WeBuiltThePyramids

Nicole has dropped by, and you are added, welcome!

I enjoyed them a lot tonight as well!

SargeantFuzzyBoots

So my headcanon is that Leonard and Penny developed a lot of fans from that podcast.

Also, I like how they both used the word "we" a lot.

Like with Leonard's note, "Also, we have juice." Cause it's their juice. Cause they're engaged. It's shared juice.

And then Penny saying all the good things that could happen if she got a part in the movie, "We could be rich and famous, win and Oscar, Golden Globe etc (moreso about Penny there ) and have a wonderful life?" Cause it's their life. Cause they're engaged. It's a shared life.

And the maturity thing is just amusing me so much because watching it back again, some of the things Leonard says, I can totally see Penny have said before.

WeBuiltThePyramids

Stop you're giving me feels.

SargeantFuzzyBoots

I don't understand the predicament ...

WeBuiltThePyramids

Neither do I.

SargeantFuzzyBoots

I also liked how Leonard kept patting her knee when people were fangirling over Penny's talent.

And then their in sync pointing at each other about the Star Trek names.

WeBuiltThePyramids

They're just too cute for their own good.

FileXxX

I liked most of their interaction. The only thing that made me unhappy is how they didn't even talk about finances before. I mean, he didn't know how much money she makes. How? And I really didn't like Penny's "you should definitely get some money - attitude". I thought they are engaged and planning a future together? I don't think there's a thing called my money and your money in their state of relationship. So yeah, she should've told him about all the money she makes instead of secretly doing all that behind his back. It's like she's saving money for HER future, not theirs.

Of course one could assume that she didn't talk about it to protect him because she knows that it makes him upset, but I don't think that's what they were trying to tell.

Anyway, I agree with pretty much everything that has been said here. They were both so excited and cute. I liked Penny's reassuring speech at the end and how sweet her voice gets when she talks about serious stuff. And, I agree, Leonard's note was adorable. WE also have juice.

And Brit: Shared juice sounds so wrong.

Edit: Now that we know she's making/saving a lot of money, I'm headcanoning that one day, she'll surprise him with something huge, like a house. You know, to make lots of babies. Or just something that will help them through their future together.

WeBuiltThePyramids

I liked Penny telling him to get some money because she was teasing, and teasing the fact that their dynamic has shifted. I didn't like that it took almost all season for this "shift in dynamic" to become a thing. What's been going on all year? She's buying him things, he knows she's not in need of money anymore...did they really never talk about what they were making? If this had been episode four or five, it would have made a lot of sense, but it seems rather delayed now, honestly.

FileXxX

Mh, no, I didn't like how she was teasing him about the money because she knows exactly that it's a sensitive subject for Leonard. Especially after episode 8.06, where they had a "lesson what not to do" and promising that something dumb like money won't be an issue between them. And you could clearly tell that he was hurt, but she kept making it worse.

I also thought it was complete nonsense when she said that he's never excited for her when something good is happening to her. I don't know where this is coming from because there is NO way he could express his excitement for her even more. He's always excited and happy for her, unless he thinks she's in danger. They had this kind of scenario so many times, she would at least know that he's always on her side.

As for the lack of continuity, Leonard even said that it wouldn't be a problem if she's making way more money than him (8.06). The fact that it was indeed a problem in last night's episode determined that was a lie. Also, I don't like how the writers are emasculating Leonard more and more. I know the gender role reversal has always been there, but I feel like they're overdoing it a little. He doesn't even have a role anymore, he's just there.

SargeantFuzzyBoots

Penny didn't say that Leonard is never excited for her, she asked that instead of trying to protect her, he be excited for her; so I don't think she was accusing him of never being excited.

I didn't really have a problem with money coming up again so late like this. I feel like it was less about what 8.06 was with whose money belongs to who and what to do with it, but became more about career success. I don't think it came from a place of sexism either or emasculation like it usually does with Howard and Bernadette; this was more Leonard having tons of schooling and Penny never going to college, but still being able to get a job that is more lucrative than his.

And, I kind of said this in the episode thread, but I think these two are still just figuring out all of these steps to be had in being an engaged/married couple when it comes to money. Like, I don't think these two have ever been the kind of people to obsessively track how much money the other person is making; they just had a general sense of how the other was financially, but they didn't feel the need to get into specifics because why is that really important? Now that it is becoming more important as they're spending the rest of their lives together, they're being sort of blindsided with it, in a different way than 8.06, I think. So, I don't really see the storyline as coming late, because I think these things can play out very slowly and then suddenly crop up in real life; so it felt more real than delayed to me.

WeBuiltThePyramids

I don't know that Penny knew how sensitive money is for Leonard...I mean I had no clue until today he's still paying off his loans. He goes places all the time, buys stuff all the time, spent several years paying for Penny's food and bills, you generally don't do that at all for a friend, even if you're doing okay, and he's never said no to something because of a money issue OR yes to something because "we could sure use the money" other than in the pilot. When he started talking about how stressed he is about money, I for one was totally floored.

I definitely see his frustration in her outearning him since he has an advanced degree. But the fact that he's apparently worried about money...that's kinda odd to me.

SargeantFuzzyBoots

Yeah, I agree with that being sort of out of the blue with the loans - maybe they felt it was on theme with Howard's brother. I mean, it doesn't seem like he's ever worried about money; like he never seems to be scrambling ... I dunno what his plan for paying it off is, but ... yeah, that I agree was a mite confusing.

But, yeah, I think Penny knew about the dynamic change being sort of sensitive to Leonard, but not necessarily the money in terms of the loans. Either way, I think Penny's teasing is sort of how she initially tries to snap him out of those things; she goes for a bit of tough love first before hunkering down and trying to calm him out of it. Which I like because I think he needs her teasing/tough love sometimes to get over things like this.

FileXxX

Okay, sorry, I definitely got that one wrong. I was watching the episode at around 4am before work, so yeah... I don't even know why I did that.

I can't say for sure that money is a sensitive subject for Leonard, it's just a vibe I got throughout season 8. I think it was Molaro who said that he'll feel uncomfortable with their new dynamic because she'll be less dependent as soon as she gets her first paycheck. Even though their argument was mostly about career success, I think her making more money than him was still playing a small part in it.

In 8.06, Bernie said: For me it's only logical to assume that Leonard feels the same way.

SargeantFuzzyBoots

I've never had the feeling that Leonard's insecurities come from a place of sexism, though. It's more just the fact that he was the one taking care of Penny, and that was a role he enjoyed and felt was important in their dynamic that is now not as necessary when it comes to issues of money or stability. Obviously he offers much more than that to the relationship, but he just needs to regain his confidence again.

With Howard, he never had to help Bernadette with money while she was a waitress like Leonard did with Penny, so his insecurities do come from emasculation and, as Bernadette said, pressure to be the breadwinner. I've never gotten the sense that Leonard cares about who the breadwinner is, but moreso how he can be a provider in some way in their relationship so that it's on equal footing.