The cast of The Big Bang Theory is on the cover of TV Guide’s Returning Favorites issue, and boy are they adorable.

In the video above, we see behind the scenes of their photoshoot, which involves some stunt comedy jumping into a pool, as well as some teasy teases about the new season.

Johnny Galecki says, “[Leonard and Penny] have so much to learn. I’d be surprised if they don’t rekindle at some point.”

Kaley Cuoco says, “Penny is sort of a motherly figure to [Sheldon].”

And (Emmy winner!) Jim Parsons says of Mayim Bialik’s liaisons with Sheldon, “There’s no kiss. Spoiler. Alert. There’s no kiss. But there is sex. No, there’s no sex!”

Adorable as they ALL are, and unsurprising as this all is, I have to wonder how my people on my Twitter feed are super-pissed about all of this, as a freakishly large number of them are Sheldon/Penny fans. (If I ventured a guess, I’d suppose the majority of those involved in the online Big Bang Theory fandom are Sheldon/Penny fans, but unfortunately for them, they’re not really CBS’s main demographic.)

The thing about Sheldon/Penny is … I get it now. I understand why people say that the writers are writing it toward that relationship, but what I think they’re not appreciating is that every male/female relationship on every show doesn’t have to be romantic. It’s unusual in the TV world, this relationship they’ve created for these two characters. I honestly don’t think either one of them has a romantic inclination whatsoever toward the other. And yet you all are right when you say that the writers are obviously more interested in their dynamic than in, frankly, any other on the series.

That doesn’t mean the characters should hook up.

Anyway, I’m looking forward to the new season. As the only show left on my schedule with multiple cameras and a laugh track, it fills a specific quota. If the season is half as great as that three-minute clip, then Bones and the NBC comedies seriously better watch their backs.

On next week’s episode of The Big Bang Theory, Sheldon makes time with Leonard’s girl–but to many a fangirl’s dismay, it’s not Penny, but rather Leonard’s mom, played by Christine Baranski.

My Twitter feed has been full of complaints for days, and it seems likely that the TBBT fandom is decidedly not feeling the holiday love for this episode.

But I, for one, am excited.  Because I, for another, am grossed out by the idea of a Sheldon/Penny hookup.  The characters do have chemistry–but I think it’s purely platonic chemistry.  Those who leap to ship these characters are, in my opinion, looking for something that just isn’t there.  I, too, delight in their scenes together, but it squicks me out to think about them doing anything more than playfully irritating the crap out of each other.

That said, the concept of Sheldon making out with Leonard’s mom is also a pretty squicky one.  Maybe I just find Sheldon a rather asexual character, although I DO love the idea of the show introducing a kick-ass character who could romance Sheldon.

I just don’t think that character is Leonard’s mom.

McKellar, known primarily for her role as Winnie Cooper on The Wonder Years, is guesting on TBBT as, according to TV Guide Magazine, a love interest for one of the characters.  But which one?  We assume not Leonard (sorry, Sheldon/Penny freaks), and it sure seems like Howard’s had an awful lot of action lately–and may even have a girlfriend now.  That leaves Sheldon, who’s never shown romantic interest in a woman (sorry, Sheldon/Penny freaks, but it’s true) and Raj, who can’t speak to a woman unless he’s drunk.

It sure seems like Raj is the obvious choice, but I would really like to see Sheldon get some action–and not from Leonard’s mom.

Meanwhile, Cheryl Hines of HBO’s Curb Your Enthusiasm is playing Kitty’s close friend on Brothers & Sisters.  The best part is that her character’s name is Buffy.  Kitty and Buffy.  Yeah, I can see how they became friends.

Admittedly, I’m not an expert of Battlestar Galactica, but I know enough to get the joke when Sheldon meticulously fixes Cylon toast for breakfast. The rest of this sneak peek clip, from the November 2 episode, isn’t nearly as funny as just the sight of Sheldon with that toaster.

Speaking of The Big Bang Theory and Battlestar Galactica, rumor has it that Katee Sackhoff is guesting later this fall as Wolowitz’s fantasy woman. That’s big news for nerds everywhere.

Speaking of awesome queens of geekdom who seem made for Big Bang Theory cameos, how long until they can get Felicia Day onboard? I don’t even care what she does, I would just die to see all of those people in the same room together.

And speaking of people who appear on The Guild, here’s THE clip of Sheldon preparing to beat down Wil Wheaton at “Mystic Warlords of Ka’a.” (After the jump because I can’t figure out how to turn the autoplay off. Prepare yourself.)

penny gets conditioned // cbs promotional photo via tvspoilerscenter

Oh, I’m sure there were plenty of Sheldon/Penny shippers all in a tizzy after last night’s episode; I continue to roll my eyes in their general direction.  The thing is, I kind of understand what people mean about Leonard and Penny–their relationship isn’t doing much for me.  I thought they were cute when they were doing their flirty thing, but their tension never seemed tense enough to merit me getting excited for their coupling.  This going against everything I usually stand for as a fanatic, as I am almost always the one pushing for couples to, well, couple.

But just because I’m not totally on the Leonard/Penny wagon DOES NOT MEAN I advocate Sheldon/Penny.  If anything, I support Leonard/Penny if only because I think Sheldon/Penny is GROSS and WEIRD and JUST THINKING ABOUT IT MAKES ME UNCOMFORTABLE.

Honestly, I think the show might work best with no romance involved; I think in many ways, Penny is the little sister neither of these boys had.  I would be totally fine–even pleased–if Penny ends up with a third, yet-to-be-met character, much like Traylor Howard ended up with Nathan Fillion on Two Guys, a Girl, and a Pizza Place.  (PS, just so you’re aware, that’s my second Two Guys, a Girl, and a Pizza Place reference in a week.  That show was awful.  Did you know it starred Ryan Reynolds?)

It’s also not because I find Sheldon incapable of relationships.  Yes, he is a pretty sexless character, but I think I would be totally amused by him finding a nice, probably incredibly strange woman to start something with.  You have to imagine he’d be so confused by romantic feelings; I kind of love the idea of the fluttery feeling creeping up on him unexpectedly and him not knowing what to do with that.  Sheldon needs the Booth to his Brennan–and I’m telling you…that ain’t Penny.