The Good Guy Fluctuation
Leonard resists cheating; Sheldon seeks Halloween revenge.
"The Good Guy Fluctuation" is the 94th episode of *The Big Bang Theory*, airing as the seventh installment of season five on CBS on October 27, 2011. The plot follows Leonard as he struggles with the temptation to cheat on his long-distance girlfriend, Priya, while Sheldon seeks payback after being pranked for Halloween.
Leonard meets Alice, an artist and comic book fan, and feels a mutual attraction. He asks Penny for guidance but finds her advice unhelpful, then turns to Sheldon, who quotes Friedrich Nietzsche. Taking this as useful, Leonard goes to Alice’s apartment. They begin kissing, but he stops himself, deciding not to cheat. He tells Alice he is in a relationship, and she throws him out. Later, he confesses the near-cheating to Priya via Skype. Priya admits she had sex with her ex-boyfriend. Stunned that she slept with someone while he only kissed another woman, Leonard ends the call, dismayed.
Meanwhile, Sheldon becomes the victim of a Halloween prank. He tries to retaliate against Leonard by rigging an airbag in his mailbox, but Leonard turns it back on him. He then hides a snake in Raj’s desk at work, but Raj is unafraid and adores it. Sheldon goes to Howard’s house with a joy buzzer and asks to shake hands. Howard shakes, then falls to the floor. Bernadette says Howard has a heart condition and forces Sheldon to inject adrenaline into his heart. Howard opens his eyes, revealing he was faking. Sheldon accidentally shocks himself while slapping his own face in frustration. Finally, Sheldon successfully pranks Leonard: after Leonard’s video chat with Priya, Sheldon jumps from under the couch cushions dressed as a zombie, scaring him and declaring, “Bazinga, punk! Now we’re even.”
On its first broadcast, the episode drew 14.54 million U.S. households and a Nielsen rating of 4.6/13 in the 18–49 demographic. It ranked second in its timeslot behind a World Series game with 21.06 million viewers, beating a rerun of *It’s the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown* on ABC, *The Vampire Diaries* on The CW, and *Community* on NBC. It was the most-watched show on CBS that night, outperforming *Rules of Engagement* (10.62 million), *Person of Interest* (11.62 million), and *The Mentalist* (12.42 million). In Canada, it aired on CTV Total with 3.751 million viewers, becoming the week’s most-watched show. In Australia, it aired November 7, 2011, with 1.346 million vi
- Episode number
- 94th overall, seventh of season five
- First air date
- October 27, 2011
- Network
- CBS
- U.S. viewers (households)
- 14.54 million
- Nielsen rating (18-49)
- 4.6/13
- Director
- Not specified in source
- Writers
- Not specified in source
Quick Facts
- Series
- The Big Bang Theory
- Season
- 5
- Episode
- 7
- Guests
- Courtney Ford as Alice / Aarti Mann as Priya Koothrappali / Kevin Sussman as Stuart Bloom
- Teleplay
- Bill Prady / Steven Molaro / Steve Holland
- Story
- Chuck Lorre / Dave Goetsch / Maria Ferrari
- Director
- Mark Cendrowski
- Airdate
- 2011-10-27
- Production
- 3X6857
- Length
- 20 minutes
- Prev
- The Rhinitis Revelation
- Next
- The Isolation Permutation
Facts from the source article.
Lore & Background
In the episode, Leonard, in a long-distance relationship with Priya, meets an artist and comic book enthusiast named Alice. He asks Penny for advice, then Sheldon, who quotes Friedrich Nietzsche. Leonard goes to Alice's apartment and kisses her but decides not to cheat. He tells Priya via Skype, and she admits she had sex with her ex-boyfriend. Shocked, Leonard ends the conversation in dismay. Meanwhile, Sheldon is the victim of a Halloween prank. He attempts revenge on Leonard with an airbag in his mailbox, but it backfires. He hides a snake in Raj's desk, but Raj adores it. He goes to Howard's house with a joy buzzer; Howard shakes hands and falls. Bernadette says Howard has a heart condition and forces Sheldon to inject adrenaline. Howard reveals he was pretending. Sheldon accidentally shocks himself. Finally, Sheldon successfully pranks Leonard by jumping from under couch cushions dressed as a zombie, declaring, "Bazinga, punk! Now we're even."
Reader's Guide
The episode received mixed critical responses. Oliver Sava of The A.V. Club gave it a C, calling it "a completely average installment." The TV Critic rated it 68 out of 100, calling it "really effective." Jenna Busch of IGN gave it 9 out of 10, noting Leonard's cheating was "out of character" but enjoying Sheldon's pranks. Carla Day from TV Fanatic rated it 4.5 out of 5, calling it "a well-done Halloween episode" and suggesting Jim Parsons submit it for Emmy consideration. In its initial U.S. broadcast, it was watched by 14.54 million households and ranked second in its timeslot after a World Series game. It was the most-watched show on CBS that night and, in Canada, the most-watched show that week.
Did You Know?
- The episode was watched by 14.54 million U.S. households on its first broadcast.
- In Canada, it aired on CTV Total and received 3.751 million viewers, making it the most watched show that week.
- Oliver Sava of The A.V. Club gave the episode a C, describing it as 'a completely average installment.'
- Sheldon's final successful prank involved jumping from under couch cushions dressed as a zombie.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the main plot of 'The Good Guy Fluctuation'?
Leonard wrestles with the urge to cheat on his long-distance girlfriend Priya after meeting an attractive artist named Alice, while simultaneously Sheldon schemes to get his Halloween prank revenge on the rest of the group.
Does Leonard end up cheating on Priya in this episode?
No — although he and Alice begin kissing at her apartment, Leonard ultimately resists the temptation and chooses to stay faithful to Priya.
Who is Alice in 'The Good Guy Fluctuation'?
She is a comic-book-loving artist whom Leonard meets and feels a mutual attraction toward, and she serves as the romantic temptation he must resist while Priya is away for work.
What does Sheldon do for Halloween in this episode?
After being the target of a prank earlier in the season, Sheldon devises a scheme to get his payback on the rest of the gang, adding a second storyline to the episode.
What season and episode number is 'The Good Guy Fluctuation'?
It is the seventh episode of season five, making it the 94th installment of the series overall, and it originally aired on CBS on October 27, 2011.
More in The Big Bang Theory episodes 1-24
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