The Helium Insufficiency

"The Helium Insufficiency" is the sixth episode of the ninth season of the sitcom The Big Bang Theory. The episode aired on Monday, October 26, 2015.

Summary
Sheldon and Leonard find out that some Swedish scientists are trying to prove their Superfluid Helium theory. They need to get some liquid helium through one of Howard's shady contacts to beat them. The rest of the gang decide it is time to set Amy up on some dates and want to enter her info into a dating app, only they find out Amy has been already out on the dating scene without their help.

Extended Plot
Sheldon enters Leonard's laboratory with some bad news though he wants to soften the blow. Leonard's face is pleasingly symmetrical. Leonard just wants Sheldon to tell him the news. A team of Swedish physicists are trying to scoop their super-fluid vortex theory. Leonard feels that that stinks while Sheldon thinks that Leonard should be more upset. He takes backs his first comment by saying that Leonard's face looks like a Picasso painting. To beat the Swedes, they have to perform their experiment to demonstrate the theory's viability immediately, but the liquid helium they need won't be available for a month. Sheldon thinks that Leonard should have softened the blow. Leonard quips that the blue in his shirt brings out the color in his eyes. "Why thank you. Aren't you sweet?"

The guys visit Barry Kripke to see if the university had any liquid helium in reserve. Barry explains that there is a shortage and he needs it for his quantum excitation experiment. Though he doesn't need that much, if his experiment is successful he'll throw a party which will include helium balloons. Leonard mentions the urgency due to the Swede's work, but Barry asks him that honestly whether they would do the same for him. Sheldon is honest and says no. His mother told him that honesty was the best policy. Leonard asks Barry if he'll help them out. "Hell no!" is his response. Sheldon comments as they leave that Barry could have softened the blow.

As all the guys return to Leonard's lab, Raj suggests that they go to Party City, but they would have to visit every store in California. Sheldon laments that if the Swedes beat them, he'll never enjoy anything from Sweden again and he loves their meatballs. Howard knows a guy who can help them as long as they don't ask too many questions. Both Leonard and Sheldon start inquiring about who, where and how many questions they can ask. Howard backs off and feels that he might not be the right choice. Four announces Sheldon. Four is too many questions taking Howard literally.

Penny and Bernadette are having coffee in her living room and she says that Stuart went out on a date. Penny wants to know if she's homeless or framing him for a crime. He found her using an app that identifies the women within a five mile radius that are also looking and it's sort of like a game. And the loser goes out with Stuart? He comes in and explains that he has met two girls using it. One checks out the photos and "thumbs up" the ones you like.

Sheldon and Leonard are in Sheldon's apartment and Leonard has heard from their helium source. Sheldon doesn't want to go out because he doesn't like to shop at night. He had a bad experience in 2009 going out for Oat Bran. Leonard is going to reply to him, but Sheldon remarks that it is highly unethical. Leonard just wants to bend the rules to get it done especially since they have the grant money specifically for this experiment. Dr. Goldfarb had used his grant money for his electron microscope to support his Russian girlfriend in Van Nuys. Sheldon is still skeptical so Leonard quotes Albert Einstein, "The pursuit of science calls us to ignore the rules set by man." Sheldon agrees, so Leonard sets up the meeting. Sheldon can't find that quote on the Internet. Before Leonard answers he decides to soften the blow to Sheldon telling him that his skin never looked better. Sheldon replies, "Aren't you just made of sugar,"

Stuart downloads the app onto Amy’s phone. She isn't sure about doing this. Penny takes the phone from him and quickly swipes thumbs down to three different guys. Raj and Howard return because Bernadette hadn't given Howard much spending money. They explain to them that they were using the app to find an ideal match for Amy. Then Raj takes the phone and swipes no to every guy he see’s on it too including the Indian guy because their Social Group already has one. He wants to find her a nice Latino guy to complement their ethnicity. After Howard takes it, Amy wants her phone back. Howard brushes her off saying that they wil find her the next great love of her life, the man that will father her children. They finds a white guy with dread locks. Yea!!

Leonard and Sheldon pull up in a rented truck in a parking garage and see a guy next to a nondescript white paneled van. Sheldon asks Leonard if he has heard the expression that the bodies were found in a nondescript white paneled van. The guys approach him. Leonard introduces himself and Sheldon claims to be Skippy Cavanaugh. Leonard has the cash, but Sheldon is worried that he'll take the cash ad drive off like in any 1970's television crime drama. He wants the helium first. The guy says that they could do the same thing. Leonard tells him that they are respected scientists and wouldn't do that to him. Sheldon claims to be a wedding planner who can't find love. They both agree that they appear to be sketchy characters in a parking garage. Leonard agrees with Sheldon about the money. The guy says that they appear to be at a stalemate. Sheldon disagrees about his term. A stalemate implies no more moves. He could steal their money, kill them... Leonard is feeling uncomfortable. The guy feels foolish since what he meant was impasse. Leonard calls it a Mexican standoff creating another vocabulary debate. Sheldon gives him a hypothical situation where he did find the guy's name (Kenneth Fitzgerald)and address and if he reneged on his agreement he could report him to the authorities. Is Sheldon making a threat? Actually no, just an example, but Sheldon doesn't realize that. The guy wants to back out. Sheldon asks Leonard if again he has won the battle, but lost the war.

Next Leonard wants everyone to calm down even though this guy wants out of the deal. Leonard explains that they had been working on a theory for over a year. The guy wants to hear about it. Space-time can be interpreted as being on the surface of an n-dimensional superfluid. He says that that is possible. Leonard continues and tells him about the Swedes. Their supplier was expecting a higher ethical standard from the Swedes as he illegally sells them the helium. Leonard laments that stealing other's work is rather common in their field and there's not much he can do about it. The guy replies that for the right amount of money, there are things you can do about it. Sheldon then asks him for his business card.

The other guys are hanging around Howard/Bernadette’s house. They set up a system where they can look at the men through the television and can choose which guys they want to pick for Amy who is not enjoying their explorations. The first guy that appeared was a crossed-eyed man. Penny claims that at least he won't be looking at other girls. The next guy has small eye teeth and looks like a dolphin. When Amy is in bed with him, she can throw him a fish. Amy thinks they are being mean to these guys. Raj agrees as Stuart pops up on the screen and they ask him to leave the room.

Returning to Leonard's laboratory, they are wheeling in the helium which is dressed in a coat and hat and Sheldon calls him Uncle Harvey. Sheldon want him to be conspicuous, even though he did tip his hat to the cleaning lady. He still has problems with what they're doing. Will the supplier rat on them? Will Kripke wonder where we got the helium? What if they check his family tree and find no Uncle Harvey? They find a torn sticker on the metal container that says "Property of U....". Leonard figures its USC or UCLA. Sheldon is worried that it belongs to the United States' government which means federal prison time. Leonard just wants to conduct their experiment so they can beat the Swedes or watch their dream die. Next they are seen taking Uncle Harvey back down the corridor and out the building. As they pass the cleaning lady, Leonard tips his hat.

Penny has now set up a drinking game while checking out the guys on the app. One drink if he is shirtless, two if he poses wtth his pet, chug if both. Guy with no shirt and pet comes up. Bottoms up. Amy then gets a text which appears on the television screen. Some guy named Dave enjoyed their date. Is Amy seeing someone? She claims that it is not like that, though Dave wants to see her again.

Sheldon and Leonard are back in the garage. The guy doesn't mind returning because his daughter is having a sleepover and he can take only so much Katy Perry. He's willing to take the helium off their hands, but won't return their money even though they did have "semantic degressions". This is business. And there is a restocking fee. Sheldon asks how much since he only has $1000. That's the fee exactly. Sheldon now thinks he is getting a break.

Penny tells Amy that she can believe she started dating without telling her. Amy finds the whole situation new and weird and she figured they would get too excited about it. She has met three guys for coffee. She is inexperienced at dating so she is taking it slow.

Again back in Leonard's lab, Sheldon figured that the Swedes will beat them, but at least they will not get "gang-noodled" in prison. "Ernst Goes to Jail" is the only prison movie he's seen and it scared Sheldon straight. Barry Kripke joins them and he is willing to give them his helium as long as they add his name to the paper. Sheldon thinks that is preposterous, but they can't do it without him. They don't like being extorted especially by Barry Kripke, but what other choice do they have? They go back and repurchase the back market helium.

Finally they are back in the apartment still debating what a "Mexican standoff" is and watching "Ernst Goes to Jail" with the guy. Sheldon insists that this will change the guy's life course. He admits that he is open to change.

Critics
To be entered.

Trivia

 * John Ross Bowie makes a second appearance this season as Barry Kripke.


 * Sheldon and Leonard's super fluid theory (first mentioned in "The Troll Manifestation") will attempt to be stolen by Swedish scientists.


 * Amy has signed up to a new dating app and gone on three different coffee dates, including Dave (next episode's guest star Stephen Merchant) - she is reacting after the comments made by Sheldon in episode 5.


 * The guys again contact one of Howard's shady underbelly connections like when they tried to get scalped Comic Con tickets in "The Convention Conundrum."
 * The second episode where Barry Kripke controlled the university resource the guys wanted. In "The Friendship Algorithm" he controlled the available computer time that Sheldon wanted so Sheldon decided to become his friend though in the end Kripke did not control it.
 * Sheldon again is expressing the opinions and idioms of his parents from his East Texas upbringing: "Why thank you. Aren't you sweet?"  "Aren't you just made of sugar."
 * Raj again mentions his party planning skills.
 * Beginning of Amy's arc about her dating of Dave, a British scientist.

Quotes
To be entered.