I’ve been wondering about a possible plot line that could unfold in the upcoming season of “The Big Bang Theory.” Just on the off chance that I’m right, I’m treating it as a potential spoiler and putting it below the cut line.
In a third season episode, Penny makes a snarky joke–in relation to Leonard saying that he didn’t attend to sleep with a particular woman–that she, Penny, should steer clear of Leonard lest he trip on a banana peel and get her pregnant.
In the following episode, there’s a flashback to Penny as a teenager, relieved to discover that a pregnancy test is negative.
In the season ender, a rather drunk Penny sleeps with a surprised, albeit receptive, Leonard.
I wonder if Penny’s pregnant this season?
PAD
• 
While it’s possible, I’d be skeptical about it. I think they broke up Leonard and Penny to open the possibility that they can both date other people — and Penny turning into a single mom would put quite a crimp in that. I also think THE BIG BANG THEORY is largely about adults living in a state of prolonged adolescence (Leonard as the geek with the crush on the girl next door; Sheldon as the introvert creating a small circle of friends and avoiding just about any other adult relationships; Howard and Raj acting like horny teens; even Penny as a wannabe actress who works as a waitress and hangs out with friends) and making two of the characters parents would take the show in a direction the writers don’t want it to go. (In interviews, when asked if Sheldon is gay or has Ausberger’s (sic) Syndrome, one just said “no” without considering or exploring it. I think they’re looking for laughs, not any sort of depth. A lot like TWO AND A HALF MEN, which shares the same creators.)
Simply put, I think TBBT will stay about geek jokes and wannabe hook-ups (and the inevitable reunion of Leonard and Penny, from both TV’s frequent “they MUST be together” and fulfilling the geek viewers’ fantasy of the nerd scoring the hot blonde) and steer well clear of anything potentially deep.
“Asperger’s”, for Dr. Karl Asperger, who first described what he referred to as “atypical autistic psychosis” in 1944. (His research was lost in the wake of WWII, and came back to light in 1981, when Lorna Wing made it the centerpiece of her doctoral thesis. It was finally recognized in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual, Fourth Edition, in 1994.)
.
And whether the writers want to admit it or not, Dr. Sheldon Cooper is a textbook Aspie.
He is not Asperger, how many times has he got to say “my mother had me tested”
and making two of the characters parents would take the show in a direction the writers don’t want it to go.
.
I’m not quite sure what to make of that sentiment. I’m not saying the actress is pregnant and they’re working it into the show. If this is a storyline they’re doing, then obviously it WOULD be a direction the writers want it to go.
.
Not to mention true to the title: It would be a pretty big bang.
.
As for Sheldon and what his mental state is, the obvious reason to avoid categorizing it specifically is that the minute you pigeonhole him, then whatever organizations are around that focus on the special interests of that particular group–be it Aspergers, OCD, or whatever–promptly start weighing in and declaring that, hey, making fun of their particular special interest isn’t at all funny because it never is. If you say he has Aspergers, you’re accused of holding Aspergers up for ridicule, and then comes the inevitable PR nightmare that you simply don’t need. So yeah, if I were connected with the show, the LAST thing I’d do is say that Sheldon is supposed to be representative of a particular type of individual. You can make fun of geeks, nerds and scientists with impunity. But people with a particular psychological condition? It’s probably not a matter of that they don’t want to explore it so much as that they just don’t want the PR hassle.
.
As for Sheldon being gay, that’s actually been addressed; he’s much more interesting as being basically asexual. Penny once asked, in regards to his sexuality, “what’s his deal,” and was told they were operating on the assumption that Sheldon “has no deal.” And that eventually he would simply eat a lot of Thai food and reproduce by mitosis, splitting into two Sheldons. So the argument could easily be made that it would be a huge mistake for the writers to tamper with arguably their most popular character. Yet they then introduced Amy Farrah Fowler, and who isn’t intrigued by the notion now?
.
The default reaction of fans is to say, “Don’t change it if it’s not broken.” And they say that right up until they get bored and wander off. It’s the job of the writers to stay ahead of the curve, and give fans not want they want, but what they need in order to remain engaged.
.
Which isn’t to say they WILL do the storyline I’m speculating about; but if they do, well, you saw it here first.
.
PAD
If Lorre et al decide they want to do a Penny-and-Leonard-have-a-baby storyline they don’t need to get her pregnant. As seen when Penny to Sheldon to Disneyland, Penny and Leonard already play Mom and Dad to a child…
Agreed, Evil Twin, they wanna stay away from admitting that Sheldon’s a textbook Asperger’s case, but they could use it for a subplot; someone could bring it up and Sheldon goes into his denial phase over it. But that could lead places where Chuck and Bill don’t wanna take the show, too…
Personally, I think Penny and Leonard’s asessment, that he’s nuts, works just as well. And thank all the Gods Sheldon’s not a normal nut; no smoking, drinking, recreational chemicals and/or sex, he’s not a gearhead like me… doesn’t play electric guitar way too loud at 3 am, drive like a lunatic, go barhopping and get in fights… he’d be totally lost here in Nashville…
I agree with James. Nothing would send this series flying over that shark than a kid. Of course, Penny getting an abortion would bring about “a very SPECIAL The Big Bang Theory”.
As promiscuous as Penny is, and trust me, she goes through guys, she’s gotta be using some form of birth control; no way in hëll would she be that foolish. If she does wind up pregnant, one of two things will happen. She’ll be freaked out about it and uncertain as to who the father is, but will choose Leonard because she knows he’s a better choice than Zack. She’ll either lose the baby or it’ll turn out she’s not pregnant after all.
James is right, Lorre and Prady are largely out for laughs, but look at how the arcs are running on Two and a Half Men. Some depth to the material there, but Chuck Lorre knows how to extract funny.
Fabulous – ‘cuz you can’t have a sitcom without a very special birth! I can’t wait for the Steelers’ game with the 31,416 promos for that episode.
Hmmm… what I’d like to see is John Wesley Shipp playing himself at a comic book convention.
With all of the Flash references the series has had in the past, it would be a natural.
“What do you mean he’s not here yet… he’s the Fastest Man on Earth!!!”
Considering that this month will be the 20th Anniversary of the CBS live action series debut, it would be a nice touch, too.
It’s been 20 years??!!
.
Feeling old….
There is a FACEBOOK campaign to get Mr. Shipp tp
to make guest appearances on THE BIG BANG THEORY.
I kinda agree that an extended storyline with an actual pregnancy and an actual birth would seem out of keeping with the general feel of the show to date.
.
But I also think that they could do an episode about a pregnancy scare well within the show’s current scope.
.
IMO, Big Bang Theory hasn’t yet set up a structure where they could seriously delve into their characters maturing in a way that would seem natural and in line with the show thus far. (Unlike, say, FRIENDS which, I would argue, even in its earliest episodes touched on themes about characters becoming more mature, more responsible, progressing in their lives & careers, etc.–which set the stage for the show’s later “big change” events of births, adoptions, etc..)
.
That could change–and perhaps a pregnancy scare episode or two could be the catalyst to do so–but we’ll see. For myself, though, I gotta admit that with the real world being in many ways so dark and depressing, I’m increasingly looking for nothing from sitcom entertainment as much as pure, simple, fun. If they can do a “Penny’s Pregnant!” story that’s fun, I can take it. If they can’t…well, I don’t think that’s what I’m watching Big Bang Theory for nowadays…
“in relation to Leonard saying that he didn’t attend to sleep with a particular woman”
Not to put words in the writer’s fingers, should that be “intend”?
I agree with most that a Penny pregnancy would not be a wise move for the show. A pregnancy “scare” might be an interesting episode.
But for pure comedy, what if Sheldon were to get “Blossom” pregant?
IIRC, the producers/writers tried to kill any talk of a Sheldon/Penny relationship at San Diego, but wouldn’t that be a great final season? Poor Leonard having to hear “Soft Kitty” through the walls every night….
–Ed
–Ed
… saying that he didn’t attend to sleep with a particular woman
.
Given how dominant in the bedroom the woman was, she probably did try to make Leonard “attend” to her. That he didn’t, I think, shows Leonard has a bit more backbone than how he reacted to his breakup with Penny might have lead us to believe.
.
(OK, Peter. Do I get a No-Prize now?)
I think that any pregnancy story line involving Penny would be a “jump the shark” move. Besides one of the underlying themes is that she’s smarter than she comes off, and gets more so as she spends time with the guys.(Hence, she accuses Leonard of spoiling her usual type of guy for her, because they aren’t as smart)
Besides, as demonstated in the final scene of the second to the last episodes of this last season, she had a pregnancy scare in the past, so that’s been dealt with.
Sheldon is best being unique and unlabeled. Also, he isn’t gay or straight, because he has no interest in anybody. However, that may change with Amy Farrah Fowler even though in their initial meeting they both agreed to “no coitus”. Sheldon should not end up with Penny though, the most that should happen there, in my opinion, is she continues as his teacher/mother especially as he spends time with Amy, if they continue the storyline very far.
I think that any pregnancy story line involving Penny would be a “jump the shark” move.
.
You know, people are so quick to invoke that phrase. “Happy Days” ran another six seasons after that episode, including quite a number of good ones. It’s not as if they did that one episode and the series instantly became creatively bankrupt and was promptly canceled. The MAJORITY of the series lifespan was after that episode, so it’s really a pretty meaningless phrase if one is discussing a show’s long-term prospects.
.
PAD
It’s just a catchy idiom, spawned by a web site. And like all idioms, it doesn’t have to have any meaning in reference to its actual origins. That episode just happens to have been what one guy decided to coin the phrase from, and it stuck.
.
And anyway, the term has nothing to do with how long a show lasted following its “shark jumping.” It simply refers to the moment (or the episode) when the show stopped being any good, which, of course, is strictly a matter of opinion.
As far as series jumping the shark, etc, never forget that the original “Star Trek’s” third season still had “The Enterprise Incident,” and the first season still had “The Lazarus Syndrome.”
And anyway, the term has nothing to do with how long a show lasted following its “shark jumping.” It simply refers to the moment (or the episode) when the show stopped being any good, which, of course, is strictly a matter of opinion.
.
And, to my mind, when an opinion is not demonstrably based in fact, then it’s an opinion with no validity. For instance, “Happy Days” received almost no awards attention prior to the episode where Fonzie jumped the shark. In subsequent years, it received a host of Emmy and Golden Globe nominations and won a few. Now you can claim that receiving awards of excellence from peers and reviewers doesn’t equal quality, but I would submit that it’s a far better indicator of quality than some random website where someone retroactively decided that a series wasn’t any good anymore after a particular episode.
.
PAD
Actually, I think it was a friend of the web site creator who coined the term, and he did it many years before the web site was created. The web site creator just liked the term and used it. And it could be that his friend enjoyed subsequent episodes of Happy Days, but that one scene just stuck in his mind as being so ridiculous and incongruous that it made him lose respect for the whole show. Regardless, he doesn’t need facts to state that he no longer enjoyed Happy Days after that episode, and the web site never claimed to be any sort of authority on television quality. It was just a silly running survey. And when someone today uses the term “jump the shark,” it has nothing to do with their opinion of Happy Days.
In defense of the term “jump the shark,” this term was chosen because HAPPY DAYS had done an episode about the perils of stunt-riding, with Fonzie deciding never to risk his life doing perilous stunts anymore. And then, to boost ratings, they conveniently forgot all about all that and had Fonzie jumping a shark tank — presumably to boost ratings. Maybe there were bad episodes before this, and maybe there were good episodes that followed, but for many folks this big contradiction in the show heralded the beginning of the end. And the term refers to the exact point when a show begins to go downhill. (Of course, for many critics this point is the first episode, or even the first minute.)
Here’s a terrifying thought.
We already know that Sheldon has a huge amount in common with Leonard’s mother. What if something developed there?
No. No. That way lies madness.
But considering she’s a therapist….
Speaking of the whole “Jump the Shark” thing, Fred Fox, Jr., the writer of that Happy Days episode commented on the phrase in a recent article in the LA Times:
.
http://articles.latimes.com/2010/sep/03/entertainment/la-et-jump-the-shark-20100903
.
As PAD did, he points out that the series went on for several years after that episode.
.
Rick
I’ve never seen the show, but when I see that one character is named Sheldon and another is Leonard, I can’t help but wonder if they’re both named for actor and producer Sheldon Leonard. His acting work included both The Jack Benny Show (as the racetrack tout) and The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriett on radio; and the movie It’s a Wonderful Life. His work as a producer included I Spy.
.
Maybe it’s just a coincidence, or maybe it’s an in-joke by the producers.
.
Rick
I can’t help but wonder if they’re both named for actor and producer Sheldon Leonard
.
They are.
Sheldon Leonard had his fingers in a huge number of Hollywood pies, Rick. In addition to all the stuff you mentioned, he was also executive producer of The Andy Griffith Show, which probably paid his bills until he died.
And it’s both an in-joke and a tribute, which I think is great.
I don’t see what’s so funny about “Sheldon Leonard.” So the guy had two first names. Big deal.
.
PAD
No one’s mentioned The Danny Thomas Show/Make Room for Daddy which Leonard used to spin off the Andy Griffith Show. Also no props for the Ðìçk Van Ðÿkë Show where he also portrayed Big Max Calvada. An in-joke since Calvada was the name of the production company.
They should do an episode where Penny and Sheldon and Leonard go to the U.K. to hang out with Roy, Moss and Jenn from the IT Crowd.
Sheldon and Leonard could teach Roy and Moss about physics and Penny could teach Jen about fashion. In exchange, Roy, Moss and Jen could teach Sheldon, Penny and Leonard how to be funny.
I think such a storyline would be far more interesting if we learned that the father of Penny’s child was, rather than Leonard, Wil Wheaton.
WWWWWWWHGEEEATOOOONNNN!!!
That’s what happens when I type on an unfamiliar keyboard at an airport.
.
PAD
…which, in itself, could be an entire Sheldon subplot.
Having just watched the rerun of Sheldon and Leonard’s first meetings, and Sheldon’s expressed hatred of “Babylon 5,” I think it would also be fun to have J. Michael Straczynski put in a guest appearance.
One thing about Sheldon that bugs the crap outta me is his dislike of Babylon 5. It shouldn’t, he’s fictional and everybody is entitled to their opinion, but it still bugs me, and I’d love to hear his excuse. So far, he’s been wrong more often than right about things that aren’t in his normal purview, but as a fanboy, you’d think he’d have some appreciation of one of the most original sf series ever made…
Well, we know he doesn’t like the dialogue, that’s been stated. My guess is it also stems from his determined loyalty to “Star Trek,” and probably considers it to be a DS9 rip-off (although anyone with an awareness of the show’s development knows how false that is.)
.
PAD
You and I both know that bit of backstory, brother of mine, and I suspect Chuck Lorre does as well; I got the impression sometime back that he’s a fanboy, too. Betcha Tommy has it nailed, there’s gonna be an episode where Bruce or Joe shows up and encounters Sheldon.
I’ve noticed something about BBT, and Lorre’s scripting, that reminds me of Joanne Rowling; if he waves something at you more than once, it’s important.
I’ve noticed something about BBT, and Lorre’s scripting, that reminds me of Joanne Rowling; if he waves something at you more than once, it’s important.
.
And since pregnancy was mentioned in the last few episodes and then Penny and Leonard slept together…
.
PAD
I’ve always half thought that establishing Sheldon’s dislike of Babylon 5 was laying a groundwork for a hoped-for future episode guest-starring Bruce Boxleitner or JMS or Mira Furlan or Tracy Scoggins or another B5er, with attendant awkward hilarity ensuing… 😉
By the way, I think one of Sheldon’s explanations of his dislike for Babylon 5 was “it fails as drama, science-fiction, and it’s hopelessly derivative.” But, of course, we don’t know why he thinks that…
I tried watching Babylon 5, but I couldn’t get past the bad acting and cheap special effects. So I’m with Sheldon.
Oh, Robert, Robert, Robert… you just didn’t watch it long enough. It got a lot better as it went along, and was magnificent long before it ended. As to cheap speacial effects, the company that did the work went on to do Voyager and Enterprise, which to me makes them pretty good for television work.
It doesn’t matter what they went on to do, the special effects in the pilot (the only episode I saw) were the worst I’ve ever seen for a professional television series. But if you can assure me that the acting and f/x improve, I’ll keep watching. Because those actors… yikes!
lol, then you probably wouldn’t care for Tim’s (Simon Pegg) take on B5 in Spaced which is something along the lines of “Babylon 5 is a big pile of s%*t” Great show, but that line bugs me to no end. On the other hand, I do think I must be the only geek on the planet that just doesn’t get Big Bang Theory. No matter how much I try to like the show, I just can’t.
Sadly, I think maybe what they were foreshadowing with the line about slipping on a banana peel and getting her pregnant was not pregnancy, rather, Penny will slip on a banana peel, break her leg and appear in a cast for most of the season.
“Oh, so you work on ‘Big Bang’ Theory’? In what capacity?”
.
“I’m in the cast.”
.
But seriously folks: If you want foreshadowing, the very first thing Leonard said when he saw her was, “Our children will be smart and beautiful.” Granted, Sheldon added, “And fictional,” but still…
.
Of course, just imagine if the kids looked like Leonard and had Penny’s brains, a suggestion that Sheldon would be sure to make. Not to mention that Sheldon would constantly want to use the infant in various behavioral experiments, since his interest in psychiatry is well established. As Frasier and Lilith Crane supposedly did, he’d probably build a whole maze for the baby to crawl through to run tests. My God, could you imagine if they had twins? Sheldon would advocate that the twins be separated and that he raise one while Leonard and Penny raise the other so that they could have a once in a lifetime opportunity to test nature versus nurture.
.
PAD
You did see the news item that Kaley had a horseback riding accident, fell off her horse, and at the time of the posting was comfortably in the hospital with a broken leg. She supposedly will miss the first episode or two of the new season.
I doubt that’ll happen this season. After all, Leonard and Penny already have an infant, named Dr. Sheldon Cooper…
This reminds me of the MURPHY BROWN episode where Murphy was dating a brilliant but odd-looking physicist. Her coworker (Corky, I think her name was; played by Faith Ford) was worried: “What if you two have children? Sure, we all hope they’ll have his brains and your looks, but what if they’re just some ugly kids with an obnoxious personality?”
Ed,
By this time they will have a number of episodes ‘in the can’ so, when she misses an episode or two, it will be somewhere down the road, probably around Christmas… 😉
Charlie
You’re probably right. At least I would hope so. But then this is the same company that didn’t have enought episodes “in the can” to be able to complete the season for 2 and 1/2 Men.
Robert, B5 improved radically between the pilot and the second season. Writing got tighter, acting and effects improved, and as the first season went on the show got better and more addictive.
The best way to describe it would be as reading a series of books someone told you were really good; if you get annoyed with the talky first few chapters, the really good stuff that comes along later will escape you.
Or, to use a studio exec’s opinion of Fred Astaire, “Can’t act, can’t sing, can dance a little”.
I might even go so far as to suggest than any new viewer trying to get into Babylon 5 start with the second season. At that point, most of the growing pains of any show’s initial episodes are worked out and the show starts playing its bigger arc, paying off some of the things that were just groundwork in the first season. Many of the folks I know who’ve become B5 fans started watching in seasons 2 or 3, and then later came to appreciate the first season when they knew what was to come.
Exactly, Tommy. See, I had an advantage the average fan didn’t; I hung out on the GEnie Network with JMS and a buncha others, and got hooked before the pilot got aired, so I knew there were better things coming if the pilot got picked up. As a longtime Trek fan, I know what the first-season growing pains are like, having suffered through Galactica, Buck Rogers, Space: 1999, Space: Above & Beyond, SeaQuest and God onlys knows how many other sf series, some of which didn’t get a full season. Fox and TNT are both still on my shitlist, although Fox has partially redeemed itself with Fringe..
A few points regarding Babylon 5. First, to Robert Fuller, if you saw the aired version of the pilot, the DVD release of same is a much improved version. You might find it more palatable.
.
Second, for anyone interested in watching the series, I’d suggest starting with the TV movie “In the Beginning.” Then go on to “The Gathering” and the five seasons (you can, if you wish, also watch the other TV movies as they come along in the narrative (“Thirdspace” early in the fourth season; the rest between “Objects at Rest” and “Sleeping in Light.”)). Yes, starting with “In the Beginning” would spoil certain surprises, such as the significance of Sinclair’s missing 24 hours, or why he was approved by the Minbari to command B5; but as PAD said in his CBG column when TNT starting airing seasons 1-4 daily, it creates a different type of suspense. You, the viewer, knows a bit of what’s coming, but, assuming you haven’t read or watched spoilers, you don’t know how the characters will react when they find out.
.
I would not recommend skipping the first season entirely. At the very least, you should watch the key “arc” episodes.
.
Rick
I am big fan of B5, and to this day, I’ve never seen the first season in it entirety (only the pilot and two episodes, and yes, they were unimpressive). But from the second season onward, B5 was awesome, no matter what “Sheldon” says.
.
But there is one thing about B5 that hasn’t aged well. What was a selling point at the time (the serial nature of the storylines) now has become almost standard procedure in TV shows.
Hi Rene,
It is often that the trendsetter appears somewhat dated later, but very few shows have taken the scope of B5 in the nature of serial story lines. Joe had the entire five years of B5 plotted out before he started, with a definite beginning and end. Most stories today are doing good if they have a plot line that lasts the entire season, much less over multiple years!
It still fascinates me that throw away lines in the pilot have significance that doesn’t appear till the last few episodes…
Charlie