nolamegs

I've never like the Priya charter for well, a lot of reasons, but I didn't like the skype scenes at all (other than seeing shirtless!johnny ). Her character hasn't been developed fully to make you care about her enough (good OR bad) so the scenes to me just fell flat. It felt very contrived. I don't mind if there is going to be Leonard/Priya/Penny drama or tension, but if this is the type of Leonard/Priya stuff that we'll be dealing with, I really hope she's gone sooner than later. JMO

lclc

Agree

DrSnobgrass

This was such a fun little episode! It felt like season 2 where it was just a simple character driven story. Penny with her sloppiness about the used chair and Sheldon's OCD nature about cleanliness. It really felt like classic BBT. If this is a sign of what is to come in season 5 then it's going to be a great year. I know some didn't like it but I did like Leonard sex skyping with Priya. But that was more because he was so funny not because I like Priya. She needs to go. Total bitch. Even when she's miles away.

chaos blues

hah i so i agree with this, that's what i said too. it was definitely a great way to start the season.

evil_hypnotoad

But why Leonard let her control him? Why he acts like he has to do everything what Pryia demands? He is not able to stood up for himself here. His mother was right about him.

Fercita

You do make a valid point. Even with Penny was trying to please her and being insecure or jealous. With Priya at least he is not insecure and jealous.

We should stand by the woman of everything full stop. How come men support each other and they have this bro codes but we can't stand by each other? Instead of blaming Priya for being manipulative, we should also say Leonard is manipulable. Fair share of the situation.

lclc

Well said

Sursonica

The reason why many of us call Priya manipulative is two things: the trying to change the way he dresses, along with the glasses, and the "keep away from Penny thing", not regarding their relationship in itself.. every relationship is a two way street, and both ends must give in at some things and that doesn't mean you're manipulative or manipulable.

I don't think Leonard is manipulable but I do think he's unexperienced and clueless on a lot of aspects of having a relationship. Both Penny & Priya are more experienced on them, so of course he's gonna try to do what they consider is right. Leonard does take advice on the others, not only from his couples.. Desperation Emanation comes to mind, when Amy suggested he would go to a bar, and he gets offended and leaves, but next scene, he had gone to the Apple Genius bar, so he did take the advice... and last episode Howard suggested they engaged in cyber-sex and he tried it next.. up until them it was just talking... it was Priya who was convinced by Leonard in that situation if you think about it...

Again, I don't think it is a matter of him being manipulable, but rather unexperienced and don't really knowing what he should do. Remember, before Penny, he only had Joyce Kim before she deflected to North Korea, a fling w/ Leslie, a very short relationship w/Stephanie and (we later found out( a fling with Priya... nonoe of those were real relationships...

WeBuiltThePyramids

So very well said. It's like a professor in English taking mathematical advice from a undergrad in math. The undergrad would still know more - or have sharper skills - in that particular area even if the professor has more education. When it came to the psychic thing with Penny, Leonard fought it because he has knowledge about the other side. When it comes to relationship stuff, he tends to let the woman lead because he doesn't have as much experience with them. But some women try harder to change him than others. Priya, IMHO, has tried to change him the most. Penny and Stephanie not so much. (Stephanie changed the room, yes, and she bought him new pants, but she didn't push him to wear them, he was doing it for her. She also didn't make him wear contacts, whereas Priya kept asking him to wear them even after they were irritating his eyes.)

So it doesn't surprise me that Leonard lets the women lead. What Yanina said is exactly my thoughts.

carl1970

Leonard wants to be loved. Pretty much every romantic relationship he has ever had ended because the woman wanted out of it. He takes that as a failure on his part. In Leonard's mind a long distant romantic relationship is better than no romantic relationship at all.

In this episode Leonard show how bad he wants to be in a romantic relationship. With Priya he is willing to do and try things to keep her interested in him. I think in Leonard's mind if she is willing to continue this relationship he is doing something right therefore he is not failing.

Fercita

I say one thing is to be inexperienced and another is lacking a common sense and another is being manipulable. Leonard is manipulable because he still thinks he has to do something to please the woman. He is manipulable because he still let Priya tell him what to do and he does it, and he recognizes it "Yes, ok, like always".

He is manipulable because he let Stephanie stay even though he wasn't comfortable and because he wanted the sex.

Priya is manipulative, but Leonard does what she asks to do. You don't have to have the experience of the elder to have common sense, he just does it to please his girlfriends. What real difference does it make if he wears contacts or not? I mean, what could he think he could benefit from bumping over everything? Nothing, he did it because Priya told him to. He learned football because he wanted to mingle with Penny's friends, to have her girlfriend's approval, to stop Raj's train of thought that "Penny thinks Leonard is a little geeky guy who likes to fly kites". He later revised that when he really didn't enjoy the game and thought that his hobbies were not worth something he did not to share his girlfriend's hobbies, but to mingle in her group.

Being manipulable doesn't just mean obeying orders, but being led by outside expectations in society. He wants to mingle, thus, he is manipulable.

He was manipulable when he thought "I...it's just, I need a woman" no one told him to do get a woman, yes it was just a suggestion, but he still did it.

ETA: You could still be manipulated by your own perception of things. And Leonard does that. He thinks this, he thinks that, even if he doesn't agree he thinks he should do it. That he needs to do it.

LostInTime

I remember that was a big point about Leonard, because of his upbringing he tries too hard to please. Like Penny said, that is why the foreplay goes on so long, ( but Leonard doesn't know that , he just thinks he is the king of foreplay )
Leonard has to grow, but like Bill, chuck, Kaley and Johnny have all said, these people are going to grow at a snail's pace.. they are taking their time with them. I think maybe this Priya arc can help in that case, maybe Leonard will start to realize this.

WeBuiltThePyramids

Yeah he never could please his mother, so he tries to please everyone else. Makes me reel really bad for him.

BlackWhiteRose

I rewatched it last night and loved it as I did before.

BlackWhiteRose

It was so funny That chair was creepy
And I loved how Sheldon knocked on Pennys door.