S12.E15: The Donation Oscillation

[LoneHaranguer]

12 minutes ago, biakbiak said:

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

It's a fourth-floor apartment  in an old building. Those can get pretty hot.

[Angeleyes]

It’s good that Penny and Leonard finally talked about their reservations with the idea of him donating his sperm. They should have talked about all of this much sooner. Their timing of this was horrible because in real life Zack’s fiancé would have already been going through 3 weeks of daily shots in preparation for the IVF procedure. With Leonard flaking out with only a few days to go, there wouldn’t have been enough time for them to find another donor and go through the genetic testing, signing contracts, etc. The cycle would have to be abandoned and she would have gone through all that pain and expense for nothing. 

[Bort]

I don't think they were going to do IVF. Their conception issues were straight-out because Zack was infertile, not the wife. Artificial insemination was likely all that was necessary. Turkey baster and waiting for ovulation was probably what they were doing.

[Edmond83]

Did you get the impression or feeling that Leonard and Penny are on the same page in regards to kids?

Because after this one I still don't think they are.

Leonard clearly wants them but is willing to at least try and give that up to keep his marriage with Penny gong, Penny doesn't want children and I think that was very much reinforced in this episode. But I thought we also got a development which I didn't like in that Penny is worried about letting her father and her husband down, Penny shouldn't feel that way nor should she feel guilty IMO. And if she does change her mind about kids then that shouldn't be a factor in her decision making, because if she does decide to have kids purely for her husband and her father then she is having children for the wrong reasons!

I have a feeling this storyline might run a bit longer yet, it's not really been resolved and could easily start up again. What happens if Shamy starts thinking about kids? Won't that resurface those parental feelings or desires in Leonard again?

[sigmaforce86]

On 2/10/2019 at 11:57 AM, Roaster said:

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.

 The surprise dark ending in the BBT finale episode:  Penny is resolute in her no babies decision and has her tubes tied.  Howard and Bernadette visit Penny and Leonard and take the newly repaired elevator down as they leave when it malfunctions and plummets them to their deaths.  Leonard and Penny are notified that the will made them Haley and Michael's guardians and they move into the Wolowitz house which was left in trust for the kids.  Amy finds out she's pregnant and she and Sheldon move into the bigger apartment to have the extra bedroom giving Penny's old apartment to the newly engaged Stuart and Denise (because we already know signed leases and sub-lets mean nothing on TV).  Forgotten by everybody Raj and Anu move to India to open their own hotel with Anu as the manager/concierge and Raj running the kitchen while giving midnight astrological astronomy tours on a rooftop observatory.  Kripke loses tenure and changes career track to become a lounge singer.

Seriously though I think somebody is going to be pregnant by the end, I wouldn't be at all surprised if they doubled down and had Penny and Amy both announce they're pregnant.  They're inching toward it slowly and I don't have a problem with Penny softening her views towards children as long as it feels natural and we see her thoughts changing (without being forced) and it comes across like something she thought over on her own not just something they stuck in there to fulfill a seasons plot plan.  

Howards mistake was buying tickets to the wedding in the first place and apparently buying non-refundable tickets with no travel insurance.  They have two kids, that alone should have gotten them to spend a little extra to protect the purchase.   But I question why they were spending all that money to go to the wedding at all - yes I know they're best buds and all but going that far for any wedding is a big, big ask.  With Raj and Anu both having firmly established lives and friends in the US why not have two ceremonies or parties instead?  

Edited February 18, 2019 by sigmaforce86

[shapeshifter]

On 2/14/2019 at 8:37 AM, biakbiak said:

On 2/10/2019 at 7:34 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.

I blame it on the skinny-jean style craze, but what I know about men could be encoded on the head of a pin.

Do men with prostate issues need to sit this way? Wyatt is of that age.

Edited February 17, 2019 by shapeshifter

[SmithW6079]

11 hours ago, sigmaforce86 said:

The surprise dark ending in the BBT finale episode:  Penny is resolute in her no babies decision and has her tubes tied.  Howard and Bernadette visit Penny and Leonard and take the newly repaired elevator down as they leave when it malfunctions and plummets them to their deaths.  Leonard and Penny are notified that the will made them Haley and Michael's guardians and they move into the Wolowitz house which was left in trust for the kids.  Amy finds out she's pregnant and she and Sheldon move into the bigger apartment to have the extra bedroom giving Penny's old apartment to the newly engaged Stuart and Denise (because we already know signed leases and sub-lets mean nothing on TV).  Forgotten by everybody Raj and Anu move to India to open their own hotel with Anu as the manager/concierge and Raj running the kitchen while giving midnight astrological tours on a rooftop observatory.  Kripke loses tenure and changes career track to become a lounge singe

I would watch the hell out of that finale. 😀

[Driad]

1 hour ago, SmithW6079 said:

midnight astrological tours

I hope you meant astronomical. 

Kaley is still doing Priceline ads. Maybe Penny gets that gig as a sideline and can introduce the guys to William Shatner.

[shapeshifter]

30 minutes ago, Driad said:

Kaley is still doing Priceline ads. Maybe Penny gets that gig as a sideline and can introduce the guys to William Shatner.

I vote for this^^.

[sigmaforce86]

9 hours ago, Driad said:

I hope you meant astronomical. 

Kaley is still doing Priceline ads. Maybe Penny gets that gig as a sideline and can introduce the guys to William Shatner.

That was me; I fixed it but give me a break on this one - I was typing with this huge bandage on the ring finger of my dominate hand and found it's nearly impossible to do!  Spell check was my savior but if failed me on that word.

It would be really funny if they linked Shatner to Penny getting commercial work, maybe they could bring it full circle and have her doing drug commercials (although we won't go as far as to diss Shatner and have the drug be a hair growth pill that encourages him to ditch his toupe, I'm not sure he'd find that as amusing as I would)

[Bort]

MOD NOTE: Please take the wish lists for the end of the show to the How should BBT end? topic.

[Homily]

On 2/17/2019 at 7:56 AM, Edmond83 said:

But I thought we also got a development which I didn't like in that Penny is worried about letting her father and her husband down, Penny shouldn't feel that way nor should she feel guilty IMO.

I also got a feeling though that she was realizing that maybe she hadn't thought it through as thoroughly as she should have.  If BBT can handle this right I don't have a problem with that.  I was one of those people who never wanted children and then, well, I did, so her changing her mind wouldn't be a big deal.  It's not as though she ever expressed a hatred of children the way Bernadette once did.  Again though totally depends on if they continue on with the way things were left in this episode.  I'd much rather it be a decision she makes rather than an "oops oh well guess we're having a kid" thing.

Overall this episode was one of the stronger ones this season. I hope they keep that going.  Last year was so good and so far this year just hasn't been.  I want the last episodes to be worth watching again and again in the endless reruns we know are coming!

[Homily]

10 minutes ago, LadyKenobi said:

So some sit wide. It's how they sit, whatever.

Not if they're sitting wide on a bus!  That's just as obnoxious as the people who claim the seat beside them with their purse or bags. 

[chitowngirl]

On 2/17/2019 at 11:19 PM, Driad said:

Kaley is still doing Priceline ads. Maybe Penny gets that gig as a sideline and can introduce the guys to William Shatner.

Spoiler

Well, the William Shatner part is happening!

[trudysmom]

Maybe I missed it but I didn't get Penny feeling guilty about disappointing Leonard.  I heard her saying she did feel bad about letting her dad down, but not Leonard.  Then she tries to seduce him, to keep him from donating.  If you really don't want him to do it then TALK to him, but don't sabotage something that impacts other people.  Zach and wife may not be very bright, but they deserve better than that.

[CherryAmes]

On 2/18/2019 at 9:55 AM, Homily said:

  I'd much rather it be a decision she makes rather than an "oops oh well guess we're having a kid" thing.

Yep.  I totally could get behind Penny getting pregnant - it's a sitcom, written mainly by men, we know they probably won't be able to resist this being in the finale - but I did feel this episode gave us an indication that if they do go there it's because Penny changes her mind and I wouldn't mind if they go that route.  An oops pregnancy will not make me happy 😞

[ProfCrash]

I would be fine if Penny changes her mind and decides that she wants to have a child. Perhaps Leonard’s almost donaiton mae her think about having a child again and she changed her mind. There is nothing wrong with that. 

[John Potts]

It's somewhat depressing when the couple who seem the most believable (or at least with the best chance of enduring) is the one who just called off (or at least, re-scheduled) their wedding. Penny can't talk to Leonard about how she doesn't want him to donate his sperm but can only passive-aggressively try to sabotage his efforts; Howard and Bernie are more concerned with proving the other wrong even if it means making themselves sick and even Sheldon uncharacteristically wants to be a sperm donor (OOC because he was concerned about Missy procreating with his friends because it's a waste of "his" - well, approximately 50% his - genetic material, now he's prepared to waste HIS "superior" sperm on Zach's wife!?).

But I guess I shouldn't expect continuity!