Big Bang Theory Recap: Is Leonard and Penny’s Marriage in Trouble?
Ryan Schwartz
Senior Editor
Fell behind? Read our previous Big Bang Theory recap here.
On this week’s episode of The Big Bang Theory, Leonard and Penny realize that something they frequently joke about is actually a serious detriment to their relationship. As even the occasional viewer can tell you, the longtime marrieds have nothing in common. Even worse, they have very different visions of what their future holds.
In “The Procreation Calculation,” Howard and Bernadette mention to Leonard and Penny that the house next door may soon be on the market and ask if they’re interested in checking it out. Leonard and Penny maintain that they’re happy in Apt. 4A, while Penny suggests if they ever moved, it’d be to a loft in Downtown L.A. Leonard, meanwhile, envisions moving somewhere with a backyard. Raj says they should have discussed this sorta thing while they were still dating (yeah, ‘ya think?), then mentions that he and prospective wife Anu filled out a questionnaire to determine their compatibility.
Leonard and Penny think the whole arrangement sounds ridiculous, but they wind up taking the questionnaire once they’re alone, the results of which show that they’re not compatible when it comes to religion (Leonard’s not religious, Penny… does yoga), family (Penny’s close with her loved ones, while Leonard prides himself on keeping his distance) and, most importantly, kids. When asked how she feels about children, Penny indicates that she may not be the mothering type. “They’re ok, I guess,” Penny says. “If I saw one, I wouldn’t throw a rock at it.” Leonard specifies that the question pertains to having kids; he thinks they’ll settle down and a start a family within the next five years, while Penny… seems less sure.
Penny later confides in Bernadette, telling her that she may not want to have kids. Bernadette implies that Penny doesn’t know what she wants, but Penny seems confident that she doesn’t need to have children to be fulfilled. Later that night, she comes home and asks Leonard how he’d feel if they didn’t start a family. Leonard quickly becomes overwhelmed and storms out of the apartment.
The following day, Leonard returns home from work to find Penny’s made him his favorite dinner: an In ‘N’ Out Burger, straight out of the wrapper. Leonard apologizes for freaking out, then tells Penny he can accept not having children. (Hmm… we’ll see about that.) They hug and make up, then Penny receives an angry phone call from her dad (recurring guest star Keith Carradine), who’s been informed that his daughter doesn’t intend on giving him grandchildren. At the end of the episode, Penny shows Leonard how much she appreciates him by renting him the Batmobile for a day.
Raj, meanwhile, decides he’s ready to commit to an arranged marriage after a successful first date with Anu. Howard suggests that Raj is rushing into things, causing a temporary riff among best buds. The next day, Howard apologizes and tells his BFF that he has his full support… unless it’s a destination wedding in India.
On their second date, Raj has a change of heart. He tells Anu that he’s a hopeless romantic, and can’t agree to an arranged marriage. Anu manages to change his mind, though. She gets down on one knee to propose, and the grand romantic gesture turns Raj’s “no” into a “yes.”
Last but not least is Stuart, who complicates life in the Wolowitz household when he begins bringing Denise back home to have sex. Howard and Bernadette attempt to drown out Stuart’s sex mix with a playlist of their own, which causes an even bigger disturbance by waking up baby Michael in the other room.
What did you think of Episode 3 of The Big Bang Theory‘s final season? Hit the comments with your reactions!
First, I want to know what the real story is behind Raj’s new interest. She seems in an awful hurry to lock him into a marriage.
Second, do I think Penny & Leonard’s marriage is in trouble? Maybe. But only because these two people, who have spent a decade deciding will they/won’t they are actually beginning to have A Relationship. Between Adults. Conversing on things that are important to them.
Let’s be honest, they both fell into this marriage with a lot of assumptions and a lot of … behavior issues. One thing they managed to avoid, even when they knew they shouldn’t, was actually talking about what they wanted for themselves and for their relationship.
It will be interesting to see what they do. Or in the case of the writers lack of continuance, what they don’t do. We have had quite a few seasons where promising story lines got left at the gate probably because the writers couldn’t figure out what to do next.
“they both fell into this marriage with a lot of assumptions”
Yes but children was something they both individually believed they were on the same about. It’s possible for people to change their minds.
Honestly penny not wanting kids in this episode feels more like the byproduct of being reminded of the negatives of children in this episode (namely the wolowitzes), more than her deep down not wanting children.
i hate to ask but how old is penny suppose to be i would assume 34 to 37, being tgat the show is in year 12, and she was over 21 when the show started, she really doesnt have much time left
She was 22 in season 1, so she would be 34 now.
Excuse me?! Women can continue to have children well into their 40s; Janet Jackson even had a baby at 50. She has plenty of time.
@Alex: But is getting harder with every year past 40 and you need more and more medical support. Also your eggs decay also, the risk of gene defects is rising exponentially. Medically (not socially!) the best time for a female human being to birth healthy children with limited medical risks to mother and child is between 16 and 36.
BTW: Just for equality purposes: Yes men can have children up to old age but semen also carries a much higher risk of copy-paste-defects on the DNA the older the man is.
And it’s just not the birth age. Girls and boys reach puberty between 11 and 13 years of age. Which is a period (no pun intended) of extreme hormone changes and imbalances. As their parent: Would you want to deal with this in your own 50s or even 60s?
I can’t agree that they both originally believed they were on the same page about. Too many pregnancy tests going on.
I can agree that it might have been a possibility for Penny, but Leonard never really thought about it – just assumed.
I have to wonder how long it will take Leonard (let alone Penny) discover he married his mother. Penny used to be a lot less…hardened and brittle.
For the record, I have to say that if Penny doesn’t want kids, she shouldn’t have them just to make someone else happy.
At least she is trying to fulfill some of Leonard’s dreams/fantasies.
And, on an odd note, I didn’t miss Sheldon at all. The few seconds of his self indulgence behavior was just enough.
Leonard picked out Elliot as a name for their child. Based on that he’s thought about it.
To my knowledge that’s how arranged marriages work. They are quick and to the point.
They are not actually. There is usually a long courtship process where both people are encouraged to get to know one another and many dates are arranged, and family events to ensure combatibility. The end goal of marriage is very obvious, but its not one date and then bam, married. There is usually some time
I’m disappointed. From the first episode Leonard has talked about how he and Penny would have beautiful and smart babies. Yes- lots of people today don’t have kids but why Leonard and Penny? I’d rather see them divorce than see Leonard be unhappy and while I like Penny to me she has always been the one to cause the issues.
So not having children automatically means Leonard will be unhappy.
For the character of Leonard, I think he would be unhappy and eventually would lead to a divorce.
No, but not ever getting a choice in a relationship should. She is unkind to him – bossy and demanding- and she never discusses. Over the years she has become very unkind, never very loving. ( They had more than one episode where they try to teach her what is means to give in a relationship , and not just take.) She just issues the “way it is going to be.” Honestly, the best end to this series would be for them to leave this terrible marriage. He should have married Alex , Sheldon’s assistant , who liked him for who he was!
IMO it isn’t just Penny. The writers have made all of the ladies unlikable. Bernadette is attractive but she’s a domineering shrew. Penny was always nurturing and sweet, now she’s a mean girl. And Amy, who never had much to recommend her is still unattractive, and out of touch with how things really work between humans, no growth at all.
You’re putting all the responsibility on her, which is messed up. They both made the error of not discussing this before getting married (and even then, people can change their minds). But she shouldn’t just give in and have children to make their marriage last, to make him happy. Why is his happiness more important than hers? And its not like the decision is a small one, its a pretty huge ‘favour’
Penny was joking about yoga being a religion.
Leonard did not take pride in being distant from his family, he said he was working on it.
Yes this is an issue for Leonard & Penny, but let’s not distort what they actually said.
Leonard, and I quote, said, “I’m gonna say not too close, but I’m hoping to get farther,” as in, farther away from his family. :)
He said further. Which makes more sense given he still keeps some form of a relationship with his mother after everything he’s put her through.
* Sorry meant to say after everything SHE has put HIM through.
Nope, he did not. He said “farther”. And it was played for laughs so it couldn’t have been the intention to re-connect with his mom.
Your proof is?
Connecting w/ his mom, despite him knowing how horrible she is, has been played for laughs in the past. Why would this be any different?
There’s no way they would deprive us of a happy ending for Leonard and Penny, so this will be a season of them struggling, maybe even separating for a bit, but reuniting stronger, and probably with a surprise pregnancy. Anything other than a happy ending will unleash the wrath of Leonard and Penny fans for eternity. Lorre and Prady and others want to be able to dine out without being chanted at by protesters. They know to do what’s good for them. ;-)
People can be happy after splitting up. People can be happy having kids or not having them. People can be happy just remaining single. “Happy ending” does not necessarily means “getting married and having kids”. At least, not for everyone. And, as part of the audience, I don’t see how forcing two characters who don’t have the same plans for their future to be together is a happy ending. Just saying :).
I don’t like this “let’s address Leonard & Penny’s inherent incompatibility” after twelve freaking years.
But really that’s not the HUGE takeaway from this article.
Sheldon’s name is not mentioned anywhere!?!?! :-)
They’ve addressed it multiple times but that doesn’t mean it gets solved.
A good marriage does not necessarily rely on complete compatibility, IMO. They have always been two very different people, and the big revelations about religion and family should have been pretty obvious to them already. I hope the show doesn’t give us another possible break up story with these two–enough already. I always thought they would have children, due to the smart and beautiful babies thing, but it’s fine if they don’t, however I would like it to be mutual decision tho’, not Leonard giving in to Penny.
I would like to see a woman be able to choose not to have children and that be ok. Ultimately every comedy seems pro-procreation.
SAME. .. and not just comedies. Pretty much every show shows characters at their happiest when they’re married and have children, and try to end the series with everyone paired of and having procreated. As if there’s no other way to enjoy your life.
Well HIMYM let Robin not have kids and still get together with Ted, and look how fans treated them?
Yeah they solved that by her not being able to have kids
Yeah, that’s my point. She got to have that and get together with Ted after his wife passed away. You think those fans cared about THAT representation? Hell no!
No, they solved that by giving Ted a wife/baby machine as a plot device, then still reunite with Robin later.
No. They made Robin infertile instead of letting her make the choice not to have kids, and then they implied she would still end up a step-mom to Ted’s kids after the show used the character of the “mother” to incubate Ted’s children and ultimately killed her off. If the show had wanted to portray a couple who made the thought out decision to forgo children, they should have left Barney and Robin together since Barney didn’t want kids either. But even he couldn’t escape procreation since the last 30 seconds randomly gave him a kid with an unnamed character. Now let us please never again speak of the travesty that was the ending of HIMYM.
HIMYM wrote Robin as not wanting kids for years, until her medical issues took it off the table and then suddenly it looked like she did want kids when she couldn’t have any. Not going to go off on a tangent about how that was one of the less offensive ways HIMYM treated it’s audience though….
Pretty sure this is classic comedy fake out, Bernadette didn’t want kids and also wanted to work with Howard being a stay-at-home Dad but that changed, so IMO Penny will be pregnant by the end of the series.
Leaving that aside, please tell me that one line wasn’t the sum total of Keith Carradine’s appearances for the season.
I was really disappointed in how they changed Bernadette in that way.
.
But as for the Robin thing, I never wanted kids but when I found out I also probably couldnt have children, it threw me. I pondered a long time whether I did want them. The removal of the choice creates anxiety. We all want to make our own choices; having the choice to have children taken away frome was unsettling. (I ultimately returned to not wanting children lol, but would be okay as a stepmom to older kids. So Robin oddly reflected my reality.)
Apples and oranges. Robin did not want kids, and she never hid that. When Kevin proposed, she started with telling him she couldn’t have kids, but when he said they could adopt, she said she didn’t want them. And she told him this stuff before they got married because that’s when you need to tell someone something like that.
That was more to do with the fact that the end show of the game was always to have Ted & Robin together despite the fact we get to meet and like the actual “Mother” character
Cristina freaking Yang got divorced, and a hospital! :)
I agree! Especially because, why does Leonard even really want kids?! Honestly, i’d rather have them not want to be parents as the thing they end up rallying around, held in constraint with everything else they don’t have in common.
Yeah, I can’t even picture Leonard as a dad, or even wanting to be a dad.
Who would have thought Howard was dad material. I don’t think Leonard is a worse person than Howard was.
His reason for pursuing Penny in the first place was that their children would be smart and beautiful. Sort of indicates to me that at one time Leonard wanted kids.
You are free to make that choice but this is a comedy so tough luck. I am pro-Penny/Leonard having kids.
So what if it’s a comedy? If Penny doesn’t want kids then I don’t think it’s a happy ending for them to have kids.
yeah, becasue a women having a kids because she is guilted into it is so freaking hilarious!! Haha women are only good for having babies and nothing else!! What a laugh riot!!
Amen!
Preach! Its so insideous. I don’t doubt this show will end with Penny being pregnant and happy about it.
I always enjoy the Penny/Leonard stories but to me Raj is the one who looks fantastic! His hair looks terrific and he looked so sharp in that suit, also looks a look trimmer!
He stopped straightening his hair a while ago and it’s shown his leading man potential. He was always cute, but now he seems ready for more dramatic roles.
I’ve loved the whole series, it’ll be sad when it’s finally over. I’m sure there will be plenty of reruns though! I’m sure Penny and Leonard will still be together – forever. That’s what I choose to believe! Silly happiness all the way around. Thanks to the creators, writers and brilliant cast for giving me so much enjoyment and so many laughs. Thanks!
Bernadette and Howard’s faces when the music started in Stuart’s room were priceless.
That was the funniest scene of the episode! Looked like they both wanted to crack up. Second funniest scene was Amy’s conversation with Penny about having kids at the same time.
Very funny
I hate Penny
It took forever to get them married
And now no kids….
I’m disappointed in this season so far
And it’s the last. SMH in total sadness
Great work valuing women as independent humans 👍
Penny will be pregnant before mid season. The last show will have a flash forward to three kids and an OSCAR nominated movie career.
“The last show will have a flash forward to three kids and an OSCAR nominated movie career.”
Then we really would have returned to “Dallas”. She isn’t acting, doesn’t appear to want to be acting, and last we heard isn’t really looking for a new job. But then, Leonard managed to torpedo the one she was interested in because he was so fanboy after…Gates? I forget.
To be truthful, THAT is one Leonard/Penny discussion I would like to see.
If they somehow strong arm Penny into her “realizing” she wants kids….I’ll be so disappointed. Penny represents A LOT of women in the world, many of whom are forced to cave to the pressure to become mothers because of friends, family, and society. And when tv shows do this, it just continues to reinforce that
.
I’m also really enjoying the arranged marriage storyline. Its refreshing.
Same here Anne! I’m actually rooting for the arranged marriage. And I would love to see a female character stick to her decision to not have kids for once. It shouldn’t be something she’s punished for.
I agree about Penny, there are a lot of woman out there who feel the same way about children and it is nice to see that represented on TV. This show already had Bernedette change her mind about having kids.
Agreed! As a woman who doesn’t want kids, I was really angry at Bernadette for being so condescending to Penny about her not wanting kids. Just because Bernadette changed her mind, doesn’t mean Penny would. Amy’s reaction was completely in line with her character, but not Bernadette’s. Now, if they had done some reflection on Bernadette’s reaction – how she was once of the no-kids mindset and did she really like how her life had changed, or something like that – it would have been fine. But Bernadette never had a real conversation with Penny after her reaction, never apologized, and that’s not how a real friend would react.
Howard and Bernie were able to overcome their issues about one wanting kids and not the other. Really don’t think this story is unique to Penny and Leonard. It’s a universal issues lots of couples face and overcome.
Please end this long drawn out national nightmare.
when did Leonard get a perm?
I don’t think there is anything wrong with Penny not sure she wants children. What I find odd is that after all this time together as friends and as a couple, kids didn’t come up once?
I would like to see Penny offered a role of a lifetime, have to choose between following her real dream and Leonard, and sadly walk out on Leonard and into the elevator, not realizing it is working
I’m a die hard fan of the show, but this was just boring.
I do not care where the creator’s take this, as long as they stay together. However, when they found out Howard and Bernadette were having a baby they both agreed with someday. In approx. 2 years she changed her mind that strongly? In the episode she seemed like someday was real, not like her reaction in this episode where she didn’t want to admit no. If she said maybe the no kids make more sense, then saying someday.
It’s one thing to think you may want kids someday. Women in particular are raised in a society that values them almost exclusively as wives and mothers – we’re given baby dolls and Ken and Barbie to play with. But when you start to actually spend time with your friends and their kids, and get into the reality of how much children change your life – as Penny is seeing with Bernadette – someday becomes a much more tangible thing that you have to actually face and make real decisions about.
Wait, Stuart’s having sex? With a woman?
He maybe drugged her and he’s just dancing around in her underwear.
And a woman that seems to genuinely like him. Isn’t some sort of con, playing him for something, or other ulterior motive.
That happened to Howard and Bert, but I don’t think it ever happened to Stuart.
The people who are saying that if Penny winds up pregnant it will be because the show doesnt women as independent beings or whatever are nots. Uh, no. If Penny didn’t want kids, it was her responsibility to bring it up. Yeah, some people don’t want kids, but not as many as do. The social norm is having kids, and if you want to go against that, that’s fine, but you also have a responsibility to not get married and then expect your partner to go without kids.
That was why Alex broke up with Maggie on “Supergirl” Alex wanted kids and Maggie didn’t so they called off the marriage.
Foreshadowing of a Penny baby in a possible last episode time hop – showing the happily ever after — they have foreshadowed something like this ie major move in a relationship since season 1 this is just the start of this seasons.
Honestly, I hope Leonard and Penny either remain childfree or split up. First of all, because I think that throwing a child into it ends up killing any comedy —it’s a boring, tiresome cliche. I’m not saying that there should be no kids in comedies, only that the baby-resource should not be so overused.
Secondly, because it would be nice to see some variation on the family configurations depicted in TV shows. Assuming that happiness in a marriage/couple is only achieved after becoming parents is really archaic (I never understood how writers could think that making a mum out of Bernadette, who heavily refused to have kids, was a good idea).
On the other hand, I’ve never got used to seeing Leonard and Penny as a couple. A real one, I mean. I know this is basically the leit motif of the whole series, but they are not really compatible, at least from my point of view. They are always trying to change the other, and that cannot be good. In any case, I guess that we all see what’s coming next: the well-trodden path will be followed and it all will end up with Penny being pregnant and happy about it, or something along this line.
P.S. Excuse my poor English.
Penny and Leonard SHOULD HAVE A BABY. End of rant.