Great episode.

@Gothish520 said:

So, fun episode. Always good to see Beverly, usually good to see Wil Wheaton (except for that bowling episode when he was just horrible).

Loved the novel scenes, liked Howard more than usual, loved the final scene.

I'm hoping Amy and Sheldon get married this season. I want a full season of them already married.

Not sure what I thought about the novel scenes. I wondered what the point of the novel storyline was, really, but I do think the writers could be setting Leonard up for something bigger down the line, and maybe the novel storyline was part of that.

I agree that it would be nice to see a good chunk of time with A&S married!

To some extent, the novel scenes might have been pretty much just a lead-up to showing that Leonard still has a very dysfunctional relationship with his mother.

@Knixon said:

To some extent, the novel scenes might have been pretty much just a lead-up to showing that Leonard still has a very dysfunctional relationship with his mother.

I think that's pretty well-established, though. I think they've really been highlighting how down-trodden he is lately for some reason (hence my latest ponderings about him).

Maybe he'll write a "revenge" book against his mom? To get back at her for all the mileage she got from writing about HIM. He could even call it "Mother Dearest" and then get sued for the title...

@Gothish520 said:

So, fun episode. Always good to see Beverly, usually good to see Wil Wheaton (except for that bowling episode when he was just horrible).

Loved the novel scenes, liked Howard more than usual, loved the final scene.

I'm hoping Amy and Sheldon get married this season. I want a full season of them already married.

Enjoyed the episode.

When Beverly corrected Leonard’s “subconsciously” to “unconsciously” – couldn’t help but smile and think about this Board. And, couldn’t help think that it must have warmed the cockles of the heart of Grammar Police Affiliates across Message Boards everywhere!

@Gothish520 said:

So, fun episode. Always good to see Beverly, usually good to see Wil Wheaton (except for that bowling episode when he was just horrible).

Loved the novel scenes, liked Howard more than usual, loved the final scene.

I'm hoping Amy and Sheldon get married this season. I want a full season of them already married.

Yes, it was a fun episode.

Glad that Amy was honest with Sheldon about her self-sacrifices (not going to things she wants to go to/not doing things she wants to do) in deference to him. Seems kind of shaky-foundation to “set” a marriage on when one partner has to “tiptoe” around the proclivity of the other.

Just so you know I WAS NOT eavesdropping; they were talking (in an open space) and I just happened to be within hearing range.

The gist of the conversation was that she was divorced AND that one of the problems was that all through dating and into their marriage her Ex feigned interested in a lot of things that interested her.

I guess a comparison would be: What if Penny didn’t know Leonard for the nerd that he is? Then, upon meeting her, instead of remaining true to his dull and whiny self, he decides to embrace her lifestyle in order to win her over.

On the surface you’d think someone would be happy to have someone who is that devoted to them; but, this person sounded angry. I swear, she sounded as if she was a candidate for: “Who the (Bleep) Did I Marry”.

I guess there has to be some of that kind of give-and-take in any relationship; but don’t think I could ever embrace the idea of someone leaving behind their “real” self in order to mold themselves into someone else’s ideal.

@FormerlyKnownAs said:

@Gothish520 said:

So, fun episode. Always good to see Beverly, usually good to see Wil Wheaton (except for that bowling episode when he was just horrible).

Loved the novel scenes, liked Howard more than usual, loved the final scene.

I'm hoping Amy and Sheldon get married this season. I want a full season of them already married.

Yes, it was a fun episode.

Glad that Amy was honest with Sheldon about her self-sacrifices (not going to things she wants to go to/not doing things she wants to do) in deference to him. Seems kind of shaky-foundation to “set” a marriage on when one partner has to “tiptoe” around the proclivity of the other.

---

Just so you know I WAS NOT eavesdropping; they were talking (in an open space) and I just happened to be within hearing range.

The gist of the conversation was that she was divorced AND that one of the problems was that all through dating and into their marriage her Ex feigned interested in a lot of things that interested her.

I guess a comparison would be: What if Penny didn’t know Leonard for the nerd that he is? Then, upon meeting her, instead of remaining true to his dull and whiny self, he decides to embrace her lifestyle in order to win her over.

On the surface you’d think someone would be happy to have someone who is that devoted to them; but, this person sounded angry. I swear, she sounded as if she was a candidate for: “Who the (Bleep) Did I Marry”.

---

I guess there has to be some of that kind of give-and-take in any relationship; but don’t think I could ever embrace the idea of someone leaving behind their “real” self in order to mold themselves into someone else’s ideal.

Good lord no, changing yourself and eschewing one's own interests to be with someone is a terrible idea.

But, relationships are definitely about compromise, and everyone has something that they love that the other is just not interested in. The key is to find mutual things, to maybe occasionally do something the other likes even if you don't, and then to just do stuff with other people and not force your partner to do something you know they would hate.

For instance, I love wine and anything wine-related, so my husband and I visited a local vineyard a few years ago. While I sipped and chatted with the lady sitting next to me in the tasting area, my poor husband sat there bored out of his mind. I tried to engage him in the experience, but he couldn't have feigned interest if his life depended on it. As a result, I no longer will suggest we go to vineyards.

On the flip side, my husband's favorite band, Metallica, came to Gillette Stadium in Massachusetts last year, and my husband was going to attend that concert come hell or high water. He bought two tickets for an exorbitantly ridiculous price, and tried to talk me into going. Now, number one, I'm past the age where going to any concert sounds like a good idea, let alone a stadium one, and number two, Metallica is definitely not my jam. Basically, I said to him the same thing that Leonard said to Penny when he gave her the basketball tickets as a gift: "Please don't make me go with you!". Thankfully, a good friend of his from work is a big Metallica fan and was glad to go. So they made a day of it and had a great time.

@Gothish520 said:

@FormerlyKnownAs said:

@Gothish520 said:

So, fun episode. Always good to see Beverly, usually good to see Wil Wheaton (except for that bowling episode when he was just horrible).

Loved the novel scenes, liked Howard more than usual, loved the final scene.

I'm hoping Amy and Sheldon get married this season. I want a full season of them already married.

Yes, it was a fun episode.

Glad that Amy was honest with Sheldon about her self-sacrifices (not going to things she wants to go to/not doing things she wants to do) in deference to him. Seems kind of shaky-foundation to “set” a marriage on when one partner has to “tiptoe” around the proclivity of the other.

---

Just so you know I WAS NOT eavesdropping; they were talking (in an open space) and I just happened to be within hearing range.

The gist of the conversation was that she was divorced AND that one of the problems was that all through dating and into their marriage her Ex feigned interested in a lot of things that interested her.

I guess a comparison would be: What if Penny didn’t know Leonard for the nerd that he is? Then, upon meeting her, instead of remaining true to his dull and whiny self, he decides to embrace her lifestyle in order to win her over.

On the surface you’d think someone would be happy to have someone who is that devoted to them; but, this person sounded angry. I swear, she sounded as if she was a candidate for: “Who the (Bleep) Did I Marry”.

---

I guess there has to be some of that kind of give-and-take in any relationship; but don’t think I could ever embrace the idea of someone leaving behind their “real” self in order to mold themselves into someone else’s ideal.

Good lord no, changing yourself and aschewing one's own interests to be with someone is a terrible idea.

But, relationships are definitely about compromise, and everyone has something that they love that the other is just not interested in. The key is to find mutual things, to maybe occasionally do something the other likes even if you don't, and then to just do stuff with other people and not force your partner to do something you know they would hate.

For instance, I love wine and anything wine-related, so my husband and I visited a local vineyard a few years ago. While I sipped and chatted with the lady sitting next to me in the tasting area, my poor husband sat there bored out of his mind. I tried to engage him in the experience, but he couldn't have feigned interest if his life depended on it. As a result, I no longer will suggest we go to vineyards.

On the flip side, my husband's favorite band, Metallica, came to Gillette Stadium in Massachusetts last year, and my husband was going to attend that concert come hell or high water. He bought two tickets for an exorbitantly ridiculous price, and tried to talk me into going. Now, number one, I'm past the age where going to any concert sounds like a good idea, let alone a stadium one, and number two, Metallica is definitely not my jam. Basically, I said to him the same thing that Leonard said to Penny when he gave her the basketball tickets as a gift: "Please don't make me go with you!". Thankfully, a good friend of his from work is a big Metallica fan and was glad to go. So they made a day of it and had a great time.

Yeah. Think it's just asking for trouble to do otherwise. Think it's just asking for trouble for one person in a relationship to always dedicate themselves to pleasing the other person.

The other problem with Sheldon, though, is that he would have objected to Amy going to that dueling piano bar thing without him, too.

@Gothish520 said:

So, fun episode. Always good to see Beverly, usually good to see Wil Wheaton (except for that bowling episode when he was just horrible).

Loved the novel scenes, liked Howard more than usual, loved the final scene.

I'm hoping Amy and Sheldon get married this season. I want a full season of them already married.

Penny thought Ilsa was Bernie. Bernie thought Ilsa was Penny. Leonard initially thought Ilsa was Penny—but, finally settled on Ilsa being his Mom.

I couldn't help but think that Ilsa was more of a "Cocktail". That is, since Ilsa fit each of them to a "T"; it seemed more likely that he unconsciously rolled-all-three into one.

The back-and-forth between Leonard and IlsaPenny - great.

The back-and-forth between Leonard and IlsaBernie - ok.

The back-and-forth between Leonard and IlsaMom - eeeeeeeeeeew!

@FormerlyKnownAs said:

The back-and-forth between Leonard and IlsaMom - eeeeeeeeeeew!

Agree 100%! I thought that was very odd. Especially the way they had Leonard looking at her. They could have at least had him use a different tone of voice and facial expression than the one he used with Penny and Bernie.

@Lemons said:

@FormerlyKnownAs said:

The back-and-forth between Leonard and IlsaMom - eeeeeeeeeeew!

Agree 100%! I thought that was very odd. Especially the way they had Leonard looking at her. They could have at least had him use a different tone of voice and facial expression than the one he used with Penny and Bernie.

Yes, since he kept going back to his mother even though she hurt him, because he was trying to get his mother to be proud of him, not... have his children, or whatever.

@Gothish520 said:

So, fun episode. Always good to see Beverly, usually good to see Wil Wheaton (except for that bowling episode when he was just horrible).

Loved the novel scenes, liked Howard more than usual, loved the final scene.

I'm hoping Amy and Sheldon get married this season. I want a full season of them already married.

When the guys were talking about casting the role of Leonard’s book detective, Dr. Logan Dean, Leonard said that he based the character on himself. Howard said in that case the person to play Dean would be “a young Paul Giamatti”. I like Giamatti, but Leonard didn’t seem to care for the idea.

Also think Dean seems like a perfect role for one of the Ryans— Gosling/ Phillippe/Reynolds. - Someone who is good at drama and comedy.

I see Dean as someone who is intelligent, capable, energetic, a little fumbly, and not always confidence; but, someone who will get his man (or woman) when all is said and done.

ON ANOTHER NOTE:

I KNOW BETTER NOW; but, am I the only person who (for a very long time) had no idea that these are three, different people!

@Gothish520 said:

So, fun episode. Always good to see Beverly, usually good to see Wil Wheaton (except for that bowling episode when he was just horrible).

Loved the novel scenes, liked Howard more than usual, loved the final scene.

I'm hoping Amy and Sheldon get married this season. I want a full season of them already married.

Favorite line of the night came from Amy--when Sheldon asked her about being on Wheaton's "Professor Proton" show:

Sheldon: "How would you like to be on television?"

Amy: "Is it gonna be a news story where I have to say you were quiet and kept to yourself and I'm as shocked as anyone!"