The Friendship Contraction

The Friendship Contraction is the fifteenth episode of the fifth season of the CBS sitcom The Big Bang Theory. It is set to air on February 2nd, 2012.

Summary
Tired of The Roommate Agreement, Leonard activates Clause 209 that reduces his relationship with Sheldon to mere acquaintances after Sheldon reminds him of the clause. Meanwhile, Howard chooses his astronaut name for when he joins NASA's upcoming spring mission.

Title Reference
Leonard and Sheldon, after a slight dispute over the safety drills and other rules Sheldon has in place, signs off on their friendship, using Clause 209 in The Roommate Agreement to do so.

Trivia

 * Stuart appears in this episode. His last appearance was during the episode The Flaming Spittoon Acquisition.
 * Mike Massimino, a NASA astronaut, makes a cameo appearance. He is the first real-life astronaut to make a cameo on the show.
 * In a NASA press release read aloud by Raj, it is revealed that Expedition 31 will launch this spring to the International Space Station and crew members will include Commander Tom "Tombo" Johnson, astronaut Mike "Supernova" Novachelic, and payload specialist Howard Wolowitz.
 * Howard's astronaut nickname is Froot Loops.
 * Sheldon's safety vest has the words "Apartment 4A Warden" on it.
 * Leonard's Day is established in this episode.
 * Stuart had a psychiatrist who committed suicide.
 * The Emergency Preparedness Drill occurs quarterly, or four times a year.
 * This episode became the most watched episode to date, surpassing The Precious Fragmentation from Season 3.

Goof

 * In The Russian Rocket Reaction, Sheldon revealed that he started his list of mortal enemies in the year 1989, when he was 9 years old. This means that he was born in 1980, between April and May according to The Peanut Reaction, which would mean that in February 2012, he would be 31 years old. However, in this episode, Leonard described Sheldon as a "30-year-old man who can't survive on his own". Yet, this can be overlooked, as it appears that Leonard was just being imprecise.

Quotes
Leonard: I am sick of The Roommate Agreement!

Sheldon: ''Are you saying that you want to invoke Clause 209? Clause 209 suspends our friendship.''

Leonard: Where do I sign?

Raj: ''Are you not looking at me? I am Brown Dynamite!''

Sheldon: That's why we wear hard hats.

Sheldon: ''We are now merely acquaintances. To amend the words of Toy Story: You have not got a friend in me!''

Penny: Sheldon, that's not what girlfriends are for... Although, you don't use them for what they're for, so what do I know?

Sheldon: Put on your hard hat and safety vest.

Leonard:'' Oh, fun! I get to spend another night in front of our apartment dressed like one of The Village people.''

Sheldon: Uh oh, hypothetical aftershock!

Howard: This is going straight in my synagogue's newsletter.

Raj: Why did you put six sugars in your coffee?

Leonard: Because the cafetaria doesn't offer little packets of methamphetamine.

Howard: Emergency Drill Night last night huh?

Leonard: Uhuh!

Raj: Well how did you do?

Sheldon: (coming in and sitting down at the table) ''I'll tell you exactly how he did. Readiness; unsatisfatory, follows direction; barely, attitude; a little too much, overall; not only will he probably die in a fiery inferno, his incessant whining would most certainly spoil everyone else's day.''

Sheldon: Dr. Hofstadter.

Leonard: 'Sup!

Sheldon: 'Sup!

Sheldon:'' Now, rise and shine sleepyhead, half the town is probably dead! (In a sing-song voice)''

Leonard: I have to get a lock for that door.

Leonard: Sheldon, Canada is not going to invade California.

Sheldon: ''Yeah really? You think those hippies in Washington and Oregon can stop them?''

Sheldon: ''Alright. An 8.2 magnitude earthquake devastates Pasedena, reducing minor edifices to dust, engulfing the city in flames, the streets flow with blood and echo with the cries of the wounded. Oh, excellent choice!''

Sheldon: Two years ago, after a deep gum cleaning, I thought I got on a bus, but somehow wound up on a booze cruise to Mexico.

Leonard: ''You call that a glow stick? (Pulls out his lightsaber) THAT is a glow stick.''

Video
thumb|left|351px|TBBT S5EP15 Promo

thumb|351px|left|TBBT S5E15 Sneak Peek

thumb|left|351px| TBBT S5x15 Canadian Promo

Source

 * Taping report from fanforum.com, generously provided by the user ennaxor.