Leonard Hofstadter/Johnny Galecki: He's Not David Anymore

[Lisin]

I'm a big fan of Johnny Galecki.

[Midru]

To me Leonard has always been the center of the series. Not just the social center. He is usually also the moral center, too. 

Definitely the guy I'd most want to have as a buddy out of the four.

[fifty8th]

I agree, while Sheldon is the focal point way too much because of his quirks, I think Leonard is the glue, he is the what links the group together.

[Kalliste]

I haven't watched it all yet so I'm trying to stay spoiler free but I had to come in and comment on this because I love the subject. I was pretty excited when I found out Johnny Galecki and Sara Gilbert were in this together.

 

Granted, I liked Johnny more as David than Leonard.

 

In relation to the character, I've only watched about 5 seasons but Leonard just comes across as so whiny and squinty to me. I don't know if I would want him as a friend, I think I'd prefer Raj.

[LoneHaranguer]

Raj is only a fair weather friend. Of the original group, I think I'd pick Penny as being the truest friend, with Leonard in second place (just don't ask him for advice).

[Kalliste]

I just watched the episode where Raj, Howard and Leonard go out to watch the meteor shower and accidentally eat 'bad' cookies :P

 

I still liked Raj more, his rabbit king story was great! I also think even Sheldon would be a good friend. In this episode he's a good friend to Penny, granted I couldn't spend all my time with him but he is a decent friend. I actually have a friend who is similar to him, a good friend in small doses :P

[DkNNy79]

I like Sheldon's quirky ways. I'm sure they will get annoying as time passes.

 

I think Leonard is a push over at times and can be ruled by his "loins" at times.  When they first met Penny, he did lots of stuff for her that I would never have imagined doing for someone you just met.  Confronting her ex?

 

My choice of friends:

Sheldon

Raj (Love his cooking skills)

Leonard

Howard

[Oldernowiser]

I haven't watched it all yet so I'm trying to stay spoiler free but I had to come in and comment on this because I love the subject. I was pretty excited when I found out Johnny Galecki and Sara Gilbert were in this together.

 

Granted, I liked Johnny more as David than Leonard.

 

In relation to the character, I've only watched about 5 seasons but Leonard just comes across as so whiny and squinty to me. I don't know if I would want him as a friend, I think I'd prefer Raj.

I have watched National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation every holiday season since it first came out...literally. It's a family tradition. Until someone mentioned it on TWOP, I never would have realized that Russ was Galecki...but now, having realized it, it's hilarious, because even as a kid, he was still squinty and a little whiny!

[Kalliste]

I like Sheldon's quirky ways. I'm sure they will get annoying as time passes.

 

I think Leonard is a push over at times and can be ruled by his "loins" at times.  When they first met Penny, he did lots of stuff for her that I would never have imagined doing for someone you just met.  Confronting her ex?

 

My choice of friends:

Sheldon

Raj (Love his cooking skills)

Leonard

Howard

I think this is my order too, assuming I have the option of getting away from Sheldon occasionally :P

 

I was also thinking last night that Leonard isn't only a pushover when it comes to 'pretty girls' but also overly sensitive. I think it was one of the first episodes that Penny, who he had only just met, came home with a guy and he got super sad and emotional about it.. about a girl he only just met but she's pretty so obviously he just lost the love of his life..

[Driad]

 

That is more or less my preferred order too.  Sheldon is OK if we set the rules carefully.  Luckily I can't drive, so that's one less way Sheldon could try to exploit our friendship.  Raj can be fun and helpful, and maybe I could encourage him to be less gross.  Leonard seems to need a lot of support because he's so insecure.  Howard is much less skeevy now, but he tries to get out of doing his fair share (like laundry).

[KatWay]

Raj is a fair weather friend IMO. He's fun and helpful and organises cool parties, but he's also the guy who almost slept with one of his best friend's ex-girlfriend and the guy who had an inappropriate crush on his other best friend's girlfriend. He would be fun to hang out with but not somebody I would count on having my back.

 

I mean, I can't really look at Raj practically cackling with glee at the thought of Howard getting his heart broken and humiliated in front of everyone and think, aw, he's such a good friend.

 

Leonard is whiny and can be an asshole (like the rest of them), but he's also usually willing to do a lot of dumb/annoying stuff for his friends. And he at least felt bad about stealing Dr. Stephanie from Howard (and he'd only just met her, he wasn't trying to get into a long-term love interest's pants there). Sheldon would be fun to visit about once a week or so, at his place so I could leave if I had enough.

[SmithW6079]

Leonard is my favorite character, and sometimes I think he gets a raw deal. He puts up with Sheldon's bullshit, which makes him a saint. One of my favorite Leonard moments is when Sheldon goes crazy and ends up in the ball pit at some arcade. They call Leonard to come get Sheldon, and when he does, he says, "Oh, Shelly," in such a way that you know he cares about Sheldon, even if he drives him crazy.

 

I have no problem with Leonard's passive-aggressive ways of getting back at Sheldon, because let's face it, Sheldon's a douche.

[CaliforniaLove]

I always enjoyed Galecki on Roseanne, but his portrayal of Leonard has always bugged...His delivery reminds me of how someone in a middle-school play would over exaggerate a "nerd" persona. He's the only one on the show who I see as "acting", or "putting it on" as opposed to actually being the character which is what I get from the rest of the cast.

[Kalliste]

Yes, I hate his over acting! I feel like Penny does it too though although I think Kaley has improved throughout the show, I feel like Leonard is much the same.. also, is there a reason for Leonard's hair? I'm currently at the beginning of season 7 and it's getting waay to long and he slicks it back and it just doesn't look good.

[photo fox]

IIRC I think JG was wearing his hair longer for a movie role?  Sometimes I think they try to hard at "nerding" Leonard up, maybe because JG is quite attractive in RL when styled properly.

 

Sheldon had some goofy hair for awhile, I think when JP was shooting The Normal Heart.

[Kalliste]

Was that when he had the long hair? That was driving me crazy :P I was so glad when it was short when the next season started.

[fivestone]

He's too much of a wuss and a pushover. That's why Wolowitz is my favourite. He's witty and owns his personality flaws. Raj is pathetic, Sheldon is an arsehole, and Leonard is almost as pathetic as Raj, but more socially adept. I like Penny, Bernadette's OK sometimes, and I like Amy when she's not degrading herself by trying to get Sheldon to be a better boyfriend. I don't know what it is about Johnny Galecki, but I haven't really liked him in any role he's played.

[CherryAmes]

Does anyone else thing if they ever made a biopic about Gene Kelly that Johnny Galecki would be great in the role?  Just me?  I don't know why but lately everytime I watch BBT and see him I think "wow he looks just like Gene Kelly, I wonder if he can dance"!

[MelinaBallerina]

I passed an article about the Roseanne re-boot and they were mostly talking about how Darlene's child was named after Glenn Quinn's character in memoriam.  It seems like most of the original cast is coming back for this, but Galecki is the only one seems to have a strong, steady job.  Is he going to be showing up in the Roseanne re-boot, does anyone know?

[rmontro]

Leonard has always gotten on my nerves.  I agree that he is the glue that holds everybody together though.  It's kind of a thankless job for Galecki, because he's sort of the straight man for Sheldon, and his character is whiny, insecure, and kind of dull.  All of the friends (except Sheldon) would undercut their friends if they could get laid, and Leonard is no exception.  He may even be the worst of the bunch, because he jumped on the Dr. Stephanie opportunity, he dated Priya against Raj's wishes, he dated Joyce Kim despite her being a Korean spy, and I've always thought he had some sort of entitlement attitude about Penny.  In spite of his insecurity, he was like "I'm the king of the nerds, if anybody gets a shot at the pretty blonde next door, it's going to be me".  I'm almost glad Raj had a night with her.  

[BlossomCulp]

8 minutes ago, rmontro said:

 He may even be the worst of the bunch, because he jumped on the Dr. Stephanie opportunity, he dated Priya against Raj's wishes, he dated Joyce Kim despite her being a Korean spy, and I've always thought he had some sort of entitlement attitude about Penny.

To be fair it's not like Howard had a shot with Dr Stephanie and he didn't know Joyce Kim was a spy!  Totally agree about his entitlement attitude towards Penny and you reminded me of another episode where he acted all entitled.  The early episode where Sheldon's twin sister shows up, Leonard tries to work things so he can ask her out and when he finally does and is shot down he goes back to the other guys and says "well here's something we didn't foresee".  Um, really Leonard?  It never occurred to you that Missy might have absolutely zero interest in dating you?

[rmontro]

37 minutes ago, BlossomCulp said:

To be fair it's not like Howard had a shot with Dr Stephanie and he didn't know Joyce Kim was a spy!

Well, if you're going to be fair about it....   lol.

Seriously, maybe Howard didn't have a shot with Stephanie.  But we know this because Stephanie tells that to Leonard, that she just wanted to drive the Rover.  But she was into Leonard by that time, so maybe she was telling him what he wanted to hear.  In any case, Howard picked her up, it wasn't really cool of Leonard, but it's not that big of a deal.  

As for Joyce Kim, I guess he found out later that she was a spy?  I'm a little fuzzy on the timeline.  I don't think it would have stopped him though.

[hnygrl]

Leonard found out Joyce Kim was a spy when she defected BACK to North Korea....

[peacheslatour]

Quote

The early episode where Sheldon's twin sister shows up, Leonard tries to work things so he can ask her out and when he finally does and is shot down he goes back to the other guys and says "well here's something we didn't foresee".

I think that was sarcasm. YMMV.

[CherryAmes]

2 hours ago, peacheslatour said:

I think that was sarcasm. YMMV.

It did seem out of character that Leonard would be so self confident that he would assume Missy would have fallen for him!  That said I didn't hear sarcasm so much I think that he assumed of the three guys he was the best pick.  Which is true even if Missy thought Raj was the better choice :).

[rmontro]

3 hours ago, CherryAmes said:

That said I didn't hear sarcasm so much I think that he assumed of the three guys he was the best pick.  Which is true even if Missy thought Raj was the better choice :).

I agree that Leonard assumed he would be the best pick out of all the nerds.  This is an example of his arrogance.  

I disagree that he is necessarily a better pick than Raj though.  I've heard other women say that Raj would be their pick of the group.  Raj is certainly not without his flaws, but I doubt that she wanted him for anything serious.

[Snarklepuss]

2 hours ago, rmontro said:

I agree that Leonard assumed he would be the best pick out of all the nerds.  This is an example of his arrogance. 

Yeah, I don't know, I always saw Leonard's comment there as his usual self-deprecating sarcasm.  But even if not I don't know whether I'd call it arrogant to think you're a better pick among that group of nerds, LOL.

[wknt3]

On 8/11/2017 at 5:31 PM, peacheslatour said:

I think that was sarcasm. YMMV.

I don't know. Leonard usually makes sure everyone clearly understands when something is intended as sarasm...

Edited August 13, 2017 by wknt3

[CherryAmes]

Yeah sarcasm isn't the word I'd have used in that scenario.  Major wishful thinking on Leonard's part more likely.  The whole Missy thing though reminds me of a character trait of Leonard's that I always have liked.  Yes, for sure he pursued Penny from the pilot episode, but Penny aside he never gave off the impression that he is one of those self described "nice guys" who despite their own shortcomings think they are entitled to run with the supermodels and dismiss any girl who isn't a 10 as being not worth his time.  Dr Sarah and Leslie Winkle as two examples of relationships he had with women who are not gorgeous leggy blondes.   Raj  and Howard were both walking disasters yet they expected to 'party with the pretty girls'.

Edited August 12, 2017 by CherryAmes

[rmontro]

4 hours ago, CherryAmes said:

Yeah sarcasm isn't the word I'd have used in that scenario.  Major wishful thinking on Leonard's part more likely.  The whole Missy thing though reminds me of a character trait of Leonard's that I always have liked.  Yes, for sure he pursued Penny from the pilot episode, but Penny aside he never gave off the impression that he is one of those self described "nice guys" who despite their own shortcomings think they are entitled to run with the supermodels and dismiss any girl who isn't a 10 as being not worth his time.  Dr Sarah and Leslie Winkle as two examples of relationships he had with women who are not gorgeous leggy blondes.   Raj  and Howard were both walking disasters yet they expected to 'party with the pretty girls'.

Fair point about Raj, Howard, Leslie Winkle, and Dr. Stephanie.  But I always thought Leonard had an entitlement attitude about Penny.  That didn't stop the other two guys (leaving out Sheldon) from taking their shot at her though.

One thing that always annoyed me on this show was the way Howard would talk about Bernadette like she wasn't hot enough for him, like he was settling.  Actually it's not so much him as the show in general.  Amy has described her as "cute in the right light".  As if Bernadette wasn't a genuine hottie in her own right.  She may or may not be as attractive as Penny (depending on your taste), but they're not that far apart in the looks department.

[trudysmom]

The first time I watched Big Bang and saw Leonard I yelled "it's Trouty!".  From that series My Boys.  I loved that show.  He was an annoying little nerd in that show, too.  Love him though.