurfaces while Amy is away at Princeton.

Geez, they really are digging into the past with this one. But why would the gang be concerned when he wasn't even interested in her?
 

[LaChavalina]

I can't believe they're going to dredge that storyline up from eight years ago, yet we only got to hear about Priya's wedding in a throwaway line of dialogue.