The one Bernadette recited made me burst in tears, the first time I heard it, against my will. Almost as if my suppressed feelings of being rejected by my mother caught up to me in that one moment.
My version of the letter: A birthday card, photo, map, note The note say 'Sorry Howard, my son. I'm sorry I couldn't be with you all this time. My other life caught up to me and there was no turning back. I had no choice but to left you and your mother. Every once in a while, I will go to see you. The last time I saw you was at your highschool graduation. I was so proud you. So please son, take care of your mother for me, family is the most important thing in the world. I lost it but you didn't.
I've analyzed it, and have the real contents of the letter: Raj- Too many changes added, friend intending to mean well, his facial expressions are too emotionless Sheldon- Seriously? Amy- More interested in the emotions related to the letter, not its contents Penny- Way too dramatized Leonard- We have the true contents by process of elimination. Leonard has no facial ticks giving away the story, nor any gestures, or movements. Bernedette- Interested in making Howard feel best, irregardless of the letter's contents, she was hoping to make the best story.
It's like Howard and Leonard say. It doesn't matter which one is true, as long as one of them is. No matter which it is that's true, it shows that his father cared about him, which is the important thing here. Obviously disregarding Sheldon's story which was just there as comedic relief.
The answer is Penny's account. I may be wrong, but hear me out and think. Firstly, Raj had not seen the picture, he would not have known what was stuck to the frog's tongue, neither would he have liked the picture that much because he had not seen it. Sheldon's is a complete bullshit, but take careful note on his reaction. After Amy's account, which was very believable. Sheldon cut in to tell Howard that it could be fake and was trying to say that his account is more believable. Therefore, trying to hint Howard that Amy's account was fake. Penny's account is believable, notice that Sheldon did not use the same tactic and suggest that it's true, in the other way around, it suggest that his account is the most unbelievable. It's like a person tries his most desperate means to lie, in a calmer manner than Amy's. Leonard's account cannot be believed because if what he said were true, Howard's dad could had come back long ago, or let's say, his mom would not had been like who she is now. Lastly, Bernadette said that its a picture and captions were written behind it. However, take note that it's a letter. If it's a picture, Sheldon would had said so in the first place. Therefore, her account is invalid. Besides, even if it's really a picture, would have the picture be burned last because it doesn't catch fire as easily as paper does? So there you have it, agree to disagree.
Penny is the kind of person that watches a lot of TV, and that does seem like from TV, maybe Howard's dad hadn't said that to his mom, or maybe he was regretting it and he only said it to Howard.
+Privacy stopasking Remember, Sheldon said he was unsure to put it under "memorabilia", meaning the "letter" could be categorized as such. Which leads me to believe Bernadette is telling the truth.
Call me crazy, (and I'm sure many will) if they ever bring Howard's dad into the show, I can so far only picture him being played by Gilbert Gottfried. He's got the voice for playing a member of the Wolowitz family!
I think it would be Bernadette who would have given him the real one all the others were dependent on the personality of the person telling it: Penny about a hard life on the mean side, Leonard about families importance (since his family was a wreck and he idealizes a functioning one), Raj with a simple message with goofy details, Amy with a focus on academic success. So Bernadette's was simple and touching with no other incriminating details.
No, copyright applies to both published and unpublished works; Bernadette's diary and Howard's father's letter are copyrighted writings. Their copyrights are perhaps not *registered,* which is how one protects such works in case there be a case of infringement of copyright. But once a work is created and fixed in a tangible form of expression, then it's copyrighted.
Sheldon is brilliant. This scene illustrates how a deep understanding of theoretical physics can be applied to something like this predicament. Kinda brings in applied physics.
+Blirobo Earlier in the episode, Sheldon wasn't sure to organize it as "personal correspondence" or "memorabilia", which leads me to believe Bernadette is telling the truth.
It exists partly in all its possible states at once... so whatever all the statements have in common is like the overall theme of the letter, but only one of the literal interpretations is true. I actually want to figure out the first bit now. :P
Aw! I want to see this episode. I feel like I would want to be the one to tell my husband the truth if I was in some bizarre scenario like this, so maybe Bernadette's story is true? But I would bet on Leonard's, also. But they all... with the exception of one... don't seem too farfetched.
I personally feel that the three women's responses were the most believable. . that being said I think Amy's and Bernadette stories are a tie for the truth and while Penny's is a little bit dramatic it would explain why he just disappeared .. that's what Howard has always said.. he always says "he left" he never said why he left.. and his mother never told him that he left because there was another woman, Etc
I think I may have deciphered which is true. I don't know why I bothered, because this is a TV show and I'm guessing the writers didn't even choose which was true, but it was still fun to try and figure it out. Obviously, we can rule out Sheldon, his account was only there as comedic relief. However, throughout the episode (even once in this video) Sheldon states more than once that it was a letter. That in total now rules out Sheldon, Raj, and Bernadette, leaving Amy, Penny and Leonard. This is where it gets more theoretical, so it's perfectly fine to disagree with me at this point onwards. Starting with Penny, she is the kind of person that watches a lot of movies and TV shows within the genre of romantic drama. Her account of what was in the letter seemed a bit too over-dramatic, especially when she says 'his other life caught up to him, it was the only way to keep you safe'. It sounds like the plot of a coming-of-age romance movie, so I choose not to believe her account. Moving on to Leonard, I think he definitely could be telling the truth, but between him and Amy, I think his account is what you would expect to be in a letter from a father sent to his child that he left a long time ago, telling him to not make the same mistake he did. This reasoning could obviously go both ways, but I think it's just a little too stereotypical. Amy's account, however, was very specific, but not too specific (like Raj describing what kind of card he sent). It seemed the most believable, in my opinion, because of that reason. So, I think that Amy's account of what was in Howard's letter was true. I don't even know why I just did this. I have too much time on my hands.
Great analysis. I also came to the conclusion of it being Amy's but for a different and simpler reason: they wouldn't want the person telling the truth to be too close to Howard since that would make it obvious. This rules out Bernadette and Raj outright (I think it's no coincidence that it was precisely them who told the last and first accounts); and Leonard to a lesser extend. Penny and Sheldon have a much more love/hate relationship with Howard but they're still closer to him than Amy, who didn't really interact with him, just the two of them, till the next season.
phylosacc Very true, although I didn't want to put too much on who they would choose to tell the truth, because we never know, they could have done something like picking a name out of a hat that chooses the person randomly. Or they may try to double bluff, but you never know. But what you said about Raj and Bernadette going first and last was great, I never noticed that.
+Avery Miller Good analysis, but future episodes (the one where they reveal Wolowitz' half brother) seems to indicate Penny was indeed the one telling the truth. Interesting, huh?
I believe in all besides pennys (not sure about hers tho tbh) You didn’t know it, but your father was in the auditorium at your high school graduation. And he cried because he was so proud of you. Your dad wrote about how family is the most important thing, and that you should never throw it away like he did.Inside the envelope was a picture of your dad holding you the day you were born. On the back he wrote Howard, my son, my greatest gift Happy birthday, Howard. I love you. Dad. I believe it was everyones besides pennys (maybe hers to idk) and yes even sheldons as he fcking suck at lieing to ppl (it could be a inside joke between howard and his father as the goonies was released in 85 and howard atleast on the fansite is said to been born in 81 also im sorry for my terrible english but english is not my native language why does ppl take for granted that its only 1 story thats correct i mean theyre intelligent right also sheldon was the only one seeing that was inside of the envelope so his story could be true
Are they sure that only one of their stories is true? I mean, for all we now, they could have used parts that were actually in the letter and twisted them to make up some of the stories.
KnowledgeGatherer DraftSaver yes the second life thing would explain why he was at the auditorium the day of his graduation but couldn't reveal himself to anyone
It's like a form of the schodinger cat theory....a state where you know and you don't know...five stories where only one or few is true....so he kinda know and he kinda don't know....
The one Bernadette recited made me burst in tears, the first time I heard it, against my will. Almost as if my suppressed feelings of being rejected by my mother caught up to me in that one moment.
My version of the letter:
A birthday card, photo, map, note
The note say
'Sorry Howard, my son. I'm sorry I couldn't be with you all this time. My other life caught up to me and there was no turning back. I had no choice but to left you and your mother. Every once in a while, I will go to see you. The last time I saw you was at your highschool graduation. I was so proud you. So please son, take care of your mother for me, family is the most important thing in the world. I lost it but you didn't.
I've analyzed it, and have the real contents of the letter:
Raj- Too many changes added, friend intending to mean well, his facial expressions are too emotionless
Sheldon- Seriously?
Amy- More interested in the emotions related to the letter, not its contents
Penny- Way too dramatized
Leonard- We have the true contents by process of elimination. Leonard has no facial ticks giving away the story, nor any gestures, or movements.
Bernedette- Interested in making Howard feel best, irregardless of the letter's contents, she was hoping to make the best story.
I would believe you much more if you hadn't said 'irregardless'.
so much emotion in this epiosede, i didnt expect that. howard is really growing on me
I think they are all true. (except for sheldons obviously lol). So that way no matter who he would've chose, Howard would have been correct.
It's like Howard and Leonard say. It doesn't matter which one is true, as long as one of them is. No matter which it is that's true, it shows that his father cared about him, which is the important thing here. Obviously disregarding Sheldon's story which was just there as comedic relief.
"Told You."
"Don't."
It's wonderful to see how much they all love each other. Great scene! And I like all of the ideas as to the actual contents of the envelope.
The answer is Penny's account.
I may be wrong, but hear me out and think.
Firstly, Raj had not seen the picture, he would not have known what was stuck to the frog's tongue, neither would he have liked the picture that much because he had not seen it.
Sheldon's is a complete bullshit, but take careful note on his reaction.
After Amy's account, which was very believable. Sheldon cut in to tell Howard that it could be fake and was trying to say that his account is more believable. Therefore, trying to hint Howard that Amy's account was fake.
Penny's account is believable, notice that Sheldon did not use the same tactic and suggest that it's true, in the other way around, it suggest that his account is the most unbelievable. It's like a person tries his most desperate means to lie, in a calmer manner than Amy's.
Leonard's account cannot be believed because if what he said were true, Howard's dad could had come back long ago, or let's say, his mom would not had been like who she is now.
Lastly, Bernadette said that its a picture and captions were written behind it. However, take note that it's a letter. If it's a picture, Sheldon would had said so in the first place. Therefore, her account is invalid. Besides, even if it's really a picture, would have the picture be burned last because it doesn't catch fire as easily as paper does?
So there you have it, agree to disagree.
Wow I was actually right after Howard's mum passed away and his half brother showed up..
Penny is the kind of person that watches a lot of TV, and that does seem like from TV, maybe Howard's dad hadn't said that to his mom, or maybe he was regretting it and he only said it to Howard.
+Blirobo but my theory was proven right when Howard's half brother showed up!
+Privacy stopasking Remember, Sheldon said he was unsure to put it under "memorabilia", meaning the "letter" could be categorized as such. Which leads me to believe Bernadette is telling the truth.
+xAaeiynx No, he's right:)
Call me crazy, (and I'm sure many will) if they ever bring Howard's dad into the show, I can so far only picture him being played by Gilbert Gottfried. He's got the voice for playing a member of the Wolowitz family!
You're crazy
That could be an event for the end of the serie
that’s not crazy.
In fact, you should send the idea to Greg Lori!
It could be a holiday special.
Hey! That’s a good idea too.
i think it was Bernie's.
Lisa Eight I think it might be Amy's or penny's!
maybe it was all of them? just in one long note? (obviously not sheldons lol)
how fucked would it be if it was sheldons and at the end it said trololol
Maybe they were all true. Various objects for many ocassions he miss
I think it would be Bernadette who would have given him the real one all the others were dependent on the personality of the person telling it: Penny about a hard life on the mean side, Leonard about families importance (since his family was a wreck and he idealizes a functioning one), Raj with a simple message with goofy details, Amy with a focus on academic success. So Bernadette's was simple and touching with no other incriminating details.
No, copyright applies to both published and unpublished works; Bernadette's diary and Howard's father's letter are copyrighted writings. Their copyrights are perhaps not *registered,* which is how one protects such works in case there be a case of infringement of copyright. But once a work is created and fixed in a tangible form of expression, then it's copyrighted.
Bernadette's was also the most beautiful as well as the most emotional
I managed to hold in the tears until Bernadette's turn. My poor feels
Plot twist: Sheldon's story is actually true xD
Am I the only one who cried while watching this?
Awesome piece. I fucking platonically love Howard. He's evolved so much since season 1.
Sheldon's excuse for reading the letter was to know how to file it. What's his excuse for reading Bern's diary?
Bernadette is the one that has to tell him the truth...Sheldon allowed himself to lie by making up something out of Sci Fi plot...
i was thinking that to when i watched the episode! XD
That's the time I've been interested in as well as fascinated by the concept o epistemic ambivalence. I really want to know which one was true
Never knew this show could be so emotional
Force it has been emotional like the episode when Howard's mom pass because in real life the lady who make her voice passed away
Why would a father, who abandoned his family years before, write to his son on his 18th birthday a bad letter?
No. Sheldon's function is the accurate processing of information without distortion or concealment. Please open the pod bay doors, Sheldon.
Don't ever pick a legal fight with Sheldon Cooper.
Sheldon is brilliant. This scene illustrates how a deep understanding of theoretical physics can be applied to something like this predicament. Kinda brings in applied physics.
For everyone saying it's Bernadette, Sheldon stated that it was a letter, sooooo....
+Blirobo Earlier in the episode, Sheldon wasn't sure to organize it as "personal correspondence" or "memorabilia", which leads me to believe Bernadette is telling the truth.
+xAaeiynx It's Penny saying the truth, cause' his dad had another son
Blirobo Yeah, like a season or two later. That story gets dropped. I still like to believe that it was Bernadette because she's the wife.
Leonard wears a Barney Stinson suit.
It exists partly in all its possible states at once... so whatever all the statements have in common is like the overall theme of the letter, but only one of the literal interpretations is true. I actually want to figure out the first bit now. :P
Aw! I want to see this episode. I feel like I would want to be the one to tell my husband the truth if I was in some bizarre scenario like this, so maybe Bernadette's story is true? But I would bet on Leonard's, also. But they all... with the exception of one... don't seem too farfetched.
I have a feeling that all of them are true, even Sheldon's. Maybe his father had a sense of humor, thus making Sheldon's part true.
Am I the only one who thinks that they all read the letter and they all split up pieces of it to tell him and they're all true, save for Sheldon?
I believe it was Amys
due to Sheldons Reaction
He's mostly gotten over his fear of speaking to women. He can do it without being drunk now.
Actually only Sheldon read the letter. Everyone else found out based on his account.
This is awesome. My father ran out on my mother and I and if my friends did this for me I'd break down right there
can someone explain why raj is talking in front of girls (i lost track of TBBT so.. yeah xD )
I personally feel that the three women's responses were the most believable. . that being said I think Amy's and Bernadette stories are a tie for the truth and while Penny's is a little bit dramatic it would explain why he just disappeared .. that's what Howard has always said.. he always says "he left" he never said why he left.. and his mother never told him that he left because there was another woman, Etc
i think bernadette's part is true just cuz she is his wife and she is like the only person who could tell him something like that...
I think I may have deciphered which is true. I don't know why I bothered, because this is a TV show and I'm guessing the writers didn't even choose which was true, but it was still fun to try and figure it out.
Obviously, we can rule out Sheldon, his account was only there as comedic relief. However, throughout the episode (even once in this video) Sheldon states more than once that it was a letter. That in total now rules out Sheldon, Raj, and Bernadette, leaving Amy, Penny and Leonard.
This is where it gets more theoretical, so it's perfectly fine to disagree with me at this point onwards. Starting with Penny, she is the kind of person that watches a lot of movies and TV shows within the genre of romantic drama. Her account of what was in the letter seemed a bit too over-dramatic, especially when she says 'his other life caught up to him, it was the only way to keep you safe'. It sounds like the plot of a coming-of-age romance movie, so I choose not to believe her account.
Moving on to Leonard, I think he definitely could be telling the truth, but between him and Amy, I think his account is what you would expect to be in a letter from a father sent to his child that he left a long time ago, telling him to not make the same mistake he did. This reasoning could obviously go both ways, but I think it's just a little too stereotypical.
Amy's account, however, was very specific, but not too specific (like Raj describing what kind of card he sent). It seemed the most believable, in my opinion, because of that reason. So, I think that Amy's account of what was in Howard's letter was true.
I don't even know why I just did this. I have too much time on my hands.
Great analysis.
I also came to the conclusion of it being Amy's but for a different and simpler reason: they wouldn't want the person telling the truth to be too close to Howard since that would make it obvious. This rules out Bernadette and Raj outright (I think it's no coincidence that it was precisely them who told the last and first accounts); and Leonard to a lesser extend.
Penny and Sheldon have a much more love/hate relationship with Howard but they're still closer to him than Amy, who didn't really interact with him, just the two of them, till the next season.
phylosacc Very true, although I didn't want to put too much on who they would choose to tell the truth, because we never know, they could have done something like picking a name out of a hat that chooses the person randomly. Or they may try to double bluff, but you never know. But what you said about Raj and Bernadette going first and last was great, I never noticed that.
+Avery Miller Good analysis, but future episodes (the one where they reveal Wolowitz' half brother) seems to indicate Penny was indeed the one telling the truth.
Interesting, huh?
+Grumpy Mau Yeah
Grumpy Mau That's really interesting! Unfortunately I haven't had the time to watch much; which episode was this?
Should that have been macroscopic example or microscopic example considering he can't see any of these?
If I had to pick which story was true it would probably be Penny's
I know it's just a show, but I felt terrible for Howard. I really hated Penny for that
As if you wouldnt want to know
Looks like Sheldon been to Robert Hall.
How is Goonies sci fi?
I believe in all besides pennys (not sure about hers tho tbh)
You didn’t know it, but your father was in the auditorium at your high school graduation. And he cried because he was so proud of you. Your dad wrote about how family is the most important thing, and that you should never throw it away like he did.Inside the envelope was a picture of your dad holding you the day you were born. On the back he wrote Howard, my son, my greatest gift Happy birthday, Howard. I love you. Dad. I believe it was everyones besides pennys (maybe hers to idk) and yes even sheldons as he fcking suck at lieing to ppl (it could be a inside joke between howard and his father as the goonies was released in 85 and howard atleast on the fansite is said to been born in 81 also im sorry for my terrible english but english is not my native language why does ppl take for granted that its only 1 story thats correct i mean theyre intelligent right also sheldon was the only one seeing that was inside of the envelope so his story could be true
Are they sure that only one of their stories is true? I mean, for all we now, they could have used parts that were actually in the letter and twisted them to make up some of the stories.
KnowledgeGatherer DraftSaver yes the second life thing would explain why he was at the auditorium the day of his graduation but couldn't reveal himself to anyone
It's like a form of the schodinger cat theory....a state where you know and you don't know...five stories where only one or few is true....so he kinda know and he kinda don't know....
would Sheldon lie? Or fabricate anything? for another human being?
hmmmm
Selena Gomez 8D
ij.n