Season 2

The Friendship Algorithm

The four guys are sitting in the cafeteria. When Sheldon wants to begin a lecture about the dessert, Howard attempts to start a conversation about the growth of his beard. But Leonard knows that it is torturous for Sheldon to refrain from displaying his knowledge, and allows him to finish his lecture.

Barry comes to their table and makes fun of Leonard's last experiment which produced only negative results. When he is gone, they begin to gossip about Kripke. But Sheldon reminds them that Barry has access to the open science grid computer, on which Sheldon could run a simulation. Since he only allows his friends to use the computer, Sheldon plans to befriend Barry. When he approaches him about it directly, Barry refuses him unequivocally.

In the apartment, Leonard has just fixed Penny's email, so that Howard's emails will go directly to the spam folder. At the same time, Sheldon leaves a message in Barry's mailbox. When Penny later inquires, Leonard briefly explains to her the origin of the friendship among the four boys.

Sheldon brings over a detailed questionnaire for Penny. With the questionnaire, Sheldon would like to ask his friends about himself, to gain a closer friendship with Barry.

He is quickly disappointed by the analysis. Leonard has used a pattern with his multiple-choice answers and the essays are also not acceptable. Leonard tries to explain to him that not everything can be solved with pure science. As a result, Sheldon wants to go to a bookstore and buy himself a book about friendship.

He also finds a book there about a cockatoo that is new in the zoo. Sheldon is delighted. When Sheldon wants to befriend a girl, Leonard intervenes.

Raj, Howard, and Leonard return to the apartment, where Sheldon has just finished writing a friendship algorithm. He calls Barry and pursues his algorithm, but he gets caught in a loop, Howard knows a solution and Sheldon actually manages to carry it out, and arranges to go rock climbing with Barry.

The pair meet at the climbing wall, and with his first sight of the wall, Sheldon is already apprehensive. Barry is already climbing a section and Sheldon dares himself too. But when he looks down, he faints.

In the apartment, Raj, Howard, Leonard, and Penny eat supper. Sheldon and Barry return from climbing. Sheldon reports that he has succeeded in forging a friendship with Barry. But he has no room for more friends and therefore he must drop one of his friends. He chooses Raj, who had answered crucial questions wrong on the test.

Barry returns from the bathroom and flirts with Penny. She is quickly disgusted. Howard sees this as his chance now that he seems more attractive.

Sheldon asks Barry if he, as his new friend, may be allowed to use the computer. However, Barry explains to him that he has no influence on the use of the computer, but rather there is a fixed schedule. Then Sheldon ends the newly won friendship and returns Raj to his former place.

In the final scene, Sheldon is trying the climbing wall again. And he has almost succeeded in reaching the top, when he faints again.

Season:
Episode no.: 13
Original Air DateUS:
Original Air Date germany: