Fans Talk: “Rock, Paper, Scissors, Lizard, Spock”

“Ooh, I don’t think so. No, anecdotal evidence suggests that in the game of rock-paper-scissors, players familiar with each other will tie 75 to 80% of the time due to the limited number of outcomes. I suggest rock-paper-scissors- lizard-Spock.”

-- Sheldon Cooper

The suggestion heard ‘round the world. Fan raised eyebrows the day this episode aired, all the way back in Season 2, and they still haven’t stopped talking about the possibilities the new game presents: for the classic rock-paper-scissors itself, or for re-inventing known game classics all over the place. I present: rock-paper-scissors-lizard-Spock.

In Season 2, episode 8, the “Lizard-Spock” expansion, the title means precisely what it says: Sheldon suggests, to decide what movie they should watch one night, to settle the tiff with a round of rock-paper-scissors…lizard, Spock. On the premise the ordinary match would lead to a tie, the roommates and Raj prepare for a three-person expanded version. The game works as follows:

“It’s very simple. Look, scissors cuts paper. Paper covers rock. Rock crushes lizard. Lizard poisons Spock. Spock smashes scissors. Scissors decapitates lizard. Lizard eats paper. Paper disproves Spock. Spock vaporizes rock. And as it always has, rock crushes scissors.”

-- Sheldon Cooper

Before I could wonder as to how paper disproves Spock (nothing disproves Spock), the boys drew their choices and came up with--shocker of all shockers--Spock’s hand-symbol. I didn’t have to be Dr. Cooper to guess the concurrent odds of that happening.

In fact, the fans enjoyed the amendment so much it reared its head again in two later episodes. Next, when Sheldon and Howard bicker over a comic book later in the season (Howard suggests the game, but Sheldon ironically decides not to gamble his chances with the issue. I guess he learned from last time). Then, not until Season 5, when Sheldon finds himself in another argument with the insufferable Kripke and Raj suggests they solve their dilemma lizard-Spock style. Kripke leads the two of them to explain the game a few times (talk about tongue twisters) before they realize he’s teasing them and doesn’t plan on playing.

I guess he just didn’t know what he was missing.