Episode 14 – The Beta Test Initiation (514)

Posted on Jan 24, 2012 in Season 5 | 0 comments

Leonard and Penny have started dating again. Anxious to avoid the mistakes of last time, Leonard suggests they have a Alpha test relationship: rather than getting angry with each other, they’ll simply report any ‘bugs’ they discover and fix them. This goes poorly. Leonard gives Penny an insultingly long list of her faults. When he tries to patch things up by taking her target shooting, he accidentally shoots himself in the toe. Afterwards, Penny reassures Leonard that their relationship is progressing smoothly.

Meanwhile, Raj develops a crush on his phone’s virtual assistant, Siri and Sheldon and Amy start a podcast about the study of flags.

Recurring characters: John Ross Bowie as Barry Kripke.
Notable guest stars: Becky O’Donohue as Siri.
Title reference: Leonard inventing a system in which Penny and he can communicate their annoyances in the relationship to improve upon it. Penny incorrectly dubs the technique a “beta test” instead of an “alpha test,” and Leonard corrects her.

Directed by Mark Cendrowski.
Written by Story: Chuck Lorre, Steven Molaro & Eric Kaplan / Teleplay: Bill Prady, Dave Goetsch and Maria Ferrari.
Originally aired on January 26, 2012.

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