S12.E15: The Donation Oscillation

[Bort]

Quote

Penny tries to seduce an abstaining Leonard to ruin his "donation" for her ex-boyfriend, Zack, and his wife, Marissa. Also, Howard, Bernadette, Anu and Raj turn Raj’s canceled bachelor party into a couple's trip.

Airdate: Thursday, February 7, 2019

[Reality police]

I predict that Penny will break. She will be pregnant by the finale. 

[Driad]

Have the writers not seen the first episode? Leonard and Sheldon might have children somewhere. Maybe Penny doesn't know, but L or S might mention it between themselves.

It seems out of character for Sheldon to want to have a child with a woman who would marry Zack. Sheldon postulated having a child with Amy because they are both highly intelligent. Marissa has not shown evidence of that level of intellect.

Did they really shoot that scene on the Vomit Comet?

[tessaray]

17 minutes ago, Driad said:

Have the writers not seen the first episode? Leonard and Sheldon might have children somewhere. Maybe Penny doesn't know, but L or S might mention it between themselves.

I thought they chickened out before making any donations?  I just saw the first episode not too long ago but my knowledge of the first five years is pretty spotty, so maybe they did after that?

[lorbeer]

1 hour ago, Driad said:

Have the writers not seen the first episode? Leonard and Sheldon might have children somewhere. Maybe Penny doesn't know, but L or S might mention it between themselves.

They resigned of doing that. They left the clinic before doing anything.

1 hour ago, Reality police said:

I predict that Penny will break. She will be pregnant by the finale. 

Maybe Amy's dream will come true and they will be belly buddies.

[Gothish520]

2 hours ago, Reality police said:

I predict that Penny will break. She will be pregnant by the finale. 

I hope not. For once I'd like to see a character say "no kids" and stick to it. 

Was kind of annoyed by Bernie, and I usually love her bitchiness. Why would it be terrible to admit that your husband knows you? I am proud that my husband knows me so well that he would be quite aware that doing something even remotely dangerous or sick-inducing would elicit a gigantic NO from me!

[MissLucas]

Urrgh, horrible episode - probably the worst of this season. Of course Penny can't make up her mind what the hell she wants and instead of talking dons some ridiculous lingerie and of course she will cave in in the end. Leonard is hardly any better and I really don't need to be regularly reminded that these two jokers married after several years of relationship without ever really discussing children. Zack and his fiancee are left hanging for the sake of this stupid plot. And Sheldon and his constant reminders that he won't pass on asthma can go to the special hell reserved for fans of eugenics and their adherents.

I was with Bernadette that Howard should have asked her as a polite gesture - but everything afterwards was just grounds for divorce.

Howard and Amy were the only adults in the room. Raj and Anu were  around waiting for a good plot but only getting grief for their cancelled wedding.

Edited February 9, 2019 by MissLucas

[Bort]

6 hours ago, Reality police said:

I predict that Penny will break. She will be pregnant by the finale. 

I saw that scene with Penny and her father and thought yep, she’s gonna change her mind.

[shapeshifter]

Keith Carradine as Wyatt is so much more fun than he is as stodgy ol' POTUS on Madam Secretary. I hope he gets a more Wyatt-like (and bigger) role on some other show.

6 hours ago, Driad said:

It seems out of character for Sheldon to want to have a child with a woman who would marry Zack. Sheldon postulated having a child with Amy because they are both highly intelligent. Marissa has not shown evidence of that level of intellect.

Either Sheldon really wants to have a kid (maybe a hint?) or he was just falling back into his habitual competitiveness with Leonard, but it looks more like the former.

[2727]

The character of Wyatt is exactly the sort of person to manspread, but oof. That was rough to watch.

8 hours ago, MissLucas said:

And Sheldon and his constant reminders that he won't pass on asthma can go to the special hell reserved for fans of eugenics and their adherents.

Agreed, but given a sperm bank choice, I'd also prefer Sheldon's genes over Leonard's!

Edited February 9, 2019 by 2727

[srpturtle80]

11 hours ago, Driad said:

Did they really shoot that scene on the Vomit Comet?

No, Melissa Rausch posted videos on her Instagram of them suspended from wires so that’s how they created the weightless effect. When I was watching I did think it was real though!

Edited February 9, 2019 by srpturtle80

[Chit Chat]

All I can say is thank goodness they're not having Leonard donate his sperm to Zack and his wife.  How Leonard could've thought that would be a good idea from the start is beyond me.  Of course it's going to cause problems with Penny!  For such a smart guy, he really didn't think the whole thing through. 

[Frost]

Another filler episode.  At least we got Raj and Anu spending some quality time together.  I really disliked her in her first episode, but she's turning out to be a great partner with Raj.  She doesn't put up with his jerky side and she wants to do stuff like paint ball and Vomit Comet adventures with him.  I'm hoping there is a wedding by the end, even if it's a flash forward scene.

I actually liked Leonard admitting that he wanted a child but couldn't imagine dealing with knowing his biological offspring was being raised by Zach and his wife.  I wish the show hadn't gone the route of Penny stating she didn't want kids if they're just going to have her change her mind.  I will feel sad for Leonard if he doesn't get to be a father because I think he'd be a good one and I believe he truly wants to be a father.

Bernadette and Howard have the weirdest relationship.  I guess on the positive side, they both seem OK with the fact that they'll both go to ridiculous extremes to prove the other wrong.  

I would think the Nobel storyline is kind of the series end game so there should be more set up during these last episodes.

[Trey]

2 hours ago, 2727 said:

The character of Wyatt is exactly the sort of person to manspread, but oof. That was rough to watch.

No kidding! I was hoping someone would tell him to sit properly:).

I liked the episode. I'm glad Leonard came to his senses and I did enjoy seeing Wyatt again. And I liked seeing Raj and Anu together. 

And I don't care if Penny changes her mind and decides she wants a child after all.  This is just a sitcom and I want happy endings.  They can do the dramatic endings on dramas.

Re Howard and Bernadette's marriage, I do recall Bernadette saying once that they were "half-assing" their way through the marriage.  If it works for them...

[shapeshifter]

23 minutes ago, Frost said:

Bernadette and Howard have the weirdest relationship.  I guess on the positive side, they both seem OK with the fact that they'll both go to ridiculous extremes to prove the other wrong.  

Perhaps the Wolowitz marriage is inspired by parents like mine, who were married for 68 years and never missed an opportunity to bicker about what was the best course of action.

[Chit Chat]

40 minutes ago, Trey said:

Re Howard and Bernadette's marriage, I do recall Bernadette saying once that they were "half-assing" their way through the marriage.  If it works for them...

And sometimes we see Bernadette speak lovingly of Howard and has said to Penny how handsome/sexy he is.  She kind of runs hot and cold with her emotions.

41 minutes ago, Trey said:

And I don't care if Penny changes her mind and decides she wants a child after all.  This is just a sitcom and I want happy endings.  They can do the dramatic endings on dramas.

It's the 'will they or won't they' kind of plotline that wears thin with me.  I don't want to see Penny give in without really wanting to be a parent though.  It's a dilemma that I'm sure a lot of couples face.  

[CherryAmes]

1 hour ago, Frost said:

I actually liked Leonard admitting that he wanted a child but couldn't imagine dealing with knowing his biological offspring was being raised by Zach and his wife.

Agreed.  I thought it was weird that he would ever have seriously considered it in the first place.  An anonymous donation at a sperm bank is a very far cry from donating so that a friend will have a child.  It was also completely believable to me that Penny would have some major objections to her husband fathering a child for an ex-boyfriend.  

[ams1001]

10 hours ago, Gothish520 said:

I am proud that my husband knows me so well that he would be quite aware that doing something even remotely dangerous or sick-inducing would elicit a gigantic NO from me!

I am so very prone to motion sickness. If I got to the point of marrying someone who didn't know that something called the vomit comet would be about the last thing I'd ever want to do I'd think there was something wrong.

[Guest]

Despite the fact that most of the episode was typical sitcom hijinks I really liked the way the episode ended. 

Penny had a real conversation with her father. Leonard listened to Amy as the voice of reason and made the right choice for him. Plus we got confirmation the Penny still has a sister. 

Bernadette didn’t bother me because Howard knew exactly what she was doing and seemed to be amused by it. 

Raj and Anu were used really well here and helped to balance out Howard and Bernadette.

It might just be wishful thinking but I don’t see Penny changing her mind about having a baby.  

[chitowngirl]

3 hours ago, ChitChat said:

And sometimes we see Bernadette speak lovingly of Howard and has said to Penny how handsome/sexy he is.  She kind of runs hot and cold with her emotions.

LOL-don't we all with our spouses! 😆

[CherryAmes]

14 hours ago, MissLucas said:

Raj and Anu were  around waiting for a good plot but only getting grief for their cancelled wedding.

They deserved a little grief!!  I totally understood why Howard and Bernadette would have gone to their wedding and I can also totally understand them being more than a little angry that they were out that kind of money!  It does beg the question though as to whether anyone else was - or were the others smart enough to get tickets with travel insurance or whatever it is you get to make sure your tickets aren't non-refundable!

[ItCouldBeWorse]

I wonder if Penny's father slept on the couch, or if there is a bed in the 2nd bedroom.  I suppose Leonard sleeping on Amy and Sheldon's couch might be evidence that his couch was occupied. 

Edited February 11, 2019 by ItCouldBeWorse

[rmontro]

23 hours ago, MissLucas said:

Urrgh, horrible episode - probably the worst of this season. Of course Penny can't make up her mind what the hell she wants and instead of talking dons some ridiculous lingerie and of course she will cave in in the end.

It's impressive how that girl keeps such a flat stomach though.  And I remember comments from some earlier seasons that she was getting fat.

[rmontro]

3 hours ago, ItCouldBeWorse said:

I wonder if Penny's father slept on the couch, or if there is a bed in the 2nd bedroom.  I suppose Leonard sleeping on Amy and Sheldon's couch might b.c e evidence that his couch was occupied. 

I would think Sheldon's old bed would still be there.  I think Leonard needed to get out of the apartment altogether to get any rest, because Penny was determined to have sex with him (to decrease his sample's odds of success).  

Are Amy and Sheldon sleeping on Penny's old bed?  Maybe someone more observant than I could answer.

[Browncoat]

28 minutes ago, rmontro said:

Are Amy and Sheldon sleeping on Penny's old bed?  Maybe someone more observant than I could answer.

I haven't paid that much attention, but I assumed so.  I didn't think they moved anything across the hall (either direction) except people and clothing.  All the other furniture in each place seems to be the same as before the move.

[CherryAmes]

4 hours ago, rmontro said:

  And I remember comments from some earlier seasons that she was getting fat.

Yet another example of the unrealistic standard some people hold women, especially celebrity women to.  Penny was never in any "danger" of being fat!

[Bort]

Penny has yo-yo'd between muscle tone and less-so muscle tone over the years, but never fat.

[ForReal]

21 hours ago, ChitChat said:

I don't want to see Penny give in without really wanting to be a parent though.

Perhaps she's really thinking it through for the first time, realizing what it would mean to have Leonard's child specifically rather than just be a parent in general. I hope the show ends with her pregnant (and happily so).

[wendyg]

This felt a bit like a tour of BBT's greatest hits. The space station scenes at the beginning of S6 were awesome. And Keith Carradine was great in his return as Penny's father. We knew he wanted grandkids; he said he wanted her to marry Leonard so his grandkids wouldn't be living in a trailer home.

[Roaster]

I will be shocked if Penny is not pregnant by the end of the series.  I will also be very surprised if Raj and Anu are not married or engaged.  This is standard sitcom stuff, and BBT is not daring or innovative enough to go outside the playbook.

[rhys]

On 2/9/2019 at 8:05 AM, 2727 said:

The character of Wyatt is exactly the sort of person to manspread, but oof. That was rough to watch.

Oh jeez I guess! Bring your legs together a bit, man. That was awful. Buy pants that fit instead of spreading your manly bits everywhere. Disturbing.

On 2/9/2019 at 8:05 AM, 2727 said:

[ItCouldBeWorse]

6 hours ago, rmontro said:

I would think Sheldon's old bed would still be there.  I think Leonard needed to get out of the apartment altogether to get any rest, because Penny was determined to have sex with him (to decrease his sample's odds of success). 

This question came up last week when sick Leonard slept on the couch,  instead of in Sheldon's old room. People seemed to think that Sheldon's old room no longer had a bed.

[chocolatine]

6 hours ago, rmontro said:

Are Amy and Sheldon sleeping on Penny's old bed?  Maybe someone more observant than I could answer.

Yes, it's the same bed, with the chartreuse upholstered headboard.

6 hours ago, rmontro said:

I would think Sheldon's old bed would still be there.

Didn't they turn Sheldon's old room into a game/memorabilia room at some point? I also noticed that Penny and Leonard have a different bed now, with an upholstered raspberry-colored headboard. Leonard's old bed was a plain dark wood.

[Bort]

Also, Sheldon's bed was a crappy tiny twin bed. I'd have gotten rid of that too.

[Reality police]

2 hours ago, kariyaki said:

Also, Sheldon's bed was a crappy tiny twin bed. I'd have gotten rid of that too.

I thought it was a standard double bed. 

[Bort]

48 minutes ago, Reality police said:

I thought it was a standard double bed. 

Huh, you're right. It always looked so small to me. I guess because Sheldon is so big.

[Guest]

4 hours ago, ItCouldBeWorse said:

This question came up last week when sick Leonard slept on the couch,  instead of in Sheldon's old room. People seemed to think that Sheldon's old room no longer had a bed.

I recently watched a rerun of the episode where Sheldon wants to rent his old room. You can’t see the whole room but it looked to be setup as a office now. 

[theatremouse]

On 2/8/2019 at 10:18 PM, Driad said:

Have the writers not seen the first episode? Leonard and Sheldon might have children somewhere. Maybe Penny doesn't know, but L or S might mention it between themselves.

It seems out of character for Sheldon to want to have a child with a woman who would marry Zack. Sheldon postulated having a child with Amy because they are both highly intelligent. Marissa has not shown evidence of that level of intellect.

I don't think he wants to have a child with Zack's wife or Zack. He wants them to choose him because he's the best.

On 2/9/2019 at 3:09 AM, LadyKenobi said:

Formerly the Vomit Comet was a retrofitted military NASA aircraft that wouldn’t be touched by civilians or anyone who wasn’t a pending crew member or part of a scientific experiment. Now NASA subcontracts to a “Zero g experience” company like you saw here, and ain’t no way Howard is just tromping onboard with a party of 3. Private flights are hella expensive, like 5 large per person, or over 160k per charter, which is why I was rolling my eyes at the comments about the 3k nonrefundable plane tickets.

I thought Howard said he "pulled strings at NASA" to get the reservation, implying he did not pay full price (or possibly didn't pay at all).

[Driad]

4 minutes ago, theatremouse said:

I don't think he wants to have a child with Zack's wife or Zack. He wants them to choose him because he's the best.

I think Sheldon would consider Zack and his wife totally unacceptable to raise his child, so I'm surprised he considered it, even to beat Leonard.

[rmontro]

9 hours ago, kariyaki said:

Penny has yo-yo'd between muscle tone and less-so muscle tone over the years, but never fat.

I agree Penny has never been fat.  I think there were times in the middle seasons where she looked a little bloated, for whatever reason, mostly in the face.  Which may be where some of the "fat" talk came from.

[proserpina65]

I'm disappointed that Leonard changed his mind.  I get why he did, but I think it was a good thing he was doing, and at least he'd have been in the kid's life.

They better not have Penny changed her mind about having kids.

[CherryAmes]

4 hours ago, proserpina65 said:

I'm disappointed that Leonard changed his mind.  I get why he did, but I think it was a good thing he was doing, and at least he'd have been in the kid's life.

If he had been doing it only to benefit Zach and his wife I think it could have been a good thing.  As it was he was really doing it because he wanted to father a child.  In real life this would have led to one big hot mess.  I'm glad they didn't go there - and I think to be honest the only reason they did is to push Penny towards changing her mind.  It will be interesting to see how this goes but as others have said this is a sitcom and sitcoms have a grand tradition of finales with a main character pregnant (at least it won't be pregnant after just adopting - well I think they won't do that!)

Edited February 11, 2019 by CherryAmes

[Guest]

I made the mistake of watching a clip from this ep on YT. Penny not wanting kids sure brought out the incels/mgtow/typical misogynists 😆

[CessnaDriver172]

Prediction: Zach will get Will Wheaton to be the sperm donor. 

[Tosia]

On 2/9/2019 at 9:42 AM, shapeshifter said:

Perhaps the Wolowitz marriage is inspired by parents like mine, who were married for 68 years and never missed an opportunity to bicker about what was the best course of action.

Lol. Are you my long lost sibling?   Amen.

I'm old and there used to be a 50's radio show that my 60/70's oldies radio show would play snippets of, called, "The Bickersons" with a couple who bickered with wit and humor. 

Alas, Bernadette was neither this episode.  

And I love Bernadette's spunk, and her and Howard together, but this was uncomfortable.  

Why couldn't they both so it?  I thought Howard bought 4 tickets?  

[CherryAmes]

42 minutes ago, Tosia said:

Why couldn't they both so it?  I thought Howard bought 4 tickets?  

They used the excuse that there was an element of risk involved so one of them needed to stay alive for the kids.  It was pretty weak,  

Speaking of the bickering couple I hate that they decided to turn Raj's parents into yet another couple that fought all through their marriage (Raj references how they never flew together because, as it turned out, they hated being together).  So among all the older couples referenced on this show the only ones still together - and happy or at least not portrayed as constantly angry and fighting - are Penny and Bernadette's parents.  

[Lili]

On 2/9/2019 at 12:43 AM, Reality police said:

I predict that Penny will break. She will be pregnant by the finale. 

Yeah, that's kind of what I'm expecting too. It wouldn't surprise me.

Edited February 14, 2019 by Lili

[biakbiak]

On 2/10/2019 at 5:34 AM, LadyKenobi said:

After talking to lots of guys about it, Ive concluded that “manspreading” is rarely a matter of attitude and usually more about testicular comfort. Some just aren’t comfortable sitting legs together. I’m glad I have ovaries. 

If they told you that seriously than they should probably consult a doctor because if their testicles are swollen enough to require that on a regular basis it isn’t normal.

[LoneHaranguer]

1 hour ago, biakbiak said:

If they told you that seriously than they should probably consult a doctor because if their testicles are swollen enough to require that on a regular basis it isn’t normal.

In this case I think it's more a matter of air circulation for cooling. Wyatt just came down from Nebraska so he wouldn't be accustomed to the warmer California climate.

[biakbiak]

4 minutes ago, LoneHaranguer said:

In this case I think it's more a matter of air circulation for cooling. Wyatt just came down from Nebraska so he wouldn't be accustomed to the warmer California climate.

He was indoors. If sitting inside a typical apartment  requires special sitting arrangements he still should see a doctor.

Edited February 14, 2019 by biakbiak