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The Big Bang Theory Season 12, Episode 22 Recap: Leonard and Beverly Just Broke My Heart


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Across town, Raj is preparing to board his flight to London while Howard and Bernadette sit at home questioning his decision. They reckon that Raj—a hopeless romantic—is off to try and be with a woman who doesn’t believe in romantic comedies. “You can’t really think this is a good idea,” Bernadette tells her husband. “Of course I don’t,” Howard says. When he questions what else there is left to do, Bernadette urges him to run after Raj and get his best friend back. Maybe it’s Bernadette’s voice, but Howard is out of there faster than Usain Bolt.

Back at the Hofstadter’s house, Penny tells Beverly to apologize to Leonard, but she refuses in the most monotone, emotionless voice. I don’t know why I never realized this before, but Beverly is so Miranda Priestly.

Meanwhile, Leonard wants to know why he so desperately wants his mother’s approval. “You’d think I would have learned,” Leonard says. “It’s too bad you didn’t,” Sheldon says. Yes, it really is a shame Beverly isn’t Sheldon’s mother.

Over at the comic book store, Denise tells Stuart that if he would have moved in with her when she asked, they wouldn’t be in this weird situation with her roommate. Stuart says she’s right, but when he had the chance he was scared. Now he says he wants to move in with her. The two engage in witty banter about comic books that I don’t understand, further proving that everyone’s person is out there.

Denise and Stuart look lovingly at each other
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A good 45 minutes away, Howard rushes to the airport to stop Raj. “If you’re getting on the plane because you love Anu and can’t imagine spending another day without her, then go. If not, then stay here, with the people who love you.”

Raj is perplexed. “But what if this is my last chance at marriage and family?” (Well, if that’s the case, then me and a bunch of other 30-something singles are all screwed.)

Howard promises it’s not his last chance. Somewhere out there, there’s a woman who loves cooking shows and sweater vests and all the other dumb things he loves. “And I don’t think she’s waiting for you in England,” he says. “When you propose to someone in Notting Hill, it should be to someone who knows what that movie is.” Howard usually annoys me, but I’m here for his TED talk.

Raj’s response is brilliant. “Are you saying you’re just a boy standing in front of another boy saying you don’t want him to leave?”

“Sure,” Howard says, reluctantly. Then the two best friends hug. The airport lounge bursts into applause. And with that, Raj is returning home. But is this really the end of Anu? Or will she decide she can’t live without Raj?

While all of this is going down, Leonard storms into his apartment, prepared to have it out with Beverly. She asks if he’s calmed down. “No, I’m not calm! You really hurt me,” he says. Beverly says it wasn’t what she intended, and Leonard says it doesn’t matter. “What matters is the way you made me feel. Actually, the way you’ve always made me feel.” (Yes, Leonard!)

Beverly—giving us her best Miranda Priestly impression—says, “I see. You’re here to tell me all the ways I’ve failed you as a mother.” Leonard says yep, and it’s a long list. But then he adds it doesn’t matter because she’s never going to change. “If I want you to accept me for me, then I guess I’m going to have to accept you for you,” he says. “So…I forgive you.”

Beverly says she didn’t ask for forgiveness, but Leonard says too bad. It’s so heartbreaking and honest and once again a reminder that Johnny Galecki has never gotten the critical acclaim he deserves on this show. Leonard, with his voice cracking, says he forgives himself for taking so long to make peace with the fact that his mother will never change.



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'The Big Bang Theory' Season 12, Episode 15 Recap: Leonard Makes a Decision About Fatherhood


The Big Bang Theory finally concluded the most random storyline in the show’s 12 years. Spoiler alert: Leonard is not going to donate his sperm to Penny’s ex-boyfriend.

Hear that cheering? That’s me, thrilled that this arc has come and gone. But at the beginning of tonight’s episode—”The Donation Oscillation”—things certainly didn’t look good. Marissa and Zack begin by telling Leonard he shouldn’t have sex in the days leading up to his sperm donation. Oh, and they’re hoping for a boy so they want him to keep that in mind when he’s, you know, doing his thing. Somehow, Leonard remains committed to making Zack and Marissa parents.

Michael Yarish/Warner Bros. Entertainment

But then, for reasons I don’t quite understand, Sheldon wants Zack to choose him for the sperm donation instead of Leonard. Maybe that awful virus that infected Leonard in the last episode has now crept into Sheldon’s brain? I don’t know how else you explain this, because it came out of nowhere.

Around this time, Penny’s dad, Wyatt, comes to visit. Penny asks Leonard not to tell her father that she doesn’t want a baby, or that he’ll be donating sperm to Zack. Of course, per sitcom rules, both topics come up within a minute of Wyatt’s arrival. Wyatt makes a snide remark that Penny can drink all the beer she wants, because she’s not pregnant. It’s an awful comment, and Penny isn’t pleased. But Wyatt’s got more pressing matters to deal with: Leonard’s sperm donation.

Wyatt wants to know if Penny is really OK with Leonard donating his sperm; she says yes, she supports her husband. But then adds that if Wyatt is not OK with this, he should voice his opinion. Meanwhile, Leonard tries to explain why he’s doing it, but bottom line: I’m still not on board.

Penny then hopes that if she seduces Leonard in bed, it’ll change his mind (and break Marissa and Zack’s rule). When that plan doesn’t work, she disrobes to reveal a superhero meets cheerleader bikini/lingerie combo and starts whispering Batman phrases into his ear. Leonard does the unthinkable: He leaves to spend the rest of the night curled up on Sheldon and Amy’s couch. Wow. Never get in the way of a man and a sperm donation to his wife’s ex-boyfriend, I guess?

Amy and Leonard talk on the couch
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The next morning, Leonard has a heart-to-heart with Amy and Sheldon. Amy says maybe Penny isn’t on board with this idea as much as he thinks she is. Leonard—as clueless as ever—says, “But Penny says she is…although she also said I look dope.” He adds that if Penny has a problem with it, she should say something. “She tried to seduce you! If that’s not a cry for help, then I don’t know what is!”

Leonard says he respects Penny for not wanting to have kids, but donating his sperm to Zack and Marissa is a chance to leave a part of him behind. Amy reminds him that donating his sperm isn’t going to make him a dad. “It’s going to be their baby, not yours.” Suddenly it dawns on me: What if this whole storyline was just paving the way for a Big Bang Theory spin-off where Zack and Marissa’s kid is old enough to live on his/her own and moves into Leonard and Sheldon’s old apartment? And Leonard is the landlord? (My God, look at what this show has done to me.)

Anyway, back to “reality.” Penny comes home, and Wyatt asks if she’s avoiding him. He thinks Penny’s mad at herself for not wanting a baby, which is why Leonard’s about to go through with his sperm donation. Penny isn’t amused and says it’s really crappy to make her feel bad about not wanting kids. Wyatt insists he’s not trying to make her feel bad, but he still wants to know if she’s upset about everything. “Yes,” Penny says. “I feel like I’m letting everybody down. I hate disappointing Leonard, but I really hate disappointing you.”



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The Big Bang Theory Season 12, Episode 12 Recap: Penny and Leonard Have a Big Decision


For the first time ever, The Big Bang Theory has left me speechless about a scene and it has nothing to do with science, physics, engineering, or Super Asymmetry. Nope, it’s all about relationship—Penny and Leonard’s, specifically. Next week’s episode better reveal that this one—”The Propagation Proposition”—was all a bad dream; otherwise, I’m not going to make it through the rest of the season.

But before we get to that, let’s rewind a bit: This episode is a continuation from last week, when Raj and Anu fought over a doorbell camera and an ex-boyfriend. OK, so their issues might have been bigger than that, but the whole thing escalated beyond reason. In tonight’s episode, Raj tries to win Anu back by showing up at her door Love, Actually style with sweet notecards. To make a long story short, the two decide to get back together and start over without rushing things.

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There’s only one problem: Raj never bothers to ask about Anu’s ex-boyfriend, the guy who instigated this whole misunderstanding in the first place. And Anu never brings him up! So we still don’t know who the hell this guy is, whether she still has feelings for him, or why he’s in her life. I think that’s pretty important to talk about.

Anyway, moving on to more important matters… Penny runs into her ex-boyfriend, Zack, and he tells her he sold his company, made a bunch of money, and got married. Zack’s not the brightest, but his life choices sound pretty smart. He tells Penny she and Leonard should come over for dinner on his new boat. When Leonard hears about this, he’s understandably not too excited to dine with Zack and his wife. He’s right. There’s no reason to be excited to dine with your wife’s ex-boyfriend and his new wife on their expensive boat.

But this being a sitcom, it’s never that easy. Leonard and Penny go to Zack’s boat for dinner and trade eye rolls all night over how two these two have managed to live the high life despite being, well, dumb. Before they can figure that out, though, Zack drops a bombshell: he and his wife want a baby, but they can’t on their own…or at least Zack can’t. Since Leonard is the smartest person they know, they want Leonard to donate his sperm for their baby. (What? I can’t, you guys. I just can’t.)

Leonard is flattered, but Penny is dumbfounded. Then Leonard says he doesn’t know what to say. “Really? You don’t know what to say?” Penny responds. “I think we should talk about this,” Leonard says. Uh, Leonard, the answer is “no.”

But of course, Leonard doesn’t say that. Instead, they apparently tell Zack and his wife that they’ll think about it, because in the next scene, Penny tells Amy and Bernadette about the absurdity of the situation. “Leonard just stood there with a big dumb smile on his face like he was watching a puppy and a monkey make friends,” she says. “We got into a huge fight about it. He said if I don’t want to have his baby then why shouldn’t someone else be able to?”

So now Penny is being punished for not wanting to have kids? And does Leonard not understand that donating his sperm doesn’t really make him a dad? Zack would be the father of this baby.

While Penny is talking to Amy and Bernadette, Leonard tells Sheldon he doesn’t see why Penny is so against donating his sperm to Zack and his wife. Sheldon, the voice of reason, tells Leonard he hasn’t considered the emotional toll of knowing there’s a child out there who’s biologically his but not actually his to raise. “Wow, that’s really insightful,” Leonard says. Seriously, Leonard? You didn’t realize that for yourself?



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The Big Bang Theory Season 12, Episode 3 Recap: Penny Tells Leonard She Doesn't Want Kids


We’re only three episodes in The Big Bang Theory‘s final season, but already major bombshells are dropping. (Consider that your warning: Huge spoilers ahead!)

In tonight’s episode, “The Procreation Calculation,” the first big news happens when Raj gets engaged to Anu after knowing her all of five minutes. Yes, this was an arranged meeting by Raj’s father in hopes of it leading to marriage—but I didn’t expect Anu to propose so soon. Then again, Raj did sweetly tell her he’s a hopeless romantic who wants a great story to tell his future kids one day. And they’re both over-the-moon happy. Plus, now we have 21 episodes left to see how this will play out and whether or not this will lead to marriage.

PHOTO: Michael Yarish

The other big—and perhaps even more moving—reveal of the episode? Penny doesn’t want to have kids.

Now, if you’ve been following The Big Bang Theory closely (or paying attention to executive producer Steve Holland’s interviews), then it shouldn’t have come as a total surprise that kids weren’t in the cards for Penny and Leonard. After two seasons of pregnancy stories for Bernadette and Howard (and two never-seen babies), Holland has made it clear that he doesn’t want to repeat what’s already been done. Last season he told Glamour that “while it’s always a discussion…we’ve now done two seasons of pregnancy stories. I can’t say exactly what season 12 holds, but I’m not super excited to tell another pregnancy story right now.”

Of course, when you have four characters—Sheldon, Amy, Leonard, Penny—in their 30s, married, and successful…the topic of starting a family is going to come up. “At some point, these characters have to be real people and have things going on in their lives,” Holland said at the time. The question is, how and when do you decide to give the fans want, while also staying true to the characters?

In tonight’s episode, Penny stayed true to herself. While she’s proven to be a great “Aunt Penny” to Bernadette and Howard’s kids, she’s never talked openly about a strong desire to have kids of her own. And even Kaley Cuoco wasn’t on board with Penny becoming a mother. At Paleyfest this year, she told the audience that she didn’t want the Hofstadters to start a family.

The Procreation Calculation

PHOTO: Michael Yarish

While the decision may have been right for Penny—and the show as a whole—it was still heartbreaking for Leonard, who thought he’d be a dad one day. He’s disappointed, but by the episode’s end he reckons that he has other amazing things in his life he never thought he’d get, including his hilarious, smart, and beautiful wife.

One could make the case that Leonard and Penny should have talked openly about having kids before they got married. (And maybe they did—after 250-plus episodes, I can’t keep track.) But guess what? Life happens, and viewpoints change. Penny may have thought there’d come a time when she would want to be a mother. She’s still entitled to change her mind. And even if Leonard wanted to be a dad, it’s not up to Penny to give him that if she doesn’t feel it’s right for her.

The show tackled the discussion beautifully and honestly—and with its signature humor. Case in point: When Penny’s friends Bernadette and Amy lashed out for their own selfish reasons rather than thinking about whether or not this was the right decision for their friend. “My kids were going to be friends with your kids!” Amy screamed. “We were going to be barf buddies [during pregnancy]!” Bernadette didn’t back off, either. “It’s not crazy [not to want to have kids],” she said. “It’s just wrong.”

“I know I’d be great,” Penny countered. “I just don’t want to be one. Not everyone needs to have kids to be fulfilled.” Penny didn’t go into details about why she didn’t want kids, but she doesn’t have to. If it’s none of Amy’s business, as Penny told her, then it’s certainly not ours. The decision to raise a child is an extremely personal one, and women shouldn’t be made to feel less than if they decide it’s not what they want.

Later in the episode, Penny and Leonard have a heart-to-heart and admit that as long as they have each other, they’ll be OK. However, the writers left the door open for a much larger discussion by bringing in Keith Carradine (Penny’s dad) for a brief cameo to express his disappointment that he won’t be a grandfather. What will be interesting to watch, should the show go that direction, is how Penny responds to outside pressure not just from her friends but her family. To that I say, continue to do what’s right for you, Penny. You’ve more than proven that.



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'The Big Bang Theory' Season 11 Episode 11 Recap: Penny and Leonard Contemplate Their Future


The Big Bang Theory has never shied away from uncomfortable and necessary topics—take last week’s Raj and Howard fight or Bernadette’s pregnancy concerns, for example—but tonight the writers finally tackled the most annoying holiday tradition ever: the year-in-review letter.

You know what I’m talking about: the two-sided note from the friend/old co-worker/cousin you haven’t talked to in years. The one that brags about their kids’ achievements, a summer vacation to Fiji, a huge promotion, or surprise engagement—sometimes all of the above! Then there’s always that sentence at the end that goes something like this: “Hope your year has been as wonderful as ours! Thinking of you always!” And, of course, it’s accompanied by a staged photograph with everyone dressed in the same color scheme or matching pajamas. [Insert eye roll here.]

On the mid-season finale of The Big Bang Theory—titled “The Celebration Reverberation”—Leonard is the unwilling recipient this time, thanks to a Christmas letter from his brother who just built a hospital in Rwanda. That’s wonderful, of course, but it brings me to the part no one thinks about when they send those letters: You start feeling down about everything that hasn’t happened for you. Leonard is no different and starts obsessing over achievements he can put on his own list, err, dry-erase board.

PHOTO: Michael Yarish/Warner Bros.

So, Leonard asks Penny if she can think of a single cool thing they did this year. Penny mentions that they both have great jobs, but Leonard reminds her that the Air Force took his project away and she’s not crazy about selling pharmaceuticals. “I’ll just write down, ‘still employed!'” Leonard deadpans. The Hofstadters also celebrated their second anniversary, but they both forgot about it. “Maybe write down, ‘still married,'” Penny suggests. Leonard asks what else, but Penny says that’s probably enough before going through old photos to jog their memory.

By the next morning, Leonard still can’t stop thinking of his year-in-review list. The only new entries on the board, though, are “built Ikea desk” and “kept fern alive.” I don’t know about you, but I’d totally consider construction and saving a plant worthwhile achievements. Still, Leonard’s not impressed. Even though Penny says the whole thing is silly and their lives are great, he feels like everyone’s moving forward and they’re stuck. “We’ve been married two years,” he says. “Should we think about what’s next? Like buying a house or having a baby?”

While you can’t fault Leonard for thinking about what’s next for him and Penny, the fact that society pressures us to categorize big life moments as achievements anyway is perhaps part of the problem. Having kids is wonderful, but that shouldn’t take anything away from the person who decides it’s not for them. Penny notes that she wants to do “all those things someday, but there’s a bunch of stuff I want to do first.” Leonard asks what that is, and she responds, “Stay thin and have money.” Penny’s comment was funny, but it spoke to a larger truth that oftentimes there’s joy in the status quo. In fact, we should celebrate that more often.

Another thing to celebrate: Instead of using the moment to embark Penny and Leonard on a life change they’re not ready for yet, the writers kept the moment small, with Penny suggesting they go on a big trip outside the confines of Pasadena. It was a strong baby step for a couple that hasn’t always been on the same page. Which brings me to another important moment: Achievements aside, it showed that Penny and Leonard have gotten really good at communicating with one another. Last season, Penny and Leonard were often at odds with each other. This season, though, they’re stronger than ever. So kudos to the writers for showing the real ups and downs of a long-term relationship—honestly, Leonard should a year-end letter about that.



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'The Big Bang Theory' Season 11 Episode 8 Recap: Sheldon Screws Over Leonard


The Big Bang Theory constantly tests the relationships among the central core characters, but tonight’s episode featured a fracture between Sheldon, Leonard, and Howard that felt particularly infuriating—and real.

“The Tesla Recoil” began with Leonard and Howard learning about that shocking revelation that Sheldon is still working for the military, months after the three of them were fired. As it turns out, Sheldon was hired back because he came up with an idea to modify the technology into a communications system, which Colonel Williams found interesting. Instead of looping in the rest of his squad, Sheldon mostly kept quiet, planning to reap the rewards for himself. The worst part? Not only did Sheldon, Leonard, and Howard originally develop the technology as a team, but when Leonard and Howard find out about Sheldon’s betrayal, he wasn’t even remorseful. As he said, “There is no ‘i’ in team. There’s only I’m working with the military, and you’re not.”

Sure, it’s always been in Sheldon’s DNA not to put others first, but I’ve never wanted to sit in his spot on the couch and irritate the hell out of him more. (And by the way, notice there’s been zero wedding talk in the last few episodes? If I were Amy, I’d be nowhere near wanting to walk down the aisle with this self-absorbed individual.)

I’m not the only one who feels this way, as Howard and Leonard come over armed with insults (who knew that calling someone an Edison was the equivalent of being referred to as pond scum?). They tell him he’s “a bully, a credit hog, and a self-promoter.” The whole fight would be great on a reality show called The Real Scientists of Pasadena.

Of course, Sheldon’s pissed. He tells Howard and Leonard to “take that back,” but they’re not having it. Amy isn’t either, telling Sheldon that he’s building on their work and “that’s a classic Edison move.” Sheldon classically blames his mother (anyone else feel like Big Bang is trying to insert nods to Young Sheldon each episode?), who encouraged him to have friends in the first place.

But name-calling isn’t enough for Leonard and Howard, who decide the best revenge is to develop a better, more efficient system to pitch to the military, making Sheldon’s idea obsolete. They do this by recruiting their nemesis, Kripke, who later turns the tables on them to start a project of his own with their ideas. At the end of the episode, not only is Sheldon’s project canceled, but Leonard and Howard’s as well. Amy says they all acted terribly and deserved what they got, somehow still not realizing that her season 10 boyfriend has been brainwashed or kidnapped in the form of this fella from season 11. Where’s Professor Proton when you really need him?

Meanwhile, Sheldon’s not the only one trying to screw people over this episode. Ruchi—Bernadette’s co-worker and Raj’s new fling—seemed like a welcome addition to the show, until we find out that she’s attempting to steal all of Bernadette’s work projects while she’s on bed rest for her pregnancy. Of course it’s normal for anyone to want to climb the work ladder and prove your abilities, but Ruchi basically turns into a one-note villain. She tells Raj she loves getting to handle all of Bernadette’s work projects and hopes she doesn’t come back to work too soon. This is followed up by a fist bump and an invisible twirl of a mustache. Is Ruchi really that dumb that not only would she not realize this kind of behavior will come back to bite her in the ass, but to admit such things to the best friend of the woman she’s trying to take work from?

Naturally, it’s Penny (let’s keep #JusticeForPenny going you guys!) who’s the voice of reason again this episode, and she tells Raj he can’t go on sleeping with a woman who’s trying to screw over his friend. I feel like the series finale of The Big Bang Theory will end up being one big dream of Penny’s, who’s really a world-respected psychologist.

Anyway, Ruchi ends up dumping Raj, who tells Bernadette what her co-worker was up to. Bernadette scares the hell out of Raj (and me, tbh) by channeling her inner Miranda Priestly and quietly insisting that she’s going to kill Ruchi. Raj then calls out Bernadette and accuses her of probably doing the same thing if she were in that situation. Bernadette says she would never undermine a co-worker, but Raj counters her argument with an example of the time she falsely told this guy it was bring your cat to work day, except the guy didn’t know their boss was allergic to cats. “You should take a long, hard look in the mirror,” Raj says, before noting that Bernadette is a hypocrite.

The episode ends with a few light-hearted jokes to wrap up both stories as best as one can. I mean, the entire gang should be thanking their lucky stars that they have friends at all at this point. And while everyone can relate to wanting to succeed professionally, the often forgotten advice is that doing so at the expense of others will never work. If this were real life, you’d definitely lose your friends—and your reputation—with it.



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