Trama

Sheldon is thrilled to help Bernadette and Howard navigate bureaucracy concerning a neighbor's non-compliant balcony until he learns they too have ignored codes. Leonard is disappointed when his friends are uninterested in his new laser.

Howard and Bernadette's new neighbor, Andy, an otherwise seemingly nice man, has built a porch overlooking their backyard, in combination with his motion activated flood light which has totally invaded any privacy they had in their backyard. Going down to city hall to investigate, they discover that they have to go through a bureaucratic quagmire just to learn if Andy obtained a permit for the porch, and if not a separate bureaucratic quagmire to see if the porch in any way contravenes zoning. They feel at a loss if to proceed until the learn that rule-obsessed and detail-oriented Sheldon loves such bureaucracy and is willing will go through the bureaucracy for them. The tables may be turned when Sheldon discovers something about Howard and Bernadette which could threaten him not only not helping them but their friendship in its entirety. Meanwhile, Leonard is professionally feeling a little left behind, with Sheldon and Amy perhaps on the brink of a Nobel. The latest issue is that Bert has asked Raj for help with a found meteorite, Bert wants Raj's opinion on his suspicion of organic matter contained within. The kicker ends up being when Bert and Raj decide to cut open the meteorite and decline Leonard's offer to use his laser - Leonard believing his option is superior - in favor of Bert's diamond blade circular saw.—Huggo

Howard and Bernadette prepare to use their hot tub when their new neighbor's flood lights come on blinding them. Bernadette is reluctant to change in front of the lights. The balcony overlooks their fence and their neighbors' only suggestion is to plant some trees. Also the lights are operated by motion sensors so they have to be still to shut them off.

In Leonard's lab, Dr. Hofstadter is showing Sheldon, Howard and Raj his new europium laser. Howard is having a problem with his neighbors, while Sheldon still has his Nobel Prize submission problem. Bert comes in and asks Raj as an astrophysicist to look at a meteorite with him. Leonard wants to cut it open with his new laser, but Bert declines. Both Raj and Howard leave to check the meteorite out.

Howard and Bernadette go to the city zoning office or the "zone-zone" to see what they can do about their neighbors. The clerk tells them that they can check and see if their neighbors have a permit. The Wolowitzes need to go to the Office of Code Compliance and fill out a form for a nuisance, an encumbrance or an encroachment. There is a different form for each of them.

At the comic book store, Leonard is going through a rack of comic books and then suddenly sneezes. Stuart tells him that he just bought a rack of Batman comic books. Leonard says that is just his allergies. Stuart offers him something from his large collection of medicines. Raj comes in and describes the unique Spectrographic signature they found in Bert's meteorite. Leonard again offers to use his laser to cut open the meteorite which really bothers Stuart. He asks them if they haven't learned anything from reading all the comic books he sells. Space viruses. Pod people. Raj thinks that Stuart is being a bit crazy. Denise retorts that Stuart is the only one making any sense.

Having dinner in apartment 4A, Howard complains that a day at the zoning office solved nothing. Sheldon gets excited that they could spend the day there and then Bernadette asks him to help them out. Leonard tells everyone that Raj is working on his stupid meteorite as he sneezes saying that he is feeling rundown. Sheldon looks tiffed and then marches Amy, Howard and Bernadette into his apartment making sure that they all use Purell before entering.

Back in Apartment 4A, a sickly Leonard can't stop complaining about the guys not using his new laser. Penny suggests that Leonard is just being jealous. Also she offers to get him some medicine, but Stuart already gave him some at the comic book store. Penny wonders that Stuart really needs all of his medicine. Penny offers to sleep on the couch, but Leonard says that he'll take the couch. Penny quickly accepts the idea, calls him a "snot-bag" and runs off to their bedroom.

Sheldon and Amy inspect the Wolowitz backyard and Sheldon thinks that their neighbors are exhibiting classic encroachment. When the floodlights snap on, Sheldon says that the brightness must be at least 10,000 Lumens. Howard quips that when you have Lumens you should make Lumen-Ade. Sheldon finds out that Howard didn't have a permit to build their outdoor deck which worries Sheldon. Howard also didn't get a permit for their bathroom improvements. Sheldon is horrified.

Driving home Sheldon is disgusted that he doesn't really know his friends and that they are rule breakers. Poor Amy is about to drive into oncoming traffic because Sheldon is complaining to his wife so much. Sheldon wants to get his friends back on the side of "Johnny Law". Amy is appalled since Howard would have to tear out all of their improvements and it would probably end their friendship. Sheldon retorts that only animals build decks without permits.

Leonard goes into the geology lab and sees the fancy water-cooled saw. He tries to take the meteorite, but it's too heavy, so he rolls it out on a chair.

At the city zoning office, Sheldon finds the clerk's "zone-zone" joke funny. Sheldon wants to know if he should turn a code violator in. He philosophically debates the clerk on whether he should turn-in law breakers. The clerk doesn't tell Sheldon to turn him in.

As Leonard is about to cut into the meteorite Raj and Bert run in wanting to know what he was doing. He cuts it open and they find a glowing purple light emitting from it. Raj finds the rock pretty. Leonard approaches it and gets zapped. His eyes start to glow purple, he gets ravishingly hungry and attacks Raj and Bert taking a bite out of them.

Leonard finds himself waking up on the couch and Penny tells him that he's having a bad dream. As Penny checks his temperature, Leonard's eyes start to glow purple again and he attacks Penny. Her scream wakes him up as she comes running down the hallway. Leonard asks what color his eyes are and Penny can't decide between green and brown. At least he is finally awake.

Sheldon comes to talk to Howard and Bernadette. He had thought of turning them in, but he decided that the unwritten rules of friendship overrides the city zoning office regulations. He also looked into their neighbor's balcony and found out that it did encroach their property line. He had so much pent up energy that he turned their neighbors in.

Leonard visits the geology lab and apologizes to Bert and Raj since he was jealous. Bert calls his cutting device "Terry Brad-saw". Leonard explains about his dream and Bert thinks it's nice that Leonard attacked him first.

Howard and Bernadette are having wine watching their neighbor tear out the balcony. Their neighbors apologize for the noise and they wonder who Sheldon Cooper is who filed the complaint. Sheldon Cooper? The Wolowitzes have never heard of him.

Finally at the comic book store, there have been no customers all afternoon and Stuart and Denise haven't seen anyone out on the street. Maybe cutting open the meteorite unleashed a space plague. Stuart locks the door as he and Denise wonder if they are the last couple on earth. Do either of them have special skills to rebuild civilization? Stuart draws and Denise can play the clarinet. Denise agrees that they'll have to start repopulating the planet. She is fine with doing that and runs off to brush her teeth. Sheldon shows up and Stuart tells them that they are closed. He runs off after Denise. Sheldon is going to complain on Yelp.

Title reference: Leonard's jealousy and nightmares of opening the meteorite and eating his friends.