The Good Guy Fluctuation

"The Good Guy Fluctuation" is the seventh episode of the fifth season of the sitcom The Big Bang Theory. This episode first aired on Thursday, October 27, 2011.

Summary
Leonard finds himself drawn towards a beautiful enthusiast. Meanwhile, Sheldon tries to scare the gang after they pulled a  on him.

Extended Plot
Sheldon is working late in his office thoroughly frustrated since it’s after nine o’clock. After a sudden, Sheldon finds "" dripping down the. Then he is scared by a -covered on a. Sheldon is not impressed as Howard and Raj join him in his office. Sheldon turns around to find Leonard in a mask from Star Trek causing Sheldon to faint.

At the comic book store, while Sheldon discusses his Texas background meaning that there will be. A good looking girl wanders into the which Stuart tries to talk to but can’t. She picks up a  that Leonard was purchasing and then connects with her. (You’re cute.) She offers to make a for that one and gives him her. Howard and Stuart were impressed. Stuart takes his for the store’s "Wall of Heroes" display.

Sheldon s the on Leonard, but Leonard turns the  around and gets Sheldon with it. Sheldon might be from Texas; however, Leonard is from.

Leonard has a "" with Alice, where he showed a drawing drew of him at. Alice shows him a comic she drew based on her life including her having with half of a. As they start to, she offers to trade Leonard her comic for the Hellboy comic. Leonard then offers her his. Sheldon's next target: Raj where he hides a in Raj's. Raj opens it and sees the cute snake and takes him to the lab to get it some.

Leonard goes over to talk to Penny about his dilemma. He wants both Priya and Alice. He wants be one of those who goes sneaks around and sleeps with more than one. Penny tells him that he is looking for a way to sleep with both women and have everybody be happy about it. That’s what he’s looking for.

Sheldon then approaches Howard with a and wants to shake his  for various reasons. He hears Bernadette who now is sounding more like Howard's mother. Sheldon shocks Howard who drops to the and collapses due to his  condition. Sheldon freaks out and Bernadette insists that he has to jab a needle of into his heart because she isn't strong enough. Sheldon does it and then Howard wakes up because they pranked him. Sheldon can't believe he got duped and face palms himself getting stung by his own buzzer.

After consulting with Sheldon about his dilemma, Leonard actually had good advice from, is the fiction created by the weak masses to hold back the strongest in society. Leonard has a formal date with Alice. As they are heading toward, Leonard’s gets the better of him. He tells Alice that he has a which seriously annoys Alice who calls him just another jerk. Leonard explains that he is a good guy and wants to just be friends. She throws him out of the. As Leonard walks down the, he calls himself an.

Leonard confesses the incident to Priya over, and she instantly forgives him. Leonard first thinks she is wonderful and then asks why. She confesses to having an ex-boyfriend. Leonard is very unhappy. Priya explains that it isn’t a. Leonard disagrees and tells her that she won ending the call. And then Leonard gets the crap scared out of him by Sheldon hiding inside the jumping out dressed as a. (Bazinga, punk! Now we're even!)

Critics

 * The TV Critic: "This was very enjoyable. The two plots were set up early on, both were clear and easy to get into with clear motivations for all involved. The Sheldon story played to his strengths. His inability to be subtle and hide his real motives make pranks ideal comedy... Leonard's story was really good. It was a simple moral dilemma that anyone and particularly guys could relate to... This was such a simple episode and it was really effective. It drove the plot while making use of the season and the characters."
 * The A.V. Club gave this episode C
 * IMDb user reviews

Costume Notes

 * Leonard wears his white on green recycle logo shirt.

Trivia

 * This is the first of three episodes Mayim Bialik is absent from in the fifth season; the second is "The Transporter Malfunction" (S5E20), and the third is "The Hawking Excitation" (S5E21).
 * The mask Leonard uses to frighten Sheldon is a mask of the character "Balok" from the Star Trek original series episode "". The character was actually a mask or audio animatronic dummy used by a "not-so-scary" alien life form.
 * Like Raj, Sheldon urinates himself, among other things, when he is scared, just as Raj voted. In "The Bozeman Reaction", he utters for the second time, "I am the master of my own bladder," as a frightened Sheldon crawls across a window ledge. The first mention in that episode is simply because he is too scared to go to the restroom, on the other hand.
 * Sheldon aptly says, "It's not suspicious that I'm ; it's consistent with my ." Leonard points this fact out in "The Infestation Hypothesis", revealing, "Sheldon, you do this all the time; you fixate on some crazy idea and then blow it way out of proportion."
 * Leonard finally connects a beautiful girl who shares his interests and who could give Penny trouble.
 * Alice is played by Courtney Ford, who is married to, an actor known for his role as Superman in . Superman is Leonard's favorite as seen in "The Big Bran Hypothesis", "The White Asparagus Triangulation", and "The Justice League Recombination". Alice even makes a reference to Superman: "I'm forbidden by my Kryptonian father to do so."
 * As Leonard asks Sheldon what he is doing, Sheldon responds, "Science. You wouldn't understand." He similarly mocks Leonard in "The Monopolar Expedition" when he says, "Perhaps you mean a different thing than I do when you say science."
 * Sheldon uses a, but can't even open a in "The Killer Robot Instability".
 * Oddly, Sheldon does not say anything about Leonard sitting in his spot at the end of the episode. However, Leonard still has it coming when Sheldon scares him.
 * Last appearance of Priya in the show.
 * Third episode where Sheldon screams. The first was "The Nerdvana Annihilation" and "The Euclid Alternative".

Quotes

 * (Raj and Howard attempt to scare Sheldon, but he is unfazed.)
 * Sheldon: Please, fright depends on an element of surprise. The simple fact is, because I am much smarter than you, and able to anticipate your actions, it is highly unlikely that you two rubes could ever surprise me.
 * (Unnoticed by Sheldon, Leonard emerges from a closet wearing a mask of Balok from Star Trek.)
 * Raj: He’s probably right.
 * Howard: We can’t beat him. He’s just too smart.
 * Sheldon: (dismissively) Gentlemen. (Turns and sees Leonard in the Balok mask; then screams and faints.)
 * Howard: (as the trio survey an unconscious Sheldon) Who had money on faints?
 * Raj: (disappointingly) I had pee his pants.
 * Leonard: Hang on. (peers closely at Sheldon) Looks like everyone’s a winner.


 * Sheldon: You think you've poked fun at a milquetoast academic. Well, you've forgotten one thing. I am also a son of the Lone Star State. I’m Texas through and through. And we know how to settle scores down there. If you doubt me, ask Mexico.


 * Penny: It's a rough month when Halloween and hit at the same time.


 * Leonard: No, no, I messed up a little, you messed up a lot.
 * Priya: Well it's not a competition!
 * Leonard: Oh yeah it is, and you won.


 * Sheldon: Bazinga, punk! Now we're even.


 * Alice: I'm forbidden by my Kryptonian father to do so.


 * Sheldon: I tried to scare an Indian with a snake. Come on, Cooper, you're better than this!


 * Leonard: Damn it, I can’t. I can’t, I can’t do this.
 * Alice: Uh, is it my tongue stud? ‘Cause if that freaks you out; you’re in for a real surprise later on.
 * Leonard: No, no, no. I, I can’t do this. Believe me, I really want to.
 * Alice: But?
 * Leonard: But I kind of have a girlfriend.
 * Alice: Are you kidding?
 * Leonard: You’re cool with you and me just being friends, right?
 * Alice: I don’t believe this.
 * Leonard: Wait, I don’t, which part?
 * Alice: I’m so stupid. I thought for once I’d met a good guy, but you’re just another jackass.
 * Leonard: Oh, no, no, you have it wrong. No. I, I was going to be a jackass, but I stopped myself. I stayed a good guy, so, I’m gonna pass on the sex. But you should know, that’s not a comment on your hotness but on my goodness. That’s kind of my superpower. I’m, like, Captain Good Guy.


 * Leonard: It's okay. Did the right thing. You idiot!