# The Big Bang Theory 11/18--The Boyfriend Complexity **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [November 18, 2010, 8:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-big-bang-theory-11-18-the-boyfriend-complexity/561137 "2010-11-18T20:02:56Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Robot\_Arm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/robot_arm/32/18280_2.png) [@Robot\_Arm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Robot_Arm)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2010, 6:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-big-bang-theory-11-18-the-boyfriend-complexity/561137/21 "2010-11-19T18:50:14Z")
> [@Cat\_Whisperer](#): > > “Monkey butler?” Raj wants a monkey butler? He’d make such a great Doper! Yeah, but every time he made a list, #3 would be empty. > [@Markxxx](#): > > They even back followed up with Raj saying he hasn’t kissed a girl in a year by having him say “he lies” which would cover the continuity of him saying he had a deaf girlfriend. So now there isn’t an error. What about Dr. Elizabeth Plimpton (“so, you say you can’t pay the rent.”)? That was only in May. ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2010, 7:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-big-bang-theory-11-18-the-boyfriend-complexity/561137/22 "2010-11-19T19:03:04Z")
So it was only 6 months. That doesn’t sound as dramatic as “a year.” Raj _lies_, remember? 😃 On another question: What was on the monitor behind them in the observatory? There seemed to be a blue planet and moon moving across the screen. Stock footage of Neptune? ---
**Author:** ![Cat\_Whisperer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cat_whisperer/32/4839_2.png) [@Cat\_Whisperer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cat_Whisperer)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2010, 7:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-big-bang-theory-11-18-the-boyfriend-complexity/561137/23 "2010-11-19T19:56:46Z")
> [@Markxxx](#): > > \ > And even though Leonard was less than gracious, it was great to see down and out Leonard have a day in the sun, if only for awhile I think he handled it perfectly - the things he said to her were virtually exactly what I would have said, in the same situation. “You want me to help _you_ out, after you dumped _me_? Hell yeah I’m going to have fun with it.” I also liked Sheldon’s line - “We don’t listen to you anyway.” 😃 ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2010, 8:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-big-bang-theory-11-18-the-boyfriend-complexity/561137/24 "2010-11-19T20:59:56Z")
You can tell Sheldon is still torqued about Leonard/Penny when he brought out the modifications to the roommate agreement. How many pages _was_ that thing, anyway? (And how many times had they filmed it when they got the take they used?) ---
**Author:** ![JSexton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/96bed5/32.png) [@JSexton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JSexton)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2010, 8:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-big-bang-theory-11-18-the-boyfriend-complexity/561137/25 "2010-11-20T20:05:15Z")
At first the reluctant kisses were funny, but after a while it just got creepy. Unwanted kisses are still unwanted kisses. Leonard went too far, and in the real world, there’d be hell to pay for it. ---
**Author:** ![Swords\_to\_Plowshares](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b38774/32.png) [@Swords\_to\_Plowshares](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Swords_to_Plowshares)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2010, 8:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-big-bang-theory-11-18-the-boyfriend-complexity/561137/26 "2010-11-20T20:30:28Z")
Yeah, Leonard was a total jerk in this episode. I can’t really figure out if we’re supposed to sympathize with him, or the writers are intending to portray him as a jerk. ---
**Author:** ![Cat\_Whisperer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cat_whisperer/32/4839_2.png) [@Cat\_Whisperer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cat_Whisperer)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2010, 9:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-big-bang-theory-11-18-the-boyfriend-complexity/561137/27 "2010-11-20T21:16:24Z")
I don’t think he was jerky at all; if anything, Penny’s the jerk for continuing to treat Leonard like her reserve boyfriend who will jump whenever she snaps her fingers (remember the drunken hook-up Penny instigated after they were broken up?). ---
**Author:** ![DSeid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dseid/32/20194_2.png) [@DSeid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DSeid)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2010, 9:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-big-bang-theory-11-18-the-boyfriend-complexity/561137/28 "2010-11-20T21:55:42Z")
Seriously. She was using _him_. Ask someone who you know still loves you to pretend to be in a relationship with you? He is friend enough to let her but ticked enough to make her pay for it … a little. This was not the equal of copping a feel; her being uncomfortable with it was exactly the reason he did it. ---
**Author:** ![Markxxx](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/5daacb/32.png) [@Markxxx](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Markxxx)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2010, 10:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-big-bang-theory-11-18-the-boyfriend-complexity/561137/29 "2010-11-20T22:22:48Z")
Leonard was a jerk and that’s exactly the point, people ARE jerks, everyone myself included has been a total jerk at some point. It was nice to see Leonard get a bit back instead of just being a whiny pathetic wimp. As I said, Leonard was less than gracious and he behaved like a lot of people would. Raj was a jerk for getting drunk and hitting on his best friend’s girlfriend. Penny was a jerk for just assuming Leonard would go along with her lie. People are jerks and that’s funny. Nice people are better in real life, but jerks are funny. ---
**Author:** ![JSexton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/96bed5/32.png) [@JSexton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JSexton)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2010, 11:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-big-bang-theory-11-18-the-boyfriend-complexity/561137/30 "2010-11-20T23:31:31Z")
Sure, penny was a jerk, and Leonard was being a jerk back. But as it just went on and on, I was getting a little uncomfortable. Dunno, it just seemed to take it a bit too far. The episde was really funny overall, though. ---
**Author:** ![Unauthorized\_Cinnamon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/bc8723/32.png) [@Unauthorized\_Cinnamon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Unauthorized_Cinnamon)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2010, 11:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-big-bang-theory-11-18-the-boyfriend-complexity/561137/31 "2010-11-20T23:58:41Z")
Jim Parsons is so professional, staying completely in character and finishing the scene with a page balanced on his shoulder and head! We laughed really hard at that. ---
**Author:** ![Rebo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rebo/32/13005_2.png) [@Rebo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rebo)\ **Post date:** [November 21, 2010, 2:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-big-bang-theory-11-18-the-boyfriend-complexity/561137/32 "2010-11-21T02:58:02Z")
Oh yeah! I thought that was seriously funny! ---
**Author:** ![Annie-Xmas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ecc23a/32.png) [@Annie-Xmas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Annie-Xmas)\ **Post date:** [November 21, 2010, 7:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-big-bang-theory-11-18-the-boyfriend-complexity/561137/33 "2010-11-21T19:55:20Z")
[The Classic Monkey Butler thread](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=37864) ---
**Author:** ![Markxxx](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/5daacb/32.png) [@Markxxx](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Markxxx)\ **Post date:** [November 21, 2010, 8:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-big-bang-theory-11-18-the-boyfriend-complexity/561137/34 "2010-11-21T20:36:55Z")
> [@JSexton](#): > > Sure, penny was a jerk, and Leonard was being a jerk back. But as it just went on and on, I was getting a little uncomfortable. Dunno, it just seemed to take it a bit too far. The episde was really funny overall, though. I can understand how you felt, but I felt it wasn’t so much abuse as taking advantage, as Penny clearly could’ve stopped it any time she wanted to. In fact she did exactly that, when she got fed up with it. ---
**Author:** ![Cyberhwk](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/7993a0/32.png) [@Cyberhwk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cyberhwk)\ **Post date:** [November 22, 2010, 4:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-big-bang-theory-11-18-the-boyfriend-complexity/561137/35 "2010-11-22T04:36:34Z")
> [@Markxxx](#): > > I can understand how you felt, but I felt it wasn’t so much abuse as taking advantage, as Penny clearly could’ve stopped it any time she wanted to. In fact she did exactly that, when she got fed up with it. Exactly. Also when you figure in that they’re still on good terms including some occasional drunken ex-sex I highly doubt it was that traumatic of an experience. ---
**Author:** ![Skara\_Brae](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/f0a364/32.png) [@Skara\_Brae](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skara_Brae)\ **Post date:** [November 22, 2010, 3:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-big-bang-theory-11-18-the-boyfriend-complexity/561137/36 "2010-11-22T15:04:57Z")
Did anyone else notice how big Penny’s arms got? (I mean, you could see her muscles bulging). Not that she looked bad, but I think they were noticibly bigger, probably because the poor actress has been using crutches. ---
**Author:** ![muldoonthief](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/muldoonthief/32/3188_2.png) [@muldoonthief](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/muldoonthief)\ **Post date:** [November 22, 2010, 3:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-big-bang-theory-11-18-the-boyfriend-complexity/561137/37 "2010-11-22T15:10:35Z")
> [@Markxxx](#): > > I can understand how you felt, but I felt it wasn’t so much abuse as taking advantage, as Penny clearly could’ve stopped it any time she wanted to. In fact she did exactly that, when she got fed up with it. I think she was far more pissed off at how well Leonard and her father were getting along, and how much Leonard was playing that up, than she was over the kissing. Remember, she told her Dad over the phone because she found out he & Leonard were playing on the Wii together. Speaking of which, how can Leonard & Sheldon possibly own a Wii? I can’t imagine Sheldon would even consider having such a plebian video game system in his apartment, and I also can’t imagine that the roommate agreement doesn’t give him full veto power over any and all electronic entertainment devices, especially in the common area. > [@Skara\_Brae](#): > > Did anyone else notice how big Penny’s arms got? (I mean, you could see her muscles bulging). Not that she looked bad, but I think they were noticibly bigger, probably because the poor actress has been using crutches. I’ve always thought she had Seinfeldian man hands. Hot as she is, I’d be a little apprehensive about letting her touch my junk. ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [November 22, 2010, 3:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-big-bang-theory-11-18-the-boyfriend-complexity/561137/38 "2010-11-22T15:17:23Z")
> [@muldoonthief](#): > > Speaking of which, how can Leonard & Sheldon possibly own a Wii? I can’t imagine Sheldon would even consider having such a plebian video game system in his apartment, and I also can’t imagine that the roommate agreement doesn’t give him full veto power over any and all electronic entertainment devices, especially in the common area. Oh, I don’t know. Sheldon plays Rock Band and has an emulator so he can play old Atari games. He’s probably a completist and has _every_ system. ---
**Author:** ![Cat\_Whisperer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cat_whisperer/32/4839_2.png) [@Cat\_Whisperer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cat_Whisperer)\ **Post date:** [November 22, 2010, 3:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-big-bang-theory-11-18-the-boyfriend-complexity/561137/39 "2010-11-22T15:59:56Z")
Penny has huge shoulders, too - good, corn-fed, Nebraska farmgirl shoulders. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![JoelUpchurch](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/f05b48/32.png) [@JoelUpchurch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JoelUpchurch)\ **Post date:** [November 22, 2010, 4:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-big-bang-theory-11-18-the-boyfriend-complexity/561137/40 "2010-11-22T16:50:07Z")
> [@silenus](#): > > Oh, I don’t know. Sheldon plays Rock Band and has an emulator so he can play old Atari games. He’s probably a completist and has _every_ system. Don’t forget Sheldon also sucks at Mario Cart. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-big-bang-theory-11-18-the-boyfriend-complexity/561137.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-big-bang-theory-11-18-the-boyfriend-complexity/561137.md?page=3)