[Note From Frolic: We have a thing for novellas. A BIG thing. In the next installment of an ongoing series, we bring you a piece from author Larissa Ione, whose novella ‘Cipher‘ with our friends at 1001 Dark Nights is out now!]
I’m an author, which means I’m a reader, but I’m also a huge movie and TV buff. I especially love franchises and series that immerse me in an expansive world and allow me to get emotionally attached to the characters.
Of course, getting attached to characters can backfire and be absolutely traumatic. (I’m looking at you, Game of Thrones and The Walking Dead.) But sometimes it’s the opposite. Books, movies, and TV shows can provide a sense of comfort and familiarity that can get you through the good times…and the bad ones.
Star Trek has done that for me since I was a small child. Roddenberry’s future is full of hope and human spirit, a universe in which humans came together and reached for the stars. Best of all, the loyalty and friendship shared by the crew members speaks to our basic human need to bond, be it with a mate, a friend, or a pet.
I’ve always loved shows that bring a strong group-friend dynamic (Buffy The Vampire Slayer, Angel, The Flash, etc.), and I found that, and more, in The Big Bang Theory.
I’m not a big fan of sitcoms, but I am a huge nerd. I love science and science fiction. Video games. Comic books. Superheroes. Fantasy. I even work a lot of my geek-love into my books, writing characters who argue about whether Star Trek or Star Wars is better, or who spend more time on their computers than anywhere else.
But for years there just wasn’t a lot of television programming for people like me. Thankfully, we now have the Syfy Channel as well as some great productions from Hulu, Netflix, and others, but for the longest time I got my fix from those lovable nerds in Pasadena.
I mean, have you seen the guest stars? Every one of them pushes my geek buttons. Actors, authors, astronauts, scientists! And then there’s the fact that when one of the guys talks about a video game or a comic book…I know what they’re talking about! I GET the show. I’ve pulled all-nighters playing D&D. I’ve been to Star Trek conventions. I’m a collector.
I have freaking Star Trek tattoos.
I am devastated that Big Bang is ending. But as we say goodbye to this show and these characters, I wanted to share what makes each of them so special to me.
Amy
I wasn’t sure about her at first, but as her character evolved, I saw a lot of me in her. I attended several different schools growing up, so I was often the new, “weird” kid. I was socially awkward and pretty sheltered, so watching Amy struggle to fit in felt familiar.
Penny
As I hit my later teens, I lost the Amy-ness and gained some Penny. By my junior year of high school, I was a cheerleader, a prom princess, a student leader, and generally popular. At least, I was on the outside. Inside I was still Amy. But boy, did I do some partying. I cringe in solidarity with Penny sometimes.
Leonard
His insecurities hit home with me, the way he tries so hard at relationships. I was so clueless for so long, and I’m glad that as the series went on he found himself. I did too.
Howard
Man, he can be a jackass. He’s never been one of my favorite characters on the show but, like him, I dreamed of being an astronaut. And, like him, I think that if the opportunity ever presented itself, I’d freak out. My very favorite Howard episode is from Season 5, The Werewolf Transformation, when he goes to astronaut training camp and rethinks the whole thing. I can totally see that. Also, “My pee is like toothpaste,” makes me LOL every time.
Raj
He’s just so lovable. And who hasn’t experienced the inability to speak now and then? Or worse, to speak and say dumb things. I swear, in the presence of my favorite authors and actors, if I open my mouth, stupid things fall out. I totally turn into Raj now and then.
Bernadette
Of all the characters, she’s the one I can relate to the least. And she’s a little scary. Sometimes I don’t even like her…but I always love her. I guess that’s why she’s as awesome as the rest of them. People are complicated. They can be horrible in some ways and yet, still compelling. The one thing I can relate to is how she didn’t like kids until she had them. I wasn’t a kid person. Didn’t even like them. But I loved mine from the moment he was conceived, and watching Bernie and Howard make all the mistakes reminds me of, well, me.
Sheldon
All of the characters grew as the show progressed, but Sheldon changed the most. Mainly, he developed empathy. As someone with an overabundance of it, I can see the benefits of being able to put aside emotion in order to focus on something, like a career. But at the same time, empathy is what makes us human. It makes us decent. I’ve loved watching this guy, whose brain is wired in a way most of us can’t understand, evolve over the years. I think he, more than anyone else on the show, made me look at human behavior in new ways. I’m really glad CBS took the leap with Young Sheldon, because I love getting his backstory. Of course, I’m a writer, so I’m always interested in backstory!
So there we have it. My farewell to characters I invited into my living room every week. I’m going to ugly cry during the finale, but I’m also going to be super grateful to have had twelve years with “my people.” I love them so much that The Big Bang Theory even got a mention in CIPHER, my newest release!
Go boldly, my fellow nerds. The Big Bang Theory might be ending, but we still have Comic Con! (And Star Trek, and Dungeons and Dragons, and The Avengers, and…so much more!)
Live long and prosper,
Larissa Ione
About the Author:
Air Force veteran Larissa Ione traded in a career in meteorology to pursue her passion of writing. She has since published dozens of books, hit several bestseller lists, including the New York Times and USA Today, and has been nominated for a RITA award. She now spends her days in pajamas with her computer, strong coffee, and supernatural worlds. She believes in celebrating everything, and would never be caught without a bottle of Champagne chilling in the fridge…just in case. She currently lives in Wisconsin with her retired U.S. Coast Guard husband, her son, a rescue cat named Vegas, and her very own hellhounds, a King Shepherd named Hexe and a Belgian Malinois named Duvel. Find her here: http://www.larissaione.com
Cipher by Larissa Ione out now!
It’s been seven months since Cipher, an Unfallen angel who straddled a razor thin line between good and evil, woke up in hell with a new set of wings, a wicked pair of fangs, and a handler who’s as beautiful as she is dangerous. As a laid-back cyber-specialist who once assisted guardian angels, he’d been in a prime position to earn back his halo. But now, as a True Fallen forced to use his talents for malevolence, he must fight not only his captors and his sexy handler, but the growing corruption inside him…before the friends searching for him become his enemies and he becomes his own worst nightmare.
Lyre is a fallen angel with a heart full of hate. When she’s assigned to ensure that Cipher carries out their boss’s orders, she sees an opportunity to take revenge on those who wronged her. All she has to do is appeal to Cipher’s burgeoning dark side. But the devastatingly handsome fellow True Fallen has other ideas — sexy ideas that threaten to derail all Lyre’s plans and put them in the path of an approaching hell storm.
Danger and desire explode, even as Cipher and Lyre unravel a sinister plot that will fracture the underworld and send shockwaves into Heaven itself…
